Alba is the capital of the Langhe, a land dedicated to wine and, for the last century, to the tartufo bianco
(white truffle), a precious tuber valued since ancient times and used in the Middle Ages as a coin of exchange
among the noble families of Piedmont. Alba first became well known after World War II, when the town's Ferrero
pastry company began manufacturing Nutella (a creamy spread made from cocoa and hazelnuts).
After pizza, Nutella
is perhaps one of the most widely recognized Italian products in the world, with fan clubs located in countries as
diverse as Japan and Russia.
Alba's Nutella fame, however, comes second only to the renowned Order of the Knights of the Wine and Truffles of
Alba, an association established by its twenty-one founding members in 1967 to preserve the town's culinary and
oenological traditions.
Perhaps it was Alba's pre-Indo-European name that would foretell its foremost position in
history. The Grand Master of the Order, its most important representative, enjoys a stature that not even the kings
of Savoy could match.
Today, there are delegations of the Order in all of the major cities of Italy, as well as America
and Asia. In only a few years the organization has been responsible for a series of initiatives that have brought even
greater prestige to the Langhe, a region already highly regarded for its pleasant landscape (which changes with every
season), numerous hilltop castles surrounded by orderly avenues of vineyards, fine wine, and a cuisine suited for the
most elegant of tables, especially in the fall, when truffles ennoble otherwise ordinary dishes.
The Order has done
everything possible to enhance Alba's natural beauty and spread its reputation. For instance, the organization set up
a Regional Piedmont Wine Collection in the medieval castle of the Count of Cavour at Grinzane, where choice wines are
subject to the strict control of the National Order of Wine Tasters. The knights also organized the Itinerary of the
Wines of Alba, which can be found in cellars where wine is sold and in restaurants where the Order guarantees the quality
of Alba's traditional cuisine.
