September in the vineyard in the Langhe: the harvest rabél and dialect words
What word in our Piedmontese dialect could be more fitting to describe the start of such an unusual harvest than rabél? In Langa, rabél indicates a great bustle, a lively rush full of life and things to do. And this is precisely the atmosphere you can feel among the hills of La Morra with the arrival of September.
For us at Agricola Marrone, farmers and winemakers for four generations, September represents our true New Year: a moment of watchful anticipation, where an entire year’s hard work comes together in our hands, grape baskets, and the glasses in our winery.
Harvest 2026: the challenge of heat and grape quality
Summer 2026 tested the vineyards with high temperatures starting in spring and severe water scarcity. The vines accelerated their ripening and yields will inevitably be more limited, but the health quality of the first harvested clusters is excellent.
While the harvest of white grape varieties like Moscato, Chardonnay, Favorita, and Arneis starts briskly to preserve freshness and acidity, our main focus remains on Nebbiolo for Barolo. Nebbiolo is indeed a delicate and demanding variety to cultivate: it ripens slowly well into November, often harvested amidst autumn fogs. In recent years, following increasingly hot summers and low rainfall, we find ourselves having to:
- Pay close attention to the state of ripeness (in warm vintages, the risk is that sugar levels rise faster than phenolic ripeness, which affects skins and seeds).
- Strive for constant balance (Nebbiolo requires patience to maintain the structure, acidity, and freshness necessary to create a great Barolo DOCG).
- Evaluate the evolution of the Surì (in the past, vineyards were planted exclusively on the surì, the hillside slope best exposed to the south, to ensure the plants received as much warmth as possible; today, the agronomical challenge lies in protecting the vines from excessive sun exposure).
Short harvest glossary: words of the Piedmontese dialect
In Piedmontese dialect, every word tells a story of hard work and rural poetry. To make you feel part of this 2026 harvest, we gathered some of the most common Piedmontese terms that accompany our daily work among the vine rows:
- Rabél (or Comérsi): the joyful confusion, the excitement and bustle accompanying the first days of grape picking.
- Tamagnun: the characteristic farm sled or trailer used to transport grape containers to the winery.
- Gorbe and Tualéte: traditional baskets and tubs of various sizes used to collect intact clusters, preventing grapes from crushing and fermenting prematurely under the sun.
- Sbarùv: sudden fear or scare, such as the anxiety felt by farmers facing the threat of summer storms or hail before harvest.
- Beté: a dreamy or naive person; it refers to the candid smile appearing on a winemaker’s face at the end of the day, despite the exhaustion.
- Frisson: a deep shiver down the spine, brought on by the thrill of seeing healthy grapes safely inside the winery.
The ritual of Merenda Sinoira: Langa hospitality at the table
After a day spent harvesting, when the gorbe are full and the sun begins to set over the hills of Barolo, the most anticipated moment of the day arrives: the merenda sinoira.
Rooted in Piedmontese rural tradition, the merenda sinoira is a late afternoon meal that stretches into dinner. Family, friends, and harvesters gather around the same table, hands still marked by the day’s labor, to share traditional cured meats, local cheeses, heritage recipes, and a fine glass of wine.
This is the exact philosophy of hospitality we bring every day to the terrace of our Restaurant at Agricola Marrone in La Morra. Combining our passion for winemaking with the simplicity of good food is our way of making you feel at home, surrounded by handmade tajarin and breathtaking views over the vines.
Experience September with Agricola Marrone in La Morra
September in the Langhe is a unique sensory experience, filled with scents of fermenting must, golden colors, and ancient stories living on in our daily rituals.
We look forward to welcoming you to our winery in La Morra for a guided tasting of our wine selections or for a special lunch overlooking the UNESCO World Heritage hills, where our rural tradition meets contemporary, authentic hospitality.