Geoff Brock & Bruce Gamble
         
     
   
 
 
 

Around Langhe - Barolo, La Morra,
wine tasting and an unusual chapel
Saturday, 11th May 2019
 
Our guide and driver were only due to arrive at 10:00 am so we had time for a leisurely breakfast, which was an experience in itself, complete with optional spumante (no we didn't). We also had time for a stroll around the hotel's grounds, looking out across a valley towards the Alps, which could clearly be seen in the distance.
 
 
 
The view from our room
 
For use by hotel guests... and no, we didn't do that either!
 
 
Our guide, Giorgio and driver, Maurizio, arrived promptly at 10:00 and we set off.
 
 
Despite what the official programme stated, our guide accompanied us all day.
 
The village of Barolo
 

 
 
The Corkscrew Museum
  
 
Barolo Castle (and wine museum). The "modern, interactive" museum was weird... no other way to describe it!
 
 
Stunning views from the terrace of the castle
 
 
 
Our guide, Georgio was really good. He didn't overload us with information, but told us everything we wanted to know.
 
 
 
 
 
 
A view of La Morra. Georgio said he would take us there later, if there was time.
 
 
Our lunch venue - Osteria La Cantinella in Barolo Village.
 

Geoff's choice - rabbit casserole with polenta

Dessert (Bruce only!)
Hazelnut cake with Zabaglione

Bruce's choice - pasta with white truffles

Georgio's choice - Vitello tonnato
(Veal with tuna flavoured sauce)
 
After lunch, it was back in the car. We stopped briefly to get this view, looking back at the village of Barolo and the castle which we had visited earlier.
 
 
The Alps can be seen in the distance.
 
There was time before our scheduled visit to the wine estate, so Georgio took us into the village of La Morra.
 
 
 
Our comfortable car
 
It was only a short journey to our next stop, where we were given a personal tour of the winery on the left, followed by wine tasting, presented by a very knowledgable and enthusiastic lady, in the purpose built venue on the right. We were most impressed.
 
The wooden barrels, where the wine must spend two years (out of three), to achieve its classification.
 
 
There are the wines we sampled.
 
Afterwards, we set off again, heading back to our hotel.
 
Another view of La Morra.
 
Having seen everything we were due to see, Giorgio made another diversion to show us the Chapel of Barolo, also called Cappella delle Brunate. It was really interesting and we appreciated the extra time he and our driver had spent with us.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

This was the route we took today.

What a lovely day it had been.
 
Another fine meal in the DaMa' restaurant (menu here). Geoff had the vitello tonato to start (after seeing Giorgio's at lunch time), followed by tempura prawns and the pistachio mousse for dessert. Bruce ordered the asparagus and prawns with hollandaise sauce, as his starter, followed by lamb chops and ice cream for dessert.
 
Firstly, it was Aperol time (for Geoff anyway - Bruce stuck to spumante).
 
Pistachio mousse
Ice cream (hazelnut, fior di latte and chocolate)
 
 
 
©Geoff Brock and Bruce Gamble