Despite noble and royal connections in the 19th century, the village of Barolo has rapidly evolved from a fairly obscure Piedmontese wine to one of the world's most famous wine villages. Here's an evolving list of the key events that have shaped Barolo and its wines.
Published by Paul Caputo on 30/08/24
1807:
1864: Marchesa, now called Giulia di Barolo Falletti, died childless, thus ending the line of the Marchesi di Barolo. Her material inheritance was put into the Opera Pia Barolo Foundation which was set up to continue her charitable work.
1896: The Massolino family sold their first wine in bulk.
1919: Mario Vietti started to bottle his own wines.
1929: Pietro Abbona finally achieved his dream and, together with his brother Ernesto and their sisters Celestina and Marina, acquired the Marchesi di Barolo winery.
1931: Antonio Viberti buys the Locanda del Buon Padre. It was the year 1923 when Antonio began to produce wine for the guests of his Locanda in the basement of the Buon Padre.
1932: The Count of Roero, who cultivated Tenuta Ceretta for 120 years, gave the estate to the Veglia family of Turin.
1956: Vigna Rionda is acquired by the Massolino family. So convinced by its potential, Giuseppe Massolino swaps a plot of land twice the size.
1961: Vietti produces their first single vineyard cru wine from Rocche di Castiglione.
1964: Viberti plants vines on the Bricco delle Viole site.
1965: Renato Ratti purchases his first vineyard - Marcenasco, right below the Abbey of La Morra, consecrated to the Most Holy Annunciation.
1967: Massolino expands the plot of Vigna Rionda with further acquisitions.
1971: Aldo Vajra joins Suolo e Salute, becoming a pioneer of organic farming in Piedmont.
1985: Tenuta Ceretta is purchased by the Miroglio family from Alba, founders and owners of the Miroglio textile group.
2010: A ruling allows Barolo formerly labeled as Cannubi Boschis, Cannubi San Lorenzo, Cannubi Muscatel or Cannubi Valletta could, from the 2010 vintage, be relabelled as purely ‘Cannubi’.
2012: A tribunal overturns the decision to allow Barolo produced from Cannubi Boschis, Cannubi San Lorenzo, Cannubi Muscatel or Cannubi Valletta to be labeled as purely ‘Cannubi’.
2015: The new Massolino cellar takes shape right in front of the historic family home in the centre of Serralunga d’Alba.
2019: Massolino produce their first Barbaresco wines.
