Dogliani
Dogliani, a town between the Langa Monregalese and Alba, is the perfect destination for all those who love good wine and good food. The panorama, beautiful in every season, becomes picturesque in autumn, when the nuances of the vineyards make the landscape so suggestive as to give tourists the maximum charm of this land.
Considered the capital of the south-western Langhe, on the hills so dear to Cesare Pavese and Beppe Fenoglio, it still maintains the urban physiognomy that history and man have drawn from its origins. The town is divided into two parts: Borgo, located on the valley floor next to the bed of the Rea stream, and Castello which stands on a hill, in a higher position, about 300 meters above sea level and which still retains the typical appearance of the medieval period.
The current appearance of the town is due to the expert hand of the Doglianese architect Giovanni Battista Schellino, an eclectic and extravagant figure, who grew up in Spina, a hamlet of Dogliani. In fact, starting from the second half of the nineteenth century, the artist drew the image of the town still recognizable today. His numerous projects gave new life to the Dogliani of the time, which already enjoyed important economic and cultural splendor in the nineteenth century. Among his works in the town are: the Parish Church of St. Peter and Paul, the monumental entrance to the cemetery, the Civic Hospital, the restoration of the Church of San Quirico, the Rosary pillars and the Holy Family Retreat.
Capital of the south-western Langhe and a bridge between the Barolo Langa and the Alta Langa, Dogliani is rich in history and characterized by a curious architecture.
The cultivation of vines and the production of wine have made Dogliani an important agricultural center. The Tuesday market animates the streets of the center becoming a reference point for farmers who come here to sell their products.
This country has given birth to some illustrious personalities, as well as many others are linked to it in some way: the entrepreneur Michele Ferrero, the writer Giorgio Bocca, Giulio Einaudi and Luigi Einaudi, economist, politician and journalist as well as second President of the Republic in office from 1948 to 1955.
Dogliani: Lively market town on the river
Dogliani is one of the liveliest towns in the area with its many nice shops and cafés in its historical city centre.
This is where the locals do their shopping and have a coffee together.
The market
Increasingly more and more tourists find their way here, and on a market day you can see them mingle with the Piemontese people.
I think this is also the best time to be there.
Market days are on Tuesday or Saturday morning; from April to December, it offers fresh produce straight from the land.
It’s quite usual that farmers will have picked their produce that morning, to sell the same day, delicious and fresh.
There are also plenty of typical regional products on sale, such as sausages, cheeses and sweets.
Even if you can’t take something home with you, it’s still nice to visit and enjoy the sights of the beautiful market stalls.
Dogliani Borgo and Dogliani Castello
Dogliani is divided into two parts: Borgo and Castello.
Borgo is the lower part of town that has a medieval character, with an arcaded main street bordered with sweet little shops; over the years, the empty shops under the arches have been used by artists to display their artistic talents.
This gives the town a nice twist: the medieval streets are lined with modern-day arts and crafts.
From the lower part, one finds romantic little streets leading up to Castello, with its beautiful church and castle, designed by the famous architect Schellino.
It’s his buildings that give Dogliani its specific character: he designed the town’s hospital and several palaces that you will immediately recognise from his very distinctive designs.
Schellino always built with red bricks, using them to create elegant windows and arches.
The hospital you see from the road is an excellent example of his design.
Outside Dogliani there are more artefacts he designed: of special interest is the entrance to the cemetery which you find along the road from Dogliani to Belvedere Langhe.
Another example is the stunning castle of Novello.
Dogliani’s small city centre is alongside the river Rea, which gives it a vibrant atmosphere as there is always something going on: people chatting on the bridges, ducks and geese quacking in the water, and you can also spot the ‘nutria’ or beaver rat here.
There is a nice little café at the corner of the bridge with a large window and terrace so you can fully enjoy the river wildlife whilst sipping a coffee.
Food & Drinks
Like any other town, Dogliani offers a good choice of great restaurants, along with several bars and wine shops.
Just stroll around and walk into one that attracts you the most.
