Trail 324

Trail 324 winds through the Nebbiolo vineyards surrounding Barbaresco, a village of about 650 inhabitants that lends its name to one of Italy's most celebrated red wines. The route begins at the village's medieval tower—a 13th-century brick cylinder 36 meters high—and descends toward the Tanaro valley floor before ascending through the sorì, the south-facing hillside plots where Nebbiolo for Barbaresco DOCG is grown. The Miocene marly-limestone soil, locally known as tuff, emerges at several points along the trail and is the same substrate that lends its minerality to the wines of this denomination. From the ridge, you can see the Langhe hills of Alba, all the way to the profile of Monviso on clear days. The village was the scene of partisan action during the Resistance, recounted by Beppe Fenoglio in his novels. From March to November, the trail continues; in autumn, the golden leaves of the vineyards make the landscape particularly photogenic.