It was the very early 1970s when, as a young adult, I began to immerse myself in the world of wine. It is said that the fruit never falls too far from the tree. Indeed, in the hills around my hometown everything was about wine. And while the impulse came naturally, it was through curiosity to delve into the link between man and nature that my career as a gastronome began.
After more than 50 years since my first experiences, I have therefore returned to the Langhe food and wine scene to analyze changes and developments that, in this historical period, seem to be happening more and more abruptly from a social point of view as well.
First of all, I have to say that this trip has dusted off in me the memory of many encounters, faces, and events that, in times not unknown, marked the history of this area of Piedmont, leading it to become one of the most important wine areas in the world. This should be highlighted right from the start.
Today, carrying on the Langa’s diverse production reality, there is a good percentage of young women and young men: a pleasant surprise. Of most of them I had already met and interviewed relatives. Other testimonies, on the other hand, I collected among those who did not inherit the trade from the family, but who decided to invest in wine production out of passion. Here, of all these “new” wineries, very few were born in the last 20 years. And here arises a first aspect that is not at all irrelevant: in the 2000s, opening a winery in Langa has become an operation whose courage borders on unreasonableness.
Who would have ever imagined that land values could increase so much, to the point of it being a counterproductive aspect? Nowadays, it can cost up to 4 million euros to buy one hectare planted with nebbiolo grapes for Barolo. As a result, the Langa has become an exclusive territory, where the barriers to enter are so insurmountable that it is impossible to do business without staggering debts. All of this, moreover, risks attracting a world that has little to do with the agricultural origins of these areas and the craftsmanship of wine-making: that of finance and large investment groups. This is a danger that would eradicate the authenticity of the territory and bring wine bottles drastically closer to other types of commodities.
Regarding this, exchanging a few words with the descendant of one of the most historic families of producers, I learned that nowadays it costs less to buy and renovate one of the castles of Langa than to buy a hectare in the Barolo area. His words could not help but revive in me the memory of a giant of Langa wine: Battista Rinaldi.
Perhaps few people know that Battista, father of Giuseppe a.k.a. “Citrico,” in 1970, during his time as mayor of the town of Barolo, pledged -with a fundraising effort in which many citizens and many local wineries participated- to purchase the Falletti Castle in Barolo, which had then been disused for more than a decade. The ultimate goal was to revive the small town’s iconic manor and make it available to the community. At the time, the cost of the building was 33.5 million old lira, or the equivalent of 345,000 euros today. In short, if Battista knew that today it would have been enough for him to sell a handful of rows of vines to carry out that laudable operation, he would laugh with gusto; however, he would not hide a deep-seated concern for how things have evolved in his beloved Langhe.
This would be the reaction of many of those protagonists who were able to make the Langa great. People who lived through extremely difficult periods. I am thinking in particular of all those who, at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, for more than 70 years were forced to fight three important diseases -first powdery mildew, then downy mildew, and finally phylloxera- that threatened to wipe out viticulture in these areas and that generated massive migratory flows to the Americas.
But I am also thinking of those who, coming from the time of la malora of Fenoglian memory, between the 1960s and 1990s were able to tow the peasant world of winemakers to the far more prosperous status of wine producers.
At the same time, a divarication of land value with respect to neighboring areas has come about. If, as already mentioned, a hectare in the Langa can cost up to 4 million, in the neighboring Roero and adjacent Monferrato (a few kilometers away) the cost of a hectare planted with vines is dozens and dozens of times less. Not only the value, the area planted with vines has also gone through a significant increase in recent years. In fact, it has gone from 5,000 hectares cultivated with grapes in 1970, to 10,000 today. Yet, according to some, it seems that these are never enough. And, therefore, off to think about how to expand the areas, to deforest, all aimed only at increasing the productive area.
In the light of the growing speculative effects, I want to bring up the example of another area of great winemaking excellence, perhaps the one with the most history behind it, which is still grappling with a crisis in which even the identity aspects have failed. I am referring to the Bordeaux region, where the unaffordability of land values and bottle costs-dictated especially by the Premiers Crus-have collapsed a system that had come to the brink of speculation. The result: today, with no small amount of discontent, the market is readjusting downward. It has had to go through heavy adjustment maneuvers, including the uprooting of whole hectares of vines.
