The magic of the September harvest in the Langhe: traditions, ancient gestures, and family stories among the rows of Agricola Marrone
September is the most awaited month among the hills of La Morra: after months of care and attention, the vines return the fruit of a year’s work, giving life to the magical harvest season in the Langhe. But harvest, here, is not just picking grapes: it is a true collective ritual that combines centuries-old traditions and inherited gestures, effort and conviviality, memory and innovation.
For us at Agricola Marrone, every cluster harvested tells the story of a vintage, with its challenges, its character, and its promises. Every harvest brings back those memories that turn this work into passion and lived life: the grandmother’s early-morning cooking as she prepared delicacies for uncles, cousins, and friends (all involved in the harvest), the traditional Piedmontese songs accompanying the work, and the aroma of coffee brought by the young Marrone sisters to the tireless workers. In this atmosphere of memories and emotions, we invite you to discover what happens in the vineyard and what, in our opinion, will be a great harvest year.
September vineyard work: between method and passion
In the vineyards of Agricola Marrone, the harvest begins at dawn, when the breeze is fresh and the grapes preserve their aromas and fragrances. The selection of grapes destined for Barolo is manual, cluster by cluster, respecting the timing of each row and each micro-area to ensure optimal ripening. The grapes are immediately brought to the cellar, where their journey toward becoming wine begins: destemming, fermentation, and those small yet crucial rituals of cleaning and monitoring that make the difference in the final quality.
The climate of 2025 favors great quality: a balanced summer, well-distributed rainfall, and cool nights that supported ripening, with a slightly earlier harvest forecast, medium yield but outstanding quality.
The harvest: a ritual renewed every year
Every harvest in the Langhe is steeped in tradition: from songs in dialect to lunches among the rows, from grandparents’ stories recalling ancient practices to the shared gestures that unite entire generations. Once upon a time, harvest was the highlight of peasant life: the whole village would gather, teams would help each other, children proudly carried refreshments to the adults, and every cluster harvested was a celebration.
Even today, the harvest remains a convivial event, an occasion of gathering and remembrance, where hard work turns into joy and rituals are passed down. Just think of the choruses among the rows and the custom of toasting together at the end of the day, celebrating the first musts and the first aromas of a new Barolo.
Curiosities and legends: how was Barolo born? The story of women who made history
Behind every harvest there is also a story to tell: that of Giulia Colbert Falletti, the woman who in the first half of the 19th century understood the potential of nebbiolo in the Langhe. After marrying the nobleman Carlo Tancredi Falletti di Barolo, in the family estates – located precisely in the La Morra area – Giulia had a truly visionary idea: perceiving the potential of this incredible local grape, she entrusted the vineyards and cellar to Louis Oudart, a French oenologist, who perfected a truly unique winemaking method.
To present the new wine to the king, she had 325 barrels sent to Carlo Alberto of Savoy, one for each day of the year (excluding the days of Lent, when the court refrained from drinking wine). Appreciated from the very first sip, the new wine began to be consumed and shared in royal salons, becoming “the wine of kings and the king of wines.” Thus was born, from the intuition and creative drive of a noblewoman, one of the most famous and beloved wines in the world: Barolo.
Autumn as rebirth
The end of the harvest does not just mean the end of a season, but the beginning of a new cycle: the vines rest, nature prepares for slumber, and the memories of these days become the soul of Marrone wines, ready to tell their story in every glass.