There are also some very popular wineries in the surrounding area.
The Einaudi winery is a true hidden gem; it offers very nice accommodation and wine tastings, and its wines are excellent and well-priced.
Azienda Agricola Ca Neuva is also a very popular destination for wine lovers.
Restaurants that come highly recommended are the Michelin recommended Il Verso del Ghiottone, up the hill in Castello.
La Locanda del Sorriso and Osteria Vineria il Torchio are also good choices: they all offer good traditional food and have a nice outside terrace.
Don’t miss the great enoteca that is located next to the church at Piazza San Paolo.
Dolcetto and Dolcetto di Dogliani
The Dolcetto area borders on the Barolo but extends more towards the west, towards the Tanaro valley.
It is a less intensely farmed area, giving it a slightly more natural look than its prestigious brother.
Going towards the higher parts of the area, for instance near Bonvicino or Somano, one will see many abandoned vineyards that have now become home to flowers and trees, or that have been planted with hazelnuts.
This is a development that has been going on for a long time as the local people did not want to do the heavy work involved in growing vines anymore.
With the growing popularity of the Langhe wines, and the gradually rising status of Dolcetto and Barbera, this trend seems likely to decrease.
In fact, as in the Barolo area agricultural plots suitable for vine growing (and also existing vineyards) are selling for a lot of money and are starting to attract foreign investors, this development is also starting affecting the other wine growing areas, like the area of Dogliani.
Dolcetto is produced in very large quantities, yet it is hardly known outside Italy.
In the Langhe however, it is the most commonly drunk and loved wine with its soft harmonious taste and aftertaste of almonds.
It was also the preferred wine of President Einaudi and he was one of the first to cherish and promote this wine.
He was the first President of the Republic of Italy and one of Dogliani’s most famous inhabitants, with his own wine estate.
The Dolcetto of Dogliani is known as the best Dolcetto and has been awarded the DOCG status since 2005.
Specifics
The wine can be described as young, fresh and fragrant, with a moderate acidity.
It is intensely and brightly coloured and offers dark, gently spicy aromas with earthy undertones of almonds, or walnuts in more tannic examples.
The Dolcetto DOCs are being produced at two levels, the standard version with a minimum 11.5° and the Superiore at 12.5°; sometimes it is incorrectly mistaken for a sweet wine as its name resembles the word ‘dolce’, which means sweet.
The Dolcetto is a hard grape to grow and even harder to vinify, due to the high amount of tannins, even higher than that of Nebbiolo.
The final result is therefore due to the careful work of the producers, who over the years have developed the skill and experience to release the scents and aromas of this wine, whilst controlling the level of tannin: this leads to wines of good equilibrium and great finesse.
Origins and maturation
There is no certainty about the origins of the Dolcetto grape.
One theory suggests it was originally imported from France and was introduced in the Monferrato area sometime in the eleventh century.
Others contend that the grape is originally from Dogliani as a record from 1593 mentions a harvest of “Dozzetti grapes”.
Dolcetto is grown as an early to market wine on the less favourable slopes of the hills; because of its early ripening, it can generate income for the wineries whilst the Nebbiolo and Barbera grapes are maturing.
It is particularly associated with Dogliani and Diano d'Alba, whereas the greatest volumes surprisingly come from around Alba and Ovada; the grape is also found in Liguria under the name Ormeasco.
The Dolcetto grape is generally grown on cooler vineyard sites, particularly those at higher elevations up to 800m above sea level; this helps the variety to retain acidity and avoid premature ripening.
This is where its fussier, more-prestigious cousins like the Nebbiolo and Barbera might struggle to ripen; the ideal soil for this grape is clayey-calcareous: these are the white grounds you can see on the hillsides when driving around in the region.
To produce a Dolcetto Superiore, the wine should be aged for at least one year, but some wineries mature it for at least 4 years.
Producers themselves decide whether to let the wines mature in steel or wood.
The wines are not suitable for long-term cellaring and should be consumed within three or four years of bottling.