The Emotion of being among the Langhe Hills

Beda Hanimann, Swiss journalist at Tagblatt of St. Gallen, met some producers and travelled for two days along the Barolo Trail

“Coming back home, every time I return from Piedmont, always makes me feel melancholic. This is the most beautiful region of Italy and every time I come here, I feel moved”. There cannot be a declaration of love more passionate than that made by Beda Hanimann, journalist at Tagblatt of St. Gallen, one of the most pre-eminent Swiss newspapers.

Hanimann spent two days around Langhe together with Jurg Von Salis, one of the partners of Strada in Switzerland, in order to explore the territory. They visited the Wine Museum in Barolo, the towns of Monforte, La Morra, Dogliani, and talked to producers who are partners with Strada del Barolo e Grandi Vini di Langa.

“Visiting producers and cellars in Piedmont is always a nice experience. You always meet kind and friendly people, who love talking about their job which often represents their passion and reason to live. This is what impassions me in my travels to Langhe and in the meetings I have when I visit a cellar”, said the journalist.

On the trail, “Strada del Barolo e grandi vini di Langa”, which is much appreciated by the St. Gallen journalist: “You can easily reach the Strada partner cellars which welcome you with great enthusiasm and a great desire to propose and explain their wines. I also think about the wine tourists who come to these lands who, thanks to this association, certainly have more opportunities compared to other wine-producing regions to meet the producers and discover their wine”, underlined Hanimann.

“In Switzerland, the name Piedmont evokes great wines, above all - Barolo. But often the Swiss do not know that Barolo is a village. I am sure that the Barolo & Friends Event, held in Zurigo in the past and now in St. Gallen, will help to better promote both the producers and the territory of the great Piedmontese wines”.

Hanimann was very impressed by WiMu, the Wine Museum: “Every room is a surprise. You can also feel a certain humour and amusement in how the visit path is organized. It is an innovative museum, in the vanguard, that one will love for sure and that I will suggest to all my Swiss readers ”.

Travels, wine and food were the trait d’union of the two days the Tagblatt journalist spent in Langhe: “Here the food is extremely sophisticated. The traditional dishes are often very simple but served with great art; the quality is the best and when matched with great wines, they become an unforgettable experience”.

Just as unforgettable was his first experience with vintage Barolo, an Aldo Conterno bottle dated 1988; his first purchase of Piedmontese wine. Since then, he has never stopped drinking Barolo, even if he does also love, as he stated, Barbera - from Alba and Asti, as well as Nebbiolo.

He loves the Langhe landscapes so much that he often comes back with a bicycle, to explore up and down the hills around Barolo, Roddi, Verduno, La Morra, Cherasco and Novello: “These are quiet places, beautiful to discover by bicycle, with landscapes that change at every corner, and in the background you are always surrounded by the amazing vineyards. It can’t be denied that this is the land of wine”, concluded Hanimann.

The last night of this 2 day holiday in Langa ended with a dinner with Andrea Faccio, Chairman of Consorzio I Vini del Piemonte, at Crota di Roddi. The excellent tasting of traditional dishes of the territory prepared by the Crota chef Danilo Lorusso, left him, as Beda himself said: “the wish of coming back soon to these lands”.

Meanwhile, the wines and the very best of the Piedmontese agricultural and food products will visit Hanimann and the friends of the San Gallo Canton in Switzerland, with the Barolo & Friends Event on 19 November. The programmes of all the events are available on www.baroloevent.com.

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