Data collected from a study by Divinea indicate that 43.8% of those who booked a wine cellar experience in Italy in 2023 are 25 to 34 years old, and the number of cellars open for visits on Saturday has risen to 78.1%. wine tourism season
While this phenomenon varies greatly from one wine-producing land to another, once again, the Langhe have proven themselves to be a highly attractive area.
A new phenomenon: the de-seasonalisation of wine tourism
Two factors encourage visits to cellars during the entire year. Milder autumn and winter temperatures on the one hand, and the rising number of cellars that have developed targeted seasonal offerings on the other.
A unique land wine tourism season
The Langhe are in southern Piedmont. The name, of Celtic origin, means “strips of land” and refers to the elongated hills, often very steep-sided, which run parallel to each other, forming numerous narrow and steep valleys. The Langhe area is one of the most generous regions in the world in terms of the quality and variety of its wine production.
The roots of these great wines stem from the singular geographic position, suitable climate, and rich substrate, that distinguish these hilly areas, making them an environment rich in biodiversity.
Uniqueness and exceptionalness have meant that over the years, Langhe has become an important tourist and wine tourism destination, responding effectively to a demand that has progressively surfaced in the general public, in Italy and beyond.
Explore the Langhe
In northwestern Italy, in the region of Piemonte (aka Piedmont), lies a picturesque, hilly area known as the ‘Langhe’ (pronounced Lahn-ghey). Bordered by the Tanaro River, the area has been inhabited since Neolithic times but flourished under Roman rule (fun fact: Emperor Pertinax was born in the Langhe).
The central hub of the Langhe is the town of Alba, which remained inhabited throughout medieval times, thanks to its sturdy Roman walls. In fact, the town became known as the ‘city of a hundred towers’ because of the sheer number of family towers crammed into such a small area. Over the years, towers fell, or were destroyed, when a family’s land was conquered by another family, or a family suffered a disgrace or loss of honor. Today, only a few remain, with the three tallest giving the city of Alba its distinctive skyline.
Surrounding Alba are hills filled with row upon row of neatly trimmed vineyards, the cause of the Langhe’s modern fame as a ‘Disneyworld’ of vineyards. Peeking through these hills and rows of vineyards are the Coattian Alps, bordering Piedmont with France, including the towering Monte Viso (often rumored to be the inspiration for the Paramount logo), taking an already postcard-worthy location and making it stunning.
Despite the gorgeous views, and fun activities to do like hiking around vineyards and biking from village to village, the big draw in the Langhe are the wines, which make some of the best red wines in the world, in particular the noble reds of Barolo and Barbaresco.
The Consortium in numbers
The Consortium Consorzio Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Dogliani includes, to date, 579 member wineries and 10 thousand hectares of protected denomination vine fields, which break down as follows: Barolo 2,258 hectares; Barbaresco 859; Dogliani 766; Diano d’Alba 204; Barbera d’Alba 1,734; Nebbiolo d’Alba 1174; Dolcetto d’Alba 934; Langhe 2,620 hectares.
With 66 million bottles of wine produced, it boasts 9 protected denominations (Barolo, Barbaresco, Dogliani, Dolcetto di Diano d’Alba, Barbera d’Alba, Langhe, Dolcetto d’Alba, Nebbiolo d’Alba, Verduno Pelaverga).
Barolo & Barbaresco World Opening is part of the European campaign “Top Tales: a piece of Europe on your table“, a project funded by the European Union and promoted by the DOCG Barolo and Barbaresco, Fontina PDO Valle d’Aosta, and Riso di Baraggia Biellese e Vercellese PDO.