The dynamics reported so far, this is fair to point out, are truly unique in the agricultural landscape, not only in Italy but worldwide. The allure that revolves around the world of wine, accompanied by average profits which are significantly higher than those of the vast majority of crops, make territories such as the Langhe strongly attractive.
And it is also for this reason that there is more interest from the younger generation in agriculture in these regions. While politics and the many area banking institutions, which nevertheless exist and flourish, have never developed a philosophy to create subsidized credit to facilitate the entry of new young enthusiasts into the sector. During meetings with younger producers, it also became clear to me that the transmission of local history has been severed at some point, and that schools on this front are totally unprepared.
This small area of about 200 km², therefore, has not always lived in affluence. In order to understand the success that the Langa has today I think it is necessary to develop a high degree of awareness of what went before. This is part of taking care of the land.
Precisely for this reason, the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo over the past 2 years has organized meetings aimed at young people under 30 to retrace the milestones of the recent history of this territory and to sow in them not only awareness but also curiosity about what came before. In the two editions of “If the Langa is like this” (this is the title of the events), about 1,000 young people who, for various reasons, live in this territory passed through. The result was extremely surprising, because learning about the events that have characterized the Langa over the past two centuries also turned out to be a very valuable tool for aggregation. Appointments such as these need to be implemented, because through dialogue and sharing it is possible to reinvigorate a sense of community that, along with the loss of memory, has alas drastically faded.
In the face of doped land values and bottle speculation, I could in fact see that the community finds itself very impoverished, unrecognizable compared to the Langa life of yesteryear. This makes it clear that excessive private wealth reduces public prosperity. What made this corner of Piedmont alive and attractive for a long time, even more than the wine, was the sharing approach and sociability that could be breathed in every corner of the village. The bars, the stores, the taverns, all the places where the community met, disappeared and with them also strong identity traits. I will say more, the wine world was perfectly integrated to that social model, while today the gap that exists between the community and the production sector is all too evident.
The regeneration of community forms should be the first priority today for those who experience the advantages of this Langa. It is good to be aware that while in other provincial areas the specter of depopulation is indeed real, here there is the good fortune of being able to enjoy a quality of life which is quite different from that of large urban centers. We must therefore use our imagination to recreate new, more modern and inclusive forms of sociality. This is the only way to preserve even those more material comforts, which alone cannot generate happiness in human beings.
To the young people who now find themselves managing wine enterprises in this area, I say be proud of this privilege. Likewise, I urge them to adopt sound boundary management to best preserve the priceless value they have inherited. I am referring to the culture and history of this area, which represent the true wealth of the Langhe. I have had evidence that some have already understood this.
What about tourism? The concept does not change. Every year one is anxiously waiting to know how much the attendance is in the peak season, with the eagerness to exceed it more and more. We are talking about a small area with infrastructure that is not suitable for an immense flow of vehicles and people. Even for this area, therefore, I could ascertain that in the Langa the logic of limitization is still far from being implemented.
Here the question arises: can one also die of tourism? Judging by how overtourism is changing the connotations of countries, the answer is certainly yes.
In 2008, an expression of indigenous origin appeared in the constitution of the state of Ecuador: “buen vivir.” Since then this term has come into common use throughout South America with reference to a way of life that, going beyond expansive dynamics, aims at the well-being of every citizen. This journey of mine in today’s Langa has been constantly accompanied by the search for “living well,” a sentiment that rejects all forms of pessimism or melancholy. No nostalgia, then, for that world in which imbalance hung toward enormous hardships and the specter of poverty. But are we sure that the attractiveness of an area can be based only on the economic value it generates?
