Castello di Barolo e WiMu

The Castello di Barolo, also known as Castello Falletti, dominates the small hilltop village of Barolo in the heart of the Langhe vineyards south of Alba, surrounded by the very hills that produce the great Nebbiolo wine that bears the village's name. With origins reaching back to the 10th century, the castle was for centuries the seat of the Falletti marquises, and it was here in the 19th century that the celebrated Barolo wine was developed in its modern form, with the marchesa Giulia Falletti di Barolo playing a famous role in its early reputation. After the line died out, the castle and estate passed to a charitable foundation, and the building today houses the WiMu, the Museo del Vino, an imaginative and theatrical wine museum spread over several floors that explores the culture, history, and sensory world of wine through immersive installations rather than conventional displays. In the cellars below sits the Enoteca Regionale del Barolo, the official regional wine shop, where visitors can taste and buy Barolo from producers across the appellation. The surrounding Langhe-Roero and Monferrato vineyard landscape was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014, recognising the centuries-old wine culture of which Barolo is the most famous expression. Combining medieval architecture, a modern museum, and the chance to taste one of Italy's greatest wines at its source, the Castello di Barolo is the natural centrepiece of a visit to the Langhe.