Kings, castles, and regal reds
Tour Overview: October 7-12,2012
If you love wine, Piedmont is a must-see destination. While first-time visitors to Italy often head to Tuscany, Piedmont is tops among wine cognoscenti, and it’s easy to see why. First, there’s Piedmont’s stunning variety of wine, from regal Barolo and Barbaresco, to rustic Pelaverga and Freisa, to refreshing whites like classic Gavi and newcomer Arneis. Then, there’s the food: elegant northern Italian cuisine like porcini risotti, creamy pasta with showers of white truffles, handmade meat-filled ravioli, beef braised in wine, and chocolate-hazelnut desserts. All this comes packaged in a landscape of breathtaking beauty. In the Langhe, every hill is crowned with a medieval fortress or stately castle. And nowhere can you find such contorted hills so neatly pinstriped with vines. Charming wine villages like La Morra and Gavi are still populated by locals, not tourists, so you’ll get a true peak at Italian wine culture. The first half of LAND OF BAROLO takes place in the Langhe, the hills south of the Tanaro river. From our base in Alba, the Langhe’s red-wine capital, we’ll venture into Barolo territory for two days and Barbaresco for one. Here we’ll hear the fascinating history of these wines, intertwined with kings, prime ministers, and marchesi, and come to appreciate these most coveted of Italian wines. Mid-week we transfer to southeast Piedmont, home of Gavi di Gavi wine. Here you’ll stay at a winery: Villa Sparina has turned its old agricultural buildings into an elegant 4-star hotel overlooking the vineyards. A highlight of the tour is a visit to our home in the village of Varinella (pop. 252), one hill away from Gavi. In our medieval townhouse, once owned by the great-grandmother of company cofounder Claudio Bisio, you’ll have a cooking lesson and raid our cellar for some aged Piedmont wines. Being a native of Gavi, Claudio knows Piedmont from the inside out. What’s more, we’ve spent a decade refining LAND OF BAROLO, one of the company’s first tours. So over the years, we’ve come to know the winemakers like family. And indeed, most of Piedmont’s wineries are small, family-run operations, so our tastings are always intimate, familial, and fun. 2012 dates: [6 days/5 nights] October 7-12 Meet: Tortona train station (near Milan)
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DAY 1 – A DAY AT THE RACESAlba is the white-truffle capital of Piedmont, and every October truffle season kicks off with a medieval festival and truffle fair. After a pick-up at the Tortona train station, we’ll shuttle to our hotel in Alba (1 hour). A welcome lunch introduces Piedmont cuisine, then it’s on to the medieval festivities! These include a colorful parade of a thousand costumed locals, followed by the day’s centerpiece: the donkey race orpalio, a comedy of errors which dates back to Alba’s defeat by Asti in 1275. Afterwards, there’s time to roam the food & truffle fair and taste samples of mountain cheese, salumi, wine, chestnut honey, and nougat candy. (October only) In the spring, we drive directly to Barolo for an orientation in theenoteca of the Castle of Barolo. It was here that Barolo was first created by Giulia Colbert Falletti, a French noblewoman who was the Marchese di Barolo, during the Napoleonic period. After a welcome lunch that features a parade of classic piemontese appetizers, our Barolo history lesson continues at the Ceretto winery, once a hunting lodge of King Carlo Alberto of Piedmont. A second tasting takes us to a much smaller property, but also one with historic regal ties: Fratelli Alessandria in Verduno. Here one of the family members will pour their Barberas, Barolos, and Pelaverga, a light peppery red produced only in this village. Tonight we dine at the Marchesi di Barolo winery and delve into the French-influenced cuisine of Piedmont, such as ravioli del plin, braised veal, and pannacotta, not to mention the excellent wines from the Brezza family. DAY 2 – BAROLO AND TRUFFLESDon your walking shoes! This morning we stroll through hazelnut groves with Carlo and Lara, a truffle hunter and his dog, to see how canines are trained to sniff out the precious tubers, which grow