Picking up where we left off, uncontrolled tourism, in fact, has heavily affected that process of impoverishment of the Langa community of which I have already spoken. In the few bars that have not been transformed into wine bars, for example, they have stopped serving coffees: too inconvenient to occupy a small table for those who only
need a break, better to optimize and have those who sit down order a bottle or at least a glass. This happens in Monforte, in Barolo, but also in Dogliani, which is located just outside the geographical appellation area of the most emblazoned wines. Even more thought-provoking is the fact that in a small town like La Morra (2,600 inhabitants in all), more than 1,500 beds can be found on the online platforms dedicated to vacation rentals. And for those who work in this municipality, renting accommodation has become an impossible task: sky-high prices and availability tending increasingly to zero. Better to look elsewhere and commute between the Langa hills, thus generating a real oxymoron.
Under these conditions, then, how is it possible to regenerate a community? If we continue to prefer this model, totally devoted to the implementation of tourism, our villages will become mere attractions for the “hit and run,” devoid of any kind of authenticity. There is also a detail that is very relevant: tourism is very seasonal and creates deep disconnection between peak periods and quiet periods.
Infinite growth cannot exist. And governing the limits imposed by the very conformation of this area turns out to be the best solution for balancing authenticity and tourism, a thriving economy and the well-being of citizens. It should always be remembered that the first goal of healthy tourism, which aims to last for a long time, must be to make the local community happy, first and foremost. Indeed, no one is enticed to visit a place where the inhabitants are not content.
In an area like the Langa, but I would say like the whole of Italy, this approach turns out to be the only viable one in this particular historical period. The phase of Ecological Transition that we are about to experience requires us to adopt a different mentality, where profit maximization is replaced by a logic of care and moderation. All this is in response to other, far greater changes that can already be felt in the regions. One amongst all: climate change.
Here is another major element of dissimilarity. When I used to linger in discussions with producers in the 1970s, the element of the climate crisis was completely left out, absent in conversations and concerns.
Now the situation is glaring. From years of severe drought, we have moved on to a harvest this year where continuous and consistent rains have heavily burdened the work of the previous months. Hailstorms have increased, so much so that even insurance companies immediately ran for cover by raising premiums substantially. In short, the concerns for those who work closely with nature have greatly increased. It seems clear that, in this scenario, the exaggerated prices of some plots are even more irrational.
In a careful analysis, it should be borne in mind that the large cohort of young winemakers will have to cope with production and climatic conditions to which their predecessors were not accustomed. Their own attention and sensitivity to these issues, however, is truly admirable.
I was able to find that there are virtuous examples already engaging in sound operations to combat climate change. Practices of agroecology, rejection of chemicals, forest management, intercropping with other crops, safeguarding biodiversity-these are some of the actions that a small number of producers have already taken. And when asked if the idea of encroaching on the northernmost slopes of the hills (historically those less suited to viticulture) or planting new vines in other neighboring areas such as the Alta Langa had ever crossed their minds, one of the answers was, “my grandfather taught me that as long as you are small, you manage to have a bond with your territory and work the vineyard well, managing even the critical issues in the best way. When you get too big, everything becomes more complicated and you end up not even liking the wine you produce anymore.”
I believe this is the best lesson that older generations can pass on to the young. A way of thinking that respects the natural vocation of the land that protects quality and that, from a certain point of view, also justifies that contribution gap that exists between farms and those who work in other jobs.
In fact, it is undeniable that producers are being subsidized from a tax point of view. This creates a glaring discrepancy in the salary/tax ratio paid between winemakers and citizens engaged in other important tasks in the same municipality. Also in light of this, a producer should feel more responsibility and invest in protecting the land, keeping the environment healthy and not depleting soil fertility.
In this context, the issue of biodiversity deserves a closer look. If fifty years ago, looking out over the Langa, it was normal to observe a diversified landscape, this cannot be said today. Over the years, much land that was once occupied by forests, destined for other fruit crops or used for cattle grazing, is now invaded by vines. This explains the increase in hectares planted with vines reported at the beginning of the article. Moreover, it was taken for granted that there were more native grape varieties in this area and that all of them deserved to be cultivated.
