SERRALUNGA D'ALBA

Serralunga literally means "long greenhouse" and refers to its elongated shape, which winds like a salamander along the ridge. "Greenhouse" refers to the microclimate present here.
The skyline of Serralunga is dominated by a 13th-century castle, and the village is situated on the southeastern side of the Barolo appellation. This is also the oldest part of the Barolo appellation and the area where the very best Barolos are made. This is evidenced by the fact that every self-respecting Barolo winery produces one or more Barolos from Serralunga vineyards.
The best Barolo (which, according to many connoisseurs, is made here) also comes from Serralunga. This is the Giacomo Conterno Barolo Monfortino, a bottle that already costs over 1000 euros upon release. This Barolo comes from the Francia cru, in the far southeastern part of Serralunga, and is only produced in the best years.

While Barolo and La Morra are flooded with wine tourists on weekends and holidays, Serralunga is still fairly sleepy and authentic. In the summer, the village has about 500 inhabitants and is home to no fewer than 36 wineries. The last King of Italy had his vacation home on the Fontanafredda estate at the foot of Serralunga. Fontanafredda is now a massive winery, producing 6 to 7 million bottles of wine per year of varying quality. Their Mirafiori, a higher-quality sub-label, is definitely worth trying.
Other well-known wineries from Serralunga itself are Massolino, Germano Ettore, Palladino, Luigi Pira, and Giovanni Rosso.

What to do in Serralunga:

• visit the castle
• have an aperitivo at bar E 'Divino (friends of ours; accessible and fun)
• walk through Vigna Rionda, one of the top crus in the region
• book a wine tasting on our terrace with a view over the Barolo wine hills
• have lunch at Schiavenza, a great restaurant next to the winery with a lovely terrace. Order the ice cream with Barolo Chinato for dessert
• shop for rare Barolo wines at the Centro Storico wine shop
• walk through the authentic medieval village center
• dine in the former country house of the last King of Italy at Guido Ristorante on the Fontanafredda estate.