7.1 Quality also in the kitchen

The 2000 vintage continued regularly and, at the end of the work in the vineyard, a "top-notch" harvest brought precious grapes to the cellar, capable of generating wines of great satisfaction. A vintage that we could describe as "tending towards warm" and which gave rise to wines, in particular Barolo and Barbaresco, of full structure and powerful harmony, much appreciated on the American market.
In November 2000, the 2001 edition of the Michelin Guide Italy was released, the "red guide" so to speak, dedicated to restaurants and hotels. Its verdicts brought for the first time a "shower of stars" on the province of Cuneo and in particular on the territory of Langa and Roero. As in previous years, the most awaited evaluations were those related to "stars", an easily perceived symbolism of the highest quality establishments. In the new edition of Michelin, among the 187 "single stars", 24 were those assigned to Piedmont and 8 of these to the province of Cuneo: to the five already "starred" previously ("Il Vicoletto" in Alba, "La Ciau del Tornavento" in Treiso, "Felicin" in Monforte d'Alba and "Al Rododendro" and "Trattoria della Pace" in Boves) were added the "Vecchio Tre Stelle" in Barbaresco, the "Locanda nel Borgo Antico" in Barolo and "All'Enoteca" in Canale. Three new "starred" establishments in three wine villages, where the quality of oenological production was exerting a strong pull on food and wine tourism.

"This was truly a nice surprise, almost a gift for that change of millennium. – Luciano emphasizes – It was the right recognition to the catering of Langa and Roero which for some time had been supporting the development of the wine sector with intelligence and innovative capacity, while remaining faithful to the raw materials of the territory. A recognition not exceptional and not even occasional, because it would be repeated in subsequent years, increasingly strengthening the number of starred restaurants in Langa and Roero".
Having concluded the first year of the new millennium, in general expectations the passage from 2000 to 2001 was less loaded with anticipation. The situation had resumed the rhythms of normality, just as Luciano preferred. In the meantime, the surface area of the company's vineyards was consolidating, the cellar structure easily passed the initial break-in and the markets of various countries around the world gave further consensus. But the surprises were not over yet: even that year, the Sandrone family was preparing to experience another intriguing novelty. "This time – Luciano recounts not without emotion – a boy was born. My daughter Barbara made me a grandfather again. Stefano arrived to complete the group of young house recruits on January 17, 2001 and I interpreted it also as a harbinger of a new quality vintage. Which promptly occurred: the 2001 Barolo was evaluated by many as one of the most complete wines ever".