Many moons ago, Valerie from Girl’s Gotta Drink was a bit busy not having a drink and instead having a baby and, as a result, didn’t have much time for blogging. So, she asked me to write a guest post. I’m pretty sure there’s a saying about never arguing with a pregnant woman, so I didn’t and here is the result, a blog all about the Langhe’s best village Novello.

Recently, that post got me thinking again… Novello, much like the wines for which it’s famous, continues to mature and improve with age. Restaurants have come and gone, new wineries have opened up, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to revisit it and outline some of the top reasons to visit Novello in 2022…

Wine. Yeah, yeah, it’s obvious, but hear me out… Novello is one of just 11 villages in the world in which Barolo can be produced. It is home to one of the best crus – Ravera – and some of the most noted producers, including Elvio Cogno. It also has its own DOCG white wine – Nascetta del Comune di Novello. Rediscovered in an old woodland nearly three decades ago by, among others, Valter Fissore of the aforementioned Elvio Cogno, it is now massively popular and is produced throughout the Langhe. Only Novello can make the real deal though!

reasons to visit Novello wine

Wine Producers. Despite being home to one or two of the Langhe’s better-known producers, Novello also houses a number of winemakers you’ve probably never heard of. And yet their wine is every bit as good as any other in the Barolo area. These are small, family-run places where you can spend the afternoon tasting with the producer and leave as lifelong friends. All of this means, you can go home and wax lyrical about Barolo producers nobody else has heard of and, best of all, you don’t have to pay through the nose for the wine! You can find out more at the Bottega del Nascetta in the centre of the village. Or check out a few of our favourites: Stra, Luca Marenco, Mauro Marengo, Le Strette, Vietto, Passone and many more…

reasons to visit Novello wine cantine

The Simple Life. Novello still offers of a glimpse of the Langhe of the past. Whereas La Morra, Barolo and Monforte have become tourist hubs, with all that that brings, Novello has stayed on the edge, slightly removed, and stayed true to its roots. It’s a simple place where normal, Piemontese life continues. Tractors trundle up and down the main street, stopping to chat when they pass the bar, and old men play dominoes all afternoon while arguing in local dialect. This isn’t some flashy, Barolo-covered metropolis, it’s just a simple village full of friendly, welcoming people, wonderful views and some of the best food and wine in the world.

reasons to visit Novello

Food. Did someone mention food? Despite its diminutive size, Novello boasts some of the Barolo area’s best restaurants. Ant is at the cutting edge of Piemontese cuisine (or just any cuisine), Langotto mixes Piemontese with French, and Barbarbuc and Angolo di Rosina offer some of the finest home-cooked, traditional Piemontese food you will find.

reasons to visit Novello food

Walking. The whole of the Langhe is a paradise for walkers, but Novello has five easy-to-follow trekking loops that can’t be bettered. All of them begin in the centre of the village where, handily, you can pick up a map either from the town hall or the cantina comunale, and then spread out in various directions. The longest are about 6km, taking in vineyards, woodland and tiny borgate, while the shortest is just over a kilometre.

reasons to visit Novello walking

History. Novello is steeped in ancient history. The Romans used to love it here, in fact, Novello was their holiday destination of choice. And you can see traces of this past throughout the village…

autumn Langhe Novello