In recent years, the same logic that wants profit as the only discriminator has led many producers to make the choice to abandon the cultivation of grapes that, like Dolcetto, have a lower market price. So off they go to uproot and convert many vineyards to the more profitable Nebbiolo. Another blow to the biodiversity of the Langhe.
Here again, however, history can be a lesson. In viticulture, as in agriculture in general, it has never been successful in the long run to concentrate cultivation on a few species. This is all the more true in changing times such as these, where many of the effects of the climate crisis are rapidly worsening. No need to go far, in the same Langa area where there are no vines there are hazelnut groves. It was recently reported that the latest hazelnut harvest is showing -50% compared to 2023. It is the common voice of all producers that climate change is mainly to blame for the causes.
Returning to wine, on this front I was able to hear interesting testimonies. Producers who never dreamed of undertaking a monovarietal choice. Others, younger ones, who if only for sentimental value have decided to focus heavily on those lesser-known grape varieties. Others who have even decided to enhance grape varieties that had been forgotten for decades. And winemakers who wholeheartedly carry on a real battle in favor of Dolcetto grapes and other of the sort.
The value of biodiversity is good to be understood by all, even in the face of the fact that taste is not an immutable sense, and there are already early signs that, among the younger generation, many appreciate simpler, less structured wines.
From the human perspective, however, it is possible to argue that biodiversity has even increased in recent decades. Unfortunately, this is not always a symptom of good news. I am not referring to foreign tourists, but to the multitude of people who, despite supporting the wine system in an important way, still live marginalized and with serious difficulties in the Langa.
Hailing from many countries of Eastern Europe, Asia and Central North Africa, thousands of laborers have arrived over time to work in the vineyards. Some specialize in pruning, some in thinning and others in harvesting. Their professionalism has become indispensable today. However, these are people who continue to remain on the margins of society.
The dynamic is alas very simple. The wineries contact the cooperatives at times of greatest need, paying them a set cost per hour for each worker. The cooperatives then organize groups of laborers who, it should be emphasized, for work safety reasons cannot work together with winery employees.
Over the years, the management of these processes has gone somewhat under the radar. Many people have told me that at first light, in some parts of the richer Langa, it is easy to see groups of people around the coops’ minibuses. Here, the “corporals” choose the people who will work in the fields for that day, while the others have to wait to earn some money for a living.
The cohort of foreign workers characterizes today’s Langa more than it once did. Not only in the vineyards, also at the stoves of taverns and in the halls of restaurants. It is often forgotten, but they too are part of the new community. And their needs and requirements will also have to be the focus of the regeneration of this area.
In conclusion, I must say that today as then, I have learned a great deal from this land and the people who inhabit it. In light of what I have observed, I must say that it was precisely the diversity represented here that generated a richness that was truly out of the ordinary.
Towing this area toward a more equitable and sustainable future, I see a truly phenomenal new generation of women producers. In these areas, women have always had a prominent position within the community. If at one time, in a society that was certainly more male-dominated, they were called upon to exercise their role from behind the scenes, or at the stoves of the many taverns, today they are also on the front lines in the wine industry. And from whom, if not from them, can a healthy and natural logic of care be learned?
Young people and women, that is, those who have always remained on the periphery of the capitalist system, will have to be given a greater voice in order to reconstruct a model that can integrate well with the Ecological Transition period we have ahead of us.
In these fifty years we have been so conditioned by a single paradigm that we find it impossible today to understand the disruptive and liberating value of a new form of economy. As true as it is that the horizon can no longer be one based on infinite growth, it is equally true that the situation in the Langa is emblematic. A new model that places human fulfillment, the commons, and interpersonal relationships at the center not only circumvents all kinds of mortification, but is the only possible way to preserve the comforts hitherto achieved.
Regenerating communities, valuing biodiversity, respecting labor, and caring for the health of people in the environment is the path forward to enable communities to live with gratification and joy. Indeed, the wealth of the future will be determined by how well these values are combined. Only through the right balance can true prosperity be enjoyed. Because if your choice is not based only on increasing profits, there are still a thousand different ways to live it happily and respectfully for all.
