Home » Tasting Tour – Langhe and Monferrato

The Langhe (Langa in Piedmontese) is a historical region of Piedmont, located between the provinces of Cuneo and Asti, an extensive hilly area defined by the course of some rivers including the Tanaro.

The peculiar geographic location, close to the Maritime Alps and the Ligurian Apennines, the soil composition, and the difference of temperatures between day and night are the main components, conferring such a uniqueness to the wines produced on site.

In Langa, the most popular traditional wine varieties are Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Barbera, and Moscato, which have always been present in the southern part of Piedmont as an essential part of the local economy, but they are also acknowledged in the world’s oenological panorama.

Our tasting tour begins near Neive, in Neviglie, a particularly suitable area for Moscato, Brut and Dolcetto. Roberto Garbarino‘s farm emerges amongst rows of vineyards, deep in the green hills.

After a short but intense tour among the vineyards, admiring bunches of grapes, and the beauty of the hills, we proceed to visit the wine cellars of the farm where you can learn the methods used for fermentation and wine bottling. After that, the real wine tasting starts, while you’re comfortably seated on the terrace where homemade salami and different wines are offered. The Brut and Dolcetto, to name a couple, are excellent. Clients can buy the wine directly on-site once the tour is over.

In the area, along with wine tasting, many wineries also offer typical menus of the traditional Piedmontese cuisine for lunch or dinner.

Otherwise, as it will be shown below with a specific example, the territory has a multitude of restaurants, trattorias, or farmhouses to meet the varied demand which grows every year.

La Viranda is a farmhouse located in San Marzano Oliveto, the hilly community town of high Monferrato, located about 20 minutes by car from Neviglie.

Monferrato, considered a separate territory, borders with the Langhe and is another cradle of the Piedmontese oenological heritage, including among the main wines: Barbera, Freisa, and Bonarda.

The Viranda is part of a cooperative formed by six companies specialized in the plantation of vineyards. The vineyards are situated on beautiful hills surrounded by forests, which are very important to keep the needed microclimate.

The restaurant offers typical dishes of the Piedmontese cuisine such as homemade pasta (agnolotti and tajarin), raw meat, roasts, and desserts.

It is also possible to organize excursions in the hills of Monferrato and Langa, or to visit the farm’s producers and, upon reservation, to attend cooking courses.

There are many wonderful reasons to spend a weekend in the Langhe and Monferrato regions including international fairs, art and culture events throughout the year, or simply to wander from one village to another.

 

Copyright photo 1: robertogabarino.it; photo 2: acquiscacchi2.altervista.org; photo 3: i2.wp.com