Tour Details
Gastronomically, Piedmont is undoubtedly one of Italy’s most interesting regions. Its wines are superb, the food produced there is varied and the delicious cooking ranges from traditional country fare to creatively modern cuisine. Moreover, the region is the centre of the Slow Food revolution, which is transforming gastronomy in Italy and beyond.
There is also another winning feature: many Piedmontese in the food and wine business have a desire to share their passion, and welcome interested visitors with generous amounts of their time and produce. In part this may be because visitors are relatively few, despite the high reputation which Piedmont enjoys.
For this tour we have bypassed Turin in favour of spending time in the countryside, seeing the origins of the food and wine and meeting the producers. This bucolic exile is not at the expense of culinary excellence; you will find superb restaurants, from simple rustic trattorias where Granny’s recipes are still gospel, to Michelin-starred and innovative establishments, all serving some of Italy’s finest food.
The study and enjoyment of wines is a large part of the tour. Barolo is the dominant wine – noble, austere and complex; the Nebbiolo grape is used for the elegant, tarry Barbaresco, and various other DOCs. We meet makers, chosen as much for their charm and communicativeness as for their wines, in some cases study their vines and the wine-making process, and taste the results. Among the foods we investigate, truffles are significant – Alba is something of a truffle capital – but the mountain cheeses such as Tomino and Castelmagno make an equally powerful impression.
Landscape is another of the great pleasures of the tour. As its name suggests, Piedmont reaches from high pastures to alluvial plains, and much of it is used for agriculture (or small family-run farms). The Langhe hills are among the most beautiful in Italy, the flanks almost entirely carpeted with vineyards, the summits sporting castles, little medieval towns or ancient farmsteads.
Inclusions
Travel by private coach; hotel accommodation; breakfasts; 5 lunches and 5 dinners with wine, water, coffee; several wine tastings; all food tastings; all admissions; all tips; all taxes; the services of the lecturer and tour manager.
Accommodation
Albergo Cantine Ascheri, Bra: 4-star hotel refurbished in a very modern but enjoyable design using locally made materials as much as possible. Service is enthusiastic and rooms are comfortable. Hotel Palazzo Lovera, Cuneo: excellently situated 4-star hotel just off the ancient arcaded Via Roma. Despite being the best available hotel in Cuneo, which we have chosen as the most suitable geographic base for this part of the tour, standards of décor and maintenance are lower than the 4-star hotels we use in major cities. Single rooms are doubles for sole use throughout.
Group Size
Between 10 and 22 participants.
Expert Speaker
Ms Cynthia Chaplin
A professional sommelier and Vinitaly International Academy certified Italian Wine Ambassador. Born in the USA, Cynthia moved to Europe in 1990 and subsequently lived in Spain, Belgium, England and Italy. It was here that she settled, centring her career in the Italian food and wine sector. A member of Le Donne del Vino and a Professor of Italian wine and culture, she is a regular judge for wine and sake competitions and also consults with restaurants and wine shops, developing comprehensive wine lists and excellent food pairings.
Price
Double Occupancy: $8,560 AUD per person
Single Occupancy: $9,090 AUD per person
Tour by Martin Randall Travel.
- One of the most celebrated gastronomic regions in Italy, centre of the ‘Slow Food’ revolution.
- Wine and food production studied at source, including visits to Alba, white truffle capital of the world, and a number of Barolo wineries.
- Superb restaurants, from simple trattorias to the Michelin starred.
- Beautiful landscapes: upland pasture, rolling hills, sloping vineyards and hazelnut woods.
- The lecturer is wine expert Cynthia Chaplin.
Day 1 - Bra
From Milan Malpensa Airport, be driven west to Bra, an attractive market town with some fine architecture, where the first four nights are spent. In the afternoon study the local wine-making process at the Ascheri winery adjacent to the hotel.
Day 2 - Alba, Grinzane Cavour
Drive to Alba, chief town of the Langhe, for a truffle seminar and lunch. In the afternoon there is a wine tasting in the Castle of Grinzane Cavour, a spectacularly situated unesco heritage site, home of the first regional enoteca to open in Piedmont, now almost 50 years old. Dinner is at a Slow Food restaurant.
Day 3 - Piozzo, Monforte d'Alba
The landscape between Dogliani and Murazzano is a patchwork of vineyards and rumpled hills, woods and pasturage. There is a truffle hunt (real, not simulated) this morning in the hazelnut groves around Roddi, then a wine tasting and lunch at a small, family-run estate.
Day 4 - Bra and Surrounding Countryside
Visit a traditional sausage maker before a wine tasting in the Ascheri winery. In the afternoon, an optional guided walk crosses orchards, vineyards and hazelnut groves. Dinner is at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Serralunga d’Alba.
Day 5 - Pollenzo, Serralunga d'Alba
In the morning there is a visit and wine tasting at the fascinating wine bank in nearby Pollenzo, which stores and ages wines from all over Italy in order to keep a historical record of the very best vintages. Lunch follows in an outstanding restauran in Pollenzo. In the castle at Manta there are some marvellous medieval frescos. Continue to Cuneo where the last two nights are spent.
Day 6 - Castelmagno, Sampeyre
The steep-sided valley of the river Grana is the sole source of one of Italy’s finest cheeses, Castelmagno. Visit a farm to see aspects of its production. Continue to Sampeyre in the mountains for lunch and a cooking demonstration of alpine fare.
Day 7 - Turin
Spend the morning in Turin before lunch at a Michelin-starred restaurant.
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