When you visit our little family-run wine cellar you’ll have the opportunity to see how the great Langhe winies are produced: Barolo, Barbera, Dolcetto and Nebbiolo.
And you can taste them.
A guided tasting tour
The tasting tour guide Fabrizio, the owner of the company, will help you to discover what’s hidden behind every bottle, how to drink it and and how to pair it with the dishes of our local cuisine.
Discover how wine is produced
You can visit the wine cellar premises to see the various processing phases of our wines: from the vineyard (weather permitting :-) right through to the bottling, including how it’s fermented, how the grape skins and juice are mixed and how it’s aged.
Have a meal directly in the wine cellar
Upon reservation we organize a complete lunch in the wine cellar: different courses for different labels, in search of the perfect pairing.
Perfect for large groups
Thanks to our ample parking facilities we can host large groups, up to a maximum of 80 people.
or find out more about wine tasting ↓
The Wine Tasting
During the wine tasting you can try 4 of our wines:
- Roero Arneis DOCG
- Dolcetto d’Alba DOC
- Langhe Nebbiolo DOC
- Barolo DOCG
Wine tasting menu
Wine has to be paired with food that can enhance and magnify its taste.
The wine tasting is served with a menu at 35 € per person that includes:
Trio of appetizers
(veal in tuna sauce, Russian salad and vegetable flan)
Plin Ravioli with roast sauce
Pot roast and vegetables
Bunet
The wines (1 white and 3 reds):
Roero Arneis DOCG
Dolcetto d’Alba DOC
Langhe Nebbiolo DOC
Barolo DOCG
The lunch completes the wine tasting and, from May to November, it is served in our cellar.
During the winter period we change locations and move in the warm and welcoming Bricco delle Viole restaurant.
All tastings include the complete tour of the winery and, if you wish and the climate is on our side, of the vineyards.
Wine Cellar Purchases
At the end of the tasting tour you’ll have an opportunity to buy our wines at very competitive prices. If you don’t have room to take them away with you we can send them directly to your home.
Information
Spoken languages
English and Italian
Opening hours
12.00 a.m.
Accepted payment methods
Cash, credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Diners, American express), Bancomat, PayPal.
or find out more about your visit to the wine cellar ↓
How the visit takes place
The tour begins the moment you get out of your car, in our courtyard.
It will quite probably be me – Fabrizio – that will be greeting and welcoming you, and from here we will start the tour at the first stage – the fermentation tanks.
This is where the must, after crushing and de-stemming, is fermented: the first big change takes place in these tanks, where the sugar is converted into alcohol.
We will then move on to the racking area, where the wine is moved to after fermentation takes place: this is one of the most delicate and “artisan” phases of the process. During this process the solid parts of the wine are eliminated, slowly and patiently, after much decanting.
We then move on to the aging area, where, in a suggestive ambient, the most important wines rest: among the large wooden barrels, casks and small barrels, you’ll discover the final processing stages of the Barolo, Nebbiolo and Barbera wines.
Should you be interested, and weather permitting, we can visit our vineyards (the crus San Pietro and Bricco delle Viole are right by the courtyard).
As we move in the direction of the tasting room you’ll see the last phases of the production process: the bottling and labeling.
Depending on the seasonal period you’ll see the work that is carried out here: at the end of summer the harvest, then the crushing, decanting etc.
Because, as I like to say: it’s nice to see the cellar neat and clean, but it’s even nicer to see it working.
or discover what wines we’re offering ↓
The tasting samples
And now the “interactive” phase begins, the tasting!
I’ll be there to guide you as you taste our wines accompanied by a “tale” for each glass.
We usually taste the Arneis, the Dolcetto or the Barbera d’Alba, the Nebbiolo d’Alba and to conclude, the classic Barolo DOCG.
You will accompany the wine tasting with a complete menu.
I should like to highlight that the tasting tour will be commented, or rather, we’ll taste the wine together and I’ll explain its organoleptic features, its history and the way it was processed.
or read our personal profiles ↓
F.A.Q.
Is it possible to organize theme visits?
Yes, you can arrange them beforehand with the Merlo family.
How large can the groups be?
50 – 80 people.
Is there parking? Is there room for a bus?
Yes, 3 buses and 20-30 cars can fit in the parking lot.
Can we bring pets?
Yes.
Can the wine be delivered home?
Yes, in two working days via UPS.
The staff
Here’s a brief presentation of the people you might run into during your visit
Fabrizio Merlo
In the year 2000, after having for worked 13 years in the electronics field, the possibility of buying a small wine cellar in Barolo cropped up by chance. And this is how my adventure in the world of wine began. They’ve been 15 years of hard work, risks and above all studying; when you love good food and good wine, but have no idea what goes into making them, you don’t realize the amount of work involved: it starts from the earth and ends with marketing, and in between are all the processing stages.
