Langhe Travel Guide: Where to eat, sleep, and drink in this corner of Piedmont

A list of some of the best places to eat, drink, and stay in the Langhe.

Get to know the Langhe

The Langhe is a wine region that is a part of the larger region of Piedmont. It is known for the winemaking areas of Barolo and Barbaresco as well as the decadent white truffles from Alba.

Tourism in the Langhe is growing at a rapid pace and the fall is the most popular time to visit with the Alba White Truffle Fair. Each year tourists from all over the world visit the area in search of the decadent truffles, also taking in the intoxicating wine culture.

We visited over the summer and the rural geography can make it a chore to navigate, both with travel planning and getting around. So, we developed the Langhe travel guide to help you better plan your travels in the area.

Langhe Travel Guide: Getting there

If you are flying into the Langhe the closest airports are in Turin, Milan, and Genoa. Car rental is the easiest way to get to the area, as the regional train and bus system are slow. But, it is possible to get to Asti, Bra, and Alba by train. Just be patient as there may numerous transfers.         

For lodging, stay in either the primary wine town of Alba or one of the countryside villages.

Alba is situated directly between the Barolo and Barbaresco winemaking zones. The city of about 30,000 offers plenty of amenities and is large enough that you can find supermarkets and pharmacies, as well as specialty shops and even some tasting rooms.

Staying in Alba is your best bet if you don’t have a car and plan to hire a guide, driver, or rent a bike to explore the countryside.

The charming villages in the Barolo and Barbaresco winemaking areas also offer some great places to stay, eat, and enjoy a glass of Nebbiolo. Just note that without a car you might find it difficult to get around. These small countryside villages offer only a handful of amenities. Getting there without a rental will require a driver of taxi service, as public transit is limited. Also, keep in mind that taxi services are not easy to come by.

 

Alba

Hotel Calissano: ★★★★ Open year round, even during off-season when some hotels are closed. Located 300 meters from Alba’s historic center. Rooms start at 100€ a night.

Hotel I Castelli: ★★★★ Open year round. Located 1 kilometer from Alba’s historic center. Rooms start at 90€ a night.

Hotel Langhe: ★★★★ Located in a historic old farmhouse about 1.7 kilometers from Alba’s historic center. Rooms start at 70€ a night.

 

Barolo and Barbaresco

Hotel Barolo: Part of the Brezza Winery, Hotel Barolo is located in the village of Barolo surrounded by vineyards. Optional onsite ristorante and wine tasting. Rooms start at 70€ a night.

Agriturismo Rivetto: The farmhouse is part of the Rivetto Winery in the Barolo countryside among the vineyards. Optional wine tasting. Rooms start at 80€ a night.

Locanda San Giorgio: Located in among the hillside vineyards of Barbaresco they have an onsite ristorante and pool. 

 

Langhe Travel Guide: Where to eat 

Alba

Caffe Umberto / Eno Club: Located in the main square (Piazza Savona), Caffe Umberto is on the main level with outdoor dining and even bar-side seating. Eno Club is in the cellar below – perfect for a more intimate dining experience. Wine director Mauro is always on hand to provide pairing recommendations. Dining options include local dishes as well as seafood. It’s a favorite during truffle season, especially for Sunday lunch as they do fried eggs topped with white truffles. Prices start at 32€ (Caffe Umberto), 38€ (Eno Club).

Address: Piazza Savona, 4, 12051 Alba.

Opening Hours: Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday to Sunday. Closed on Monday.

 

Osteria dell’Arco: The food is always fantastic, mostly traditional, but you’ll also find things like duck that are not typical to the region. The ristorante is associated with the Slow Food Organization, which initiated in the nearby city of Bra. The extensive wine list is about the best deal in town. As they are a part of Slow Food they cannot sell wine for more than it retails for at the cellar door. Prices start at 28€.

Address: Piazza Savona, 5, Alba (in a courtyard just off Piazza Savona).

Opening Hours: Open daily for dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday; in October and November open on Sunday.

Osteria dei Sognatori: Traditional eatery serving hearty local food and wine at great prices. A locals favorite. Prices start at 25€.

Address: Via Macrino, 8, 12051 Alba

Opening Hours: Open for lunch Wednesday to Monday. Closed Tuesday.

 

Piazza Duomo: The only three Michelin-starred ristorante in Piedmont. Tasting menus start at 180€ per person.

Address: Piazza Risorgimento 4, Alba. 

Opening Hours: Open daily for lunch and dinner. Reservations required.

 

Barolo and Barbaresco

Vinoteca Centro Storico: Serves up great local fare (don’t miss the potatoes!) and an extensive wine selection including the best Champagne list in the Langhe.

