Celebrating Life on a Working Vineyard in Italy's Langhe Wine Country
A perfect birthday at the family-run Cascina Barac agriturismo
by Kim Rahilly
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| Cascina Barac is 5 km from the historic town of Alba in the heart of the Langhe wine region |
My host, Albino Bonelli, proprietor of the lovely, family-run agriturismo Cascina Barac on more than 150 acres of vineyards straddling the border between Alba and Treiso, had kindly offered to deliver me, an American travel/wine journalist, from the train station. A soft, lightly-padded man, Albino has a giddy, playful way about him as if he teases children all day long. He speaks a little English, and when I ask him if there might be anything to eat when we get there, he makes a funny, sad face before proceeding to drive 20 minutes to an elegant little restaurant called Osteria LaLiberia in the heart of the old quarter in the historic town of
“Isn’t
it too late to eat here?” I ask.
“Per noi, no!” No, not for us! he says.
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| Grapes before harvest |
He knows the
owners. A man who clearly enjoys food,
he could not let me eat alone. He proudly
points out his wife’s family’s Piazzo
wines on the wine list, and they bring out Piazzo’s Dolcetto d’Alba
Scaletta, which perfectly compliments our meal. It
has a deep ruby-red color and a very fragrant nose with hints of rich cherry,
plum and raspberry flavors and a bit of spice.
Albino samples each local delicacy while describing them in detail: the pasta with their famous white truffles; the
gorgeous il grano cheese; the rich,
satisfying panna cotta. Piemontese
cuisine is known for its ancient recipes and exquisite flavors and I am relishing
all of it.
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| Paths through the vineyards lead to the winery |
After
dinner, we drive another 20 minutes into the dark, vineyard-laden hills before
arriving at a large two–story country house.
He carries my suitcase up the staircase and deposits me, weary and
sated, to my room. Buona notte!
After a
blissful nine hours’ sleep, I awake to find myself in a plush queen-sized
bed. Lying there dreamily, I notice that
each pane in the French doors that open onto my balcony frames a
picture-perfect image: in one pane, there
is a twisting country road leading to a white house with a terra cotta roof; a
geranium pot on a ledge, an old truck laden with grapes, and neat rows of leafy
vines in the others.
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| The rooms on the second floor feature balconies lined with geranium boxes |
Throwing the
balcony doors open, I am greeted by September air with a mountain-fresh chill,
and elated to discover a panoramic view of the gorgeous green hills and valleys
beyond. And then I remember: it’s my birthday!
Albino and
his wife Wilma took their time – more than eight years – in fashioning
Cascina Barac to be as sturdy and charming as it is. They began the ristrutturazione
(rebuilding) of the 10-room inn in 1994 – the
same year they were married – but did not open for business until May 2002.
Cascina
means country house and so, naturalmente,
they needed to use indigenous (Albino calls them, “typical”) materials
including river stones from the nearby Seno d’Elvio
River
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| The breakfast room at Cascina Barac |
At
breakfast, soft classical music plays as Albino and his brother restock the
buffet table. There are a few other diners
(Europeans) in the bricked-in sitting room.
From our hilltop vantage point, the expansive and verdant view fills its
enormous windows. The owners’ sweet and quietly
chattering children are whisked away.
For
breakfast, the buffet offers fresh prosciutto, three types of cheese, cereal,
hard-boiled eggs, toast, pastries with Nutella (made right here in Alba) or
cream inside, two types of juice (orange or passion fruit), country bread with delectable
spiced plum jam, and amazing Italian espresso with a pitcher of hot milk (since
it’s my birthday, can’t I have a little of each?)
Suffice it
to say that it is a delicious (and perfect!) way to start my new year.
The overcast skies of the morning give way to a chilly but brief afternoon rain that drenches the vines. Later, the sun returns and bees buzz about lazily as I read in the garden, aware of the feeling of luxuriant country living quite different from the spare seaside life I had experienced down south.
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| A lovely country path on the grounds of the Piazzo Winery |
I decide to
hold off on attending Slow Food’s “Cheese” festival – a celebration of global wines, cheeses, olives and other
delicacies held every two years in the charming neighboring town of Bra – until
tomorrow so that I can explore the winery and generally continue to savor the
joys of life on an Italian vineyard.
Piazzo wines
are made right here, and it’s just a few days before the main harvest. A soft breeze gently moves through vines
dripping with plump red grapes. A truck brims
with Moscato bianco (white Muscat
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| Celebrating my birthday with my dear friend Jens |
That
evening, my dear and very loyal friend Jens drives all the way up from Nice, France to
take me out to dinner in Alba (even getting a speeding ticket on the way – argh!). A large group of young local girls sing “Tanti Auguri” (happy birthday) to me,
making the evening completely
enchanting, and allowing us to witness the
beautiful, warm spirit of the people of Alba and the Langhe region.
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| Surrounded by sweet local girls who sing "Tanti Auguri" to me |
But, I discover, I am not the only foreigner to find this place special. I take a gander at the guest sign-in book and find ecstatic exclamations -- even drawings -- by creative guests with Japanese names, alongside those of many other nationalities. Kind of like Cristoforo Colombo and his "discovery" of America, I thought I had been the first to discover Cascina Barac. Apparently not.
TRAVEL INFORMATION
Agriturismo Cascina BaràcFrazione San Rocco Seno D’Elvio 40
12051 Alba (CN)
Tel: +39 0173.366418
Fax: +39 0173.220545
E-mail: barac@barac.it
http://www.barac.it/index-uk.php
2012
Prices with breakfast range from 98-200 Euros including buffet breakfast,
welcome drink and parking. Open year-round.
All accommodations
have satellite TV, hi-fi system, free wi-fi, minibar, hair dryer, direct dial
phone, air conditioning and radiant panel heating.
Piazzo Winery
www.piazzo.it
