WiMu The Wine Museum

WiMu, the Barolo Wine Museum, is a multimedia itinerary to discover traditions, history and personalities that have shaped the history of Piedmont and Italy, helping to bring Barolo wine on the tables of European rulers in the 19^th century.

The visit winds through four floors and 25 rooms, in an evocative atmosphere cleverly balanced between light and dark. The layout, which is designed by the Swiss architect François Confino, one of the most respected stand designers of museums worldwide, was created with a “down deep into the culture of wine” perspective.

The visit starts from the top floor and leads to the underground part of the Castle that once housed the old aging cellars of the first barrels of Barolo and lasts on average roughly 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Why visit the WiMu?

The museum is an active and entertaining tour and accessible to all people including people with disabilities: here you will interact with the stands through sight, smell, hands, feet: a museum dedicated to wine with these peculiarities, unique, at least in Italy, capable of capturing even the young visitor’s interest.

The museum celebrates the work of man who, with the help of Time, Seasons, Light and Darkness, created the geometries of these hills.

The carousel of seasons

Visiting the WiMu

Upon reaching the center of Barolo, we find the Falletti Municipal Castle which dominates the town. The ticket office is located next to the entrance.

Take the lift and reach the third floor where the tour begins.

Third Floor – The times of Wine

The first to love wine were the gods: this is where we meet them. This floor is dedicated to nature, to seasons, to night and the darkness of cellars where the wine’s character has time to mature.

Not to be missed: The carousel Les très riches heures du Duc de Berry (1411 to 1416).

Second Floor – Wine in history and the arts

The itinerary begins from long ago: from Mesopotamia we reach Egypt, Greece and the Roman Empire. We then pass through the Middle Ages up to the 19^th century, discovering the influences of wine on art, music and literature.

First Floor – The Castle and the Falletti

The castle’s noble floor is entirely dedicated to the leading figures of the Falletti family: the Marquis Carlo Tancredi and his wife Juliette Colbert. There is also room for leading figures of the Italian Risorgimento: Silvio Pellico and Count Camillo Benso di Cavour, but we also find the faces of the townspeople who are brought back to life in natural size shapes.

Not to be missed: Il banchetto dell’armonia (The quattro stagioni hall)

The townspeople come back to life in cardboard silhouettes

The Cellar: the Collegio Barolo (Boarding School) and the Wine Tourist’s Temple

The Philanthropy of the Marchioness Giulia was embodied in the Collegio Barolo, which was created to educate the poor children in the area. Adjacent to this room we find the historical rooms where the large aging barrels could once be found.

While the visit comes to an end you can stop at the Enoteca Regionale del Barolo established in 1982 and well represented by over 200 producers; a prestigious showcase of the wine produced by the eleven municipalities that make up the production area of the “king of wines”.

Watch the interview with François Confino (in French with subtitles).

Opening hours and  Contacts

Monday – Sunday: 10.30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Last opening time: 6 p.m.
Tel. + 39 0173 38 66 97
Fax + 39 0173 38 07 14
Visit duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Photo Credits: Federico Carpino