The production of the king of wines from the 11 communes in the Barolo-growing area is brought together in the castle of the Falletti family, which also houses an ethnographical and wine museum, as well as being the setting for cultural meetings and exhibitions and home to a hotel training school.ENOTECA DI BAROLO:
The Barolo Wine Centre is of the single-product type and thus devoted to Barolo only. Established and administered by the eleven municipalities in which Barolo is produced, by the Cuneo Provincial Government and Chamber of Commerce, by the Barolo Consortium and by the Piedmont Region, it is housed in the 10th-century Barolo Castle, built as a bulwark against the Saracens. It was subsequently the property of the Fallettis, a powerful line of marguises that became extinct at the end of the 19th century. The Centre is housed in the ancient cellars where, so the story goes, Barolo first acquired a name for itself as an offshoot of "Nebiolo" about 150 years ago. It presents an overview of all the names and brands of the area in which Barolo is produced. The visitor can taste and buy a variety of vintages. The Castle is also the home of a Hoteliers School The rooms of Giulia Colbert, the last Marchioness Falletti, are decorated with period furniture. The visitor can see the salon d'honneur and the fine library, where the memory of Silvio Pellico, once the family's secretary and librarian, is still-fresh. The upper floors - also laid out by the Centre - house several permanent exhibitions. Worthy of particular note is the display of ancient implements used by local grape-growers and wlnemakers. This is accompanied by photographs illustrating old and new practices in the vineyard and the wine industry, as well as their associated crafts and trades.
Piazza Falletti
12060 Barolo - tel.(0173) 56277
OPENING TIMES: 10.00/12.30 - 15.00/18.30
CLOSED: Thursdays and throughout January
WINE-TASTING (only at weekends) Lit.3000 per glass, with 3 Barolos of different vintages available.
Last updated 04-Jul-97
Webmaster Elsy : elsy@itbiz.com