Grinzane Cavour historical timeline

History

Grinzane Cavour has a castle, a famous mayor and a World Heritage listing, in that chronological order.

Middle Ages — the massive medieval castle is built on the rise above the settlement, which is then simply Grinzane. The sources available give no construction date and this page does not supply one.
1832 — Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, later one of the principal architects of the Risorgimento, becomes mayor of Grinzane. He is in his twenties.
1849 — his term ends, having run seventeen years. In that time he proves an able administrator and pushes improvements in agriculture and in the production of quality wine — work that bears on what these hills became.
after Cavour — the commune, previously just Grinzane, takes his name in homage, becoming Grinzane Cavour.
1966 — Barolo becomes a DOC. Part of Grinzane Cavour falls inside the zone.
1967 — the Enoteca Regionale Piemontese Cavour opens in the castle: the first regional wine shop in Piedmont, and among the oldest in Italy. It is still there.
1975 — the Ordine dei Cavalieri del Tartufo e dei Vini di Alba begins selecting some of the best lots of Piedmontese wine each year. Only bottles scoring at least 90 out of 100 carry its label, and from 2015 only wineries affiliated to the Enoteca are eligible.
1980 — Barolo is raised to DOCG: 100% Nebbiolo, at least 36 months of ageing with at least 18 in wood, five years for a Riserva.
1999 — the castle holds the first Asta Mondiale del Tartufo Bianco d'Alba. It has run every early November since, on live links to Hong Kong, Singapore, Vienna and Seoul, and has raised over €6 million for charity.
2004 — about 1,734 hectares are under vine across the Barolo zone.
22 June 2014 — UNESCO inscribes the Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato, and defines the Langhe component as three areas: the Langa of Barolo, the Hills of Barbaresco, and the castle of Grinzane Cavour. This village's castle is the only single building in the Langhe listed in its own right.
31 August 2017 — the commune has 1,987 residents across 3.7 km².

Verified against Wikipedia, October 2026.

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Sources & verification Covers the sourced claims on this page.

Checked against Wikipedia — Grinzane Cavour's main attraction is its massive medieval castle, and the town was originally known simply as Grinzane before taking its current name in homage to Camillo Benso, Count Cavour, who was mayor for 17 years., Barolo became a DOC in 1966 and was raised to DOCG in 1980., Barolo must be 100% Nebbiolo and aged at least 36 months after the harvest before release, of which at least 18 months in wood; five years makes it a Riserva., About 1,734 hectares were under vine in the Barolo zone as of 2004, with production rising from 7 million bottles in the mid-1990s to 10.25 million in the mid-2000s., The Langhe were inscribed by UNESCO on 22 June 2014 within the Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato, as three components -- the Langa of Barolo, Grinzane Cavour Castle, and the Hills of Barbaresco., Grinzane Cavour had 1,987 residents across 3.7 square kilometres, at an elevation of 195 metres. (October 2026).
Checked against Castello di Grinzane Cavour — Camillo Benso di Cavour was mayor of Grinzane from 1832 to 1849, was one of the principal architects of the Risorgimento, and used the office to introduce improvements in agriculture and in quality wine production., The Enoteca Regionale Piemontese Cavour has operated in the castle since 1967 and describes itself as the first in Piedmont and the second in Italy, selling Piedmontese wines and grappe alongside the food of the territory, open 10:00 to 18:00., Since 1975 the Ordine dei Cavalieri del Tartufo e dei Vini di Alba has selected some of the best lots of Piedmontese wine each year; from 2015 only wineries affiliated to the Enoteca are eligible, and only bottles scoring at least 90 out of 100 carry its label, purchasable exclusively at the Enoteca., The castle has hosted the Asta Mondiale del Tartufo Bianco d'Alba every early November since 1999, most recently in its XXVII edition, conducted on live links to Hong Kong, Singapore, Vienna and Seoul., The auction is not for profit: the proceeds from the best specimens of Alba white truffle go entirely to charitable bodies in Italy and worldwide, with over EUR 6 million raised across all editions including EUR 502,000 in 2025, EUR 395,500 in 2024 and EUR 480,000 in 2023, and a closing lot once going to Hong Kong for EUR 130,000. (October 2026).