A day in Barolo with Crurated
For a long time overlooked in favour of Tuscany, connoisseurs are now turning their attention to Barolo. Our partners, Crurated, explore this coveted wine region, opening up a new world of unique sensory experiences for superyacht clients seeking to elevate their travels. Experience the best of Barolo with Crurated.
Due to the diversity of its grape varieties, Italian wine is famously hard to define. Perhaps this is why Barolo – that punchy, red wine made exclusively using Nebbiolo grapes and bursting with fruity flavours – went under the radar for so long.
For though Piedmont, the northwest region of Italy where Barolo has been produced since the 1800s, was one of the best wine-making regions of the Roman Empire, the area has long since been overshadowed by more famous wine regions.
Thankfully, sommeliers and wine experts the world over are finally waking up to how good Barolo can be, which thanks to its limestone terroir, is one of the most structured wines in the world.
Take a private tasting tour of some of the region’s prestigious vineyards and wine estates such as Giovanni Rosso and Borgogno and discover for yourself why Barolo is considered the ‘king of wines and the wine of kings’.
Barolo: a food and wine lover’s tour
Begin your foray into Barolo wine country with a helicopter ride direct from your yacht that will allow you to take a bird’s eye tour of this beautiful part of northern Italy.
Barolo is made in 11 villages to the south of Alba in an area known as Langhe-Roero and Monferrato, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014 due to its long history of wine production.
Peering over this landscape of verdant vineyards punctuated by hilltop villages and medieval castles from your privileged position up above gives you some sense of the longstanding heritage of viticulture in these parts.
Your first stop for the day is Giovanni Rosso, a family-run estate in the Serralunga Valley that has been perfecting its elegant Barolo for more than a century.
With a dedicated helipad, you can land with ease before your host, Davide Rosso, head of the winery, takes you on a tour of the family’s various vineyards in a luxury 4×4.
As an oenologist with international expertise, Davide can explain the intricacies of the winemaking process here, which combines the savoir faire of past generations with modern techniques.
It’s largely Davide’s vision that ‘the wine should be the perfect copy of the terroir’ that gives Giovanni Rosso wines their exceptional quality, not least in the case of the Vignarionda Ester Canale Rosso Barolo, produced from vines planted in a small area on the family’s most treasured vineyard in 1946.
Davide is also keen to provide luxury experiences to his guests, from guided, sensory tastings to perfect pairings that draw upon other local produce, including Alba’s famous truffles – an ideal accompaniment to a glass or two of Barolo.
Join Davide for a private tasting amid the vines before taking a hot air balloon over the estate. With more Michelin-starred restaurants in Piedmont than anywhere else in Italy, Davide can also arrange chauffeured transfers to some of the best chef tables in the region for a traditional Piedmontese lunch.
After lunch, you’ll be whisked away to the village that gives this DOCG its name: Barolo itself.
Surrounded by hills and topped with its own majestic castle, Barolo is a lovely, rustic Italian village brimming with rural charm. Make time to head inside the castle, which doubles as a modern-day wine museum.
Afterwards, stop off for some light nibbles in one of the local Tapas bars, such as Winebar Barolo Friends, which is as authentic as they come, before your last visit for the day, to Barolo’s oldest winery still in operation: Borgogno.
Established in 1761, Borgogno has an esteemed reputation. In 1972 a bottle of 1886 vintage Borgogno Barolo sold at auction of 530,000 lira – the most expensive Italian wine ever sold.
Borgogno is a huge operation today, with vineyards not just in Barolo but also Madonna di Como and the Colli Tortonesi, yet it still adheres to traditional, sustainable practices and has been certified organic from its 2019 harvest.
Most visitors come to admire its underground cellars – a throwback to traditions lost elsewhere. Borgogno’s wines are still fermented in concrete tanks without the need for certain yeasts, before being aged in large Slavonian oak barrels, as they were across the region many years ago.
Enjoy a tasting in this historic setting before selecting some bottles to take back to your luxury superyacht where you can drink them alongside a meal prepared by your private chef – or save them for another day if you’ve overindulged today.
A wine designed to be aged, previously unsung Barolo is the ultimate addition to your yacht’s extensive wine collection and like all fine wines, it gets even better with time.
However, with wine this good, we suggest you purchase at least a couple of bottles you are willing to enjoy now as the temptation to open them may be a little too hard to resist.
As they say, when in Barolo…
Edmiston clients can access an exclusive offer from Crurated, please get in touch for further details.
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