beside certain tree roots. Then we’ll hop over to the museum in the Castle of Grinzane Cavour. This castle was home to the first Prime Minister of Italy, a Thomas Jefferson-like politician who was also a winemaker—and a key player in Barolo’s creation. After lunch, we’ll explore the eastern communes of the Barolo DOCG, where the magnesium-rich soil creates more structured Barolos, rich with tannins. We’ll begin atMassolino in Serralunga, then continue south to Monforte for a tasting at either Elio Grasso or Fantino Conterno. All are family-run wineries with top ratings and loyal followings. Dinner features more piemontese fare, such as vitello tonnato (veal with delicate tuna sauce), agnolotti (a variation of ravioli), and bounet (chocolate-amaretti pudding). DAY 3 – MOUNTAIN CHEESE AND DOLCETTO DI DOGLIANIOne of our favorite Barolo wineries is Silvio Grasso, where the founder’s wife, Marilena, always provides a warm, effusive welcome—and a generous tasting, pouring comparisons between their Barolo cruand various vintages. For lunch, we drive to higher elevations in the Alte Langhe. Too high for grape-growing, this is cheese country. Our buffet lunch is at a Murrazzano cheese farm, where we’ll have a tour, then feast on freshly made mountain cheese, salumi, fruit, and light-as-air hazelnut cake. On our way back to Alba, we’ll stop at another top Barolo winery, Da Milano, whose wines have consistently offered an exceptional price/value buy. Then it’s back to Alba, with free time to explore the shops brimming with truffle oil, chocolate-hazelnut spreads, and aged vintages of wine, or visit the baroque churches. Dinner is on your own in one of Alba’s many fine restaurants. DAY 4 – BARBARESCO & BARBERA D’ASTIToday as we transfer to Gavi, we’ll focus on the other B’s of Piedmont: Barbaresco and Barbera. More perfumed, elegant, and supple than Barolo, Barbaresco is considered the “queen” to Barolo’s “king.” In the eponymous village on the Tanaro, we’ll visit one of the largest, most historic Barbaresco producers, Marchesi di Gresy, which makes several cru as well as a rare (and quite good) Piedmont sauvignon blanc. If we’re lucky (and we usually are), the cellar master will pop in for a hello and a chat. After lunch, we’ll head to Barbera territory near Asti. Our afternoon tasting spotlights Braida, the estate of Giacomo Bologna, the man who revolutionized Barbera. This is a true Cinderella story, with a humble grape and rustic wine transformed into a polished, powerful red that competes on the international stage. Next, we continue to southeast Piedmont, land of Gavi wine (1 hour drive). Our bucolic 4-star hotel is on the property of Villa Sparina, a leading Gavi di Gavi winery. Dinner is in one of the tiny hilltop villages. DAY 5 – GAVI DI GAVIThis morning we have a cooking lesson—and get to peer inside life in a small Piedmont village. We head to the frazione of Varinella (pop. 200), home of La Dolce Vita’s owners. After a tour of Claudio Bisio’s old stomping grounds and his renovation-in-progress of our medieval townhouse, we’ll have a fun, hands-on cooking lesson. On the menu:bagna cauda (vegetables with a creamy garlic/anchovy dip), risotto al Gavi, and tiramisu. We’ll also raid the cellar for a sampler of aged Piedmont wines. After lunch, we visit the town of Gavi for coffee. Here shop windows proudly display Gavi di Gavi wine, fresh ravioli, and soft, puffy almond cookies—a local specialty. But you won’t find a single postcard or touristic t-shirt here. Being off the beaten track, Gavi is an unadulterated, locals-only Piedmont spot. We’ll also visit the Fortress of Gavi, a massive 11th C. fort perched high above the town, which once guarded the salt roads leading from Genoa to Milan. Afterwards, we’ll have a tour and tasting at one of the leaders in Gavi wine: eitherVilla Sparina or La Giustiniana, both of which have a storied history dating back to the 1700s. Our farewell dinner is at Villa Sparina’s elegant restaurant, La Gallina. DAY 6 – BUON VIAGGIO!
A shuttle to the Arquata Scrivia train station (between Milan & Genoa) and assistance with your travel plans. B What’s included:
What’s not included:
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