The castle can be admired from a distance, set today amidst the vineyards that cover the slopes of the hill it stands on in an attractive contrast of colours.

The Romans called these hills " per deserta langarum ", and Pliny praised their vines. This is borne out by archaeological find from that period showing compact bunches or carts carrying wine drums; particularly revealing is a tombstone from the II century B.C. showing men and womenwith baskets, while a farmer pours wine into a cask positioned on a cart drawn by two mules. But the modern-day history of Barolo wine dates back to 1844, when - in the cellars of the Castle on the recommendation of a nobleman named Oudart with a love for oenology - Count Camillo Benso of Cavour bottled the first vintage obtained fron the ageing of the wines grown on these hills.

These are the same slopes on which the Le Ginestre winery stands today. The flavour of Barolo wine has since evolved, but the strength of its character still speaks with all the force of these hills. Under the shadow of the castle, with the same fascination which matured beneath those historic vaults, the wine's brick-coloured highlights have remained those of long ago.