I must admit that I wouldn’t have made it without the help and advice of many people who have been close to me in this adventure: above of all my uncle, a longtime wine-maker, who has had the patience to teach me how to get started in this complex and extraordinary world.
Franco Domenico
My task is to take care of the production of the “raw material”: the grapes. I check the temperature, the humidity, I decide when to (or not to) carry out the treatment, when and how to prune. And much more. My colleagues’ work has become critical in safeguarding the environment and public health: this is why I believe in a sustainable, minimally invasive, agriculture and using chemicals only when strictly necessary.
Claudio Decasto
Born in 1983, after graduating from the Faculty of Viticulture and Oenology, I undertook the profession of consultant oenologist, first in the team of the famous oenologist Giuliano Noè and subsequently opening a consulting studio in Agliano Terme, my town of origin. I currently collaborate with wineries between Piedmont and Liguria dealing with every aspect of winemaking, from the arrival of the grapes in the cellar to bottling. Commitment, seriousness, humility and passion for my work are my strong points.
Mavi Pizzonia
Manager of the restaurant Bricco delle Viole, being a wine lover and as a sommelier I accompany visitors in the tour of the winery and guide them through the discovery of the history and production methods of Sylla Sebaste. The peak is reached during the tasting of the four wines, paired with the typical dishes prepared by our chef.
Giorgio Politanò
I’m the chef of Bricco delle Viole and I personally select the raw materials for our dishes. My experience in the kitchen began at the Istituto Velso Mucci in Bra and has grown over the years through cafeterias, osterie and high end restaurants. Today I handle with awareness the cuisine of the restaurant, respecting the Piedmontese tradition without neglecting some more international recipes.
or discover the territory’s main attractions ↓
What to see
Wimu
The new Barolo wine museum, designed by the architect François Confino, will allow you to discover the history of one of the oldest beverages in the world.
Castles
The Langhe territory is a land of wine and also of large castles: magnificent residences or defensive forts, you can visit some of these ancient buildings right near here
UNESCO World Heritage
Our hills are simply beautiful. This is why they’re considered world heritage. Whether it be sunny summer afternoons or winter mornings with the mist rising from the fields, the Langhe territory is a great challenge for all photographers :-)
Collisioni
Every summer the hills are filled with music: it’s the Barolo Collisioni Festival. You’ll find literary encounters with great writers, concerts and panel discussions at this festival, which has become the most attractive summer events.
The Truffle Fair
The Truffle Fair in Alba is the area’s most important event. 6 weeks of games in the squares, shows, wine and food banquets and figures in costume. An experience not to be missed!
Alba
This city has an ancient history and it still preserves the passage of the different peoples who inhabited it: from the Ligurians to the Romans. A must see is the San Lorenzo cathedral and a visit to Underground Alba.
Book your visit
What they say about Us
from our TripAdvisor profile
Marina Angelo
5/5 stars
It’s not just a lunch, it’s a commented wine tasting experience!
It’s quite interesting to organize a tasting tour with commentary in this wine cellar which teaches visitors the characteristics of its wines while matching them to a dish. The owner is very professional and both the wines and Langhe dishes that are paired with the wines are enjoyable to say the least. A refined ambient and a great experience.
Steo Wine
5/5 stars
Great Fabrizio!
A beautiful and cozy wine cellar, thanks to the owner who accompanies you throughout the entire visit with passion and professionalism! It’s a great idea to accompany a dish with each wine, which in the end becomes a complete meal! Great value for money… thanks a lot Fabrizio, we’ll certainly be back!
802424
4/5 stars
This was a real wine tasting experience
Fabrizio Merlo is the passionate owner who entertained us for almost two hours with visits to the wine cellars and tasting of 5 wines (Arneis, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo, 2 Barolo, including the excellent Bussia) and a Barolo Chinato, telling us the company’s history and the many anecdotes about the history of Barolo. A fantastic experience, really!
Book
Fill in the form below to book your visit to our winery or call us at +39 0173 209436 or on weekends at +39 339 7113771.
Special offers reserved for our guests
RED WINES
Barolo Docg Classico 2008: 29,00 €
Barolo Docg Classico 2013: 20,00 €
Barolo Docg Classico 2014: 20,00 €
Barolo Docg Bussia 2014: 29,90 €
Barolo Docg Bricco delle Viole 2012: 39,00 €
Nebbiolo D’Alba Doc: 12,00 €
Dolcetto D’Alba Doc: 7,90 €
Barbera D’Alba Doc: 8,50 €
Barbera D’Asti Docg: 6,90 €
Syllabo – Vino Rosso: 8,90 €
WHITE WINES
Langhe Arneis Doc: 8,00 €
Gavi Docg: 8,00 €
BRUT SPARKLING WINE – MUSCAT – SPIRITS
Spumante Brut Metodo Classico: 7,00 €
Moscato D’asti Docg: 6,90 €