Address: Via Roma, 6 Serralunga d’Alba (a Barolo village)

Opening Hours: Open daily for lunch and dinner; closed Monday. Reservations recommended.

 

La Terrazza di Renza: The best terrace in the area overlooking the vineyards. Food is served family-style and they bring plates of local specialties (all based on what is at the market that day) until you say stop (or, basta from the locals).

Address: Via Vittorio Emanuele, 6, 12060 Castiglione Falletto (a Barolo village)

Opening Hours: Open for lunch and dinner from Wednesday to Monday; closed Tuesday. Reservations recommended.

 

La Ciau del Tornavento: Michelin-starred ristorante in the vineyards of Barbaresco. For an extra treat ask to see the wine cellar. It holds 60,000 bottles of wine; 80 percent are from Piedmont. They also rent rooms.

Address: Piazza Baracco, 7, Treiso (a Barbaresco village)

Opening Hours: Closed Wednesdays and all of February. Reservations required.

 

Langhe Trave Guide: Where to drink wine

Alba

Voglia di Vino: Wine bar offering tasting flights and an extensive wine by the glass list. You can also try older vintages and producers like Gaja with their Coravin system.

Address: Via Elvio Pertinax, 7A, Alba

Opening Hours: Open daily, all day.

 

Risié Tasting Shop & Bar: Wine bar with outdoor seating in the main piazza. They have a small menu of local foods and the wine list includes local as well as French wines.

Address: Piazza Savona, 5, Alba.

Opening hours: Closed Monday.

 

Bistrot Sagnitori: A fun bar serving local wines and beer. The aperitivo is usually a hot plate that could also serve as dinner.

Address: Piazza S. Giovanni, Alba.

Pensavo Peggio: A great local beer bar with pizza and the best aperitivo buffet in town.

Address: Corso Langhe, 59, Alba

 

Barolo and Barbaresco

Enoteca Regionale del Barolo: Wine shop and tasting room with 32 different wines available for tasting from the Enomatic machine. Only wines from the Barolo zone. Address: Piazza Falletti, 1, Barolo 

La Vite Turchese: A fun wine bar offering local and global wines by the glass.

Address: Via Alba, 5, Barolo.

Enoteca Regionale del Barbaresco: Located in a restored church you will find wines from the entire Barbaresco zone. They always have about four wines open for tasting at 3 euros a glass.

Address: Piazza del Municipio, 7, Barbaresco 

Cinciallegra: Wine and specialty shop in the charming Barbaresco village of Neive. Find regional foods and delicacies as well as many wines by the glass starting as low as 3 euros each. Do all your souvenir shopping here – with a glass of wine in hand!

Address: 21 Via Giachino, Neive, (a Barbaresco village)

 

The Roero

A photo posted by Lazenne (@lazenne) on Jun 4, 2015 at 4:46am PDT

 

Our best insider’s tip in the Langhe travel guide is not in the Langhe at all – it’s just across the river is the region of the Roero.

The Roero’s more en vogue neighbors of Barolo and Barbaresco have long overshadowed it, but in recent years it has started to demand more recognition. Here you will find sandier soils that give their Nebbiolo based-wines more finesse and elegance, making them more approachable young. As Barolo and Barbaresco gain in popularity and increase in price the Roero offers a valuable alternative without compromising quality.

Start your visit to the Roero at The Regional Enoteca del Roero in Canale for a tasting flight of the areas wines. And, don’t miss the local white, Arneis.

 

Wine Producers

Contratto: Maker of the first vintage sparkling in Italy, Contratto still producers sparkling wines in metodo classico (champagne style). The underground cellars are a must-see on a trip to the area. They recently received Unesco World Heritage site designation.

Demarie: Get a complete taste of the wines of region with a visit to Demarie. They are located in the Roero and offer all the usual suspects of Arneis, Dolcetto, Barbera, Nebbiolo, Roero Riserva, and Moscato, plus a Barbaresco and Barolo.

Sukula Winery: Sukula is located in the esteemed Barolo village of Serralunga. The expat family from Finland bought small vineyard and started making wine in 2006.

Brezza: Brezza is located in the village of Barolo. The historic cellar is something to see. Their single vineyard are from some of the most esteemed crus of the region. Don’t miss the Cannubi.

If you have favorites to add to our Langhe travel guide, please drop us a note below. And, if you find yourself in the region and need a Wine Check to get those bottles homes, click here for a list of all our resellers in the area.

 

Don’t forget to follow us on Instragram, Facebook, and Twitter. Tag your bottle shots #CheckThatWine to be featured on Instagram and Facebook.

 

Read More on The Langhe:

4 Reasons to Visit a Winery in the Langhe

Piedmont Wines to Know

Planning Some Wine Travel in Italy? Don’t Miss Piedmont.