This tour is all about the amazing wines of the area, giving you access to some of the regions absolute finest and most historic producers.
It was the several years which I spent living with my family and working with two of Barolo’s most famous and historic wine cellars, that has made me the wine maker and food lover that I am today. This tour is all about the amazing wines of the area, balanced by showing you some of the incredible food culture which exists alongside these most renowned of Italian fine wines. We aim to get you access to some of the regions absolute finest and most historic producers so you can hopefully see for yourself where this reputation has come from.
The aim of this tour is to show the wine novice where this exulted reputation for Barolo and Barbaresco has come from and to provide the wine afficionado with a more thorough understanding of these much prized vinous offerings. You also get the opportunity to purchase wine direct from the cellars of the producers, meaning you have unquestionable provenance for these rare treasures.
Rendevous in the amazing city of Turin at our stunning accommodation in the heart of the old centre –centro storicoof town. We will head out on foot into the city for apperitivo drinks dinner.
We will begin the morning with a visit to one of Turin’s most famous artisan chocolatiers so don’t overdo breakfast. You will both hear the story of Turin’s unique involvement in the development of chocolate as we know it today, as well as taste a selection of both the traditional and famed chocolate of Piemonte and some of the truly unique creations which this producer alone makes.
We will take our lunch in the city before making the short drive south out of Turin and through the flat farmlands and into the rolling Langhe Hills – home to the famous Barolo wine zone.
We will be basing ourselves for the remainder of the trip at what we believe is the most scenic of the Barolo villages. This stunning hilltop village is UNESCO listed and has been named in the most beautiful villages in all of Italy. It is also home to a couple of the most famous of famed Barolo producers.
On our first full day in the Barolo zone is a Sunday. This is typically taken as a day of rest by the winery families and field workers alike. What do the locals like to do on a day off? They love nothing more than a long, slow lunch with their friends and family and this is what we will be experiencing today.
After a morning off we will rendezvous in the piazza of Monforte for an apperitivo before heading to a local agriturismo for a ‘No Menu’ lunch matched with wines from the estate. The courses are not advertised or even consistent week to week. What you are assured of is to taste many of the classic plates of the area and to be eating seasonal dishes made predominantly from ingredients grown on the farm itself.
Any free time in the afternoon will be spent at a relaxing pace doing some sightseeing and checking out more picture postcard views.
The next 4 days of touring will be designed to immerse you in the incredible wines of the area. We will have an obvious focus on visiting producers in the Barolo and Barbaresco wine zones, each with their own expression of these most famed of Italian wines. But our experience will not be limited to these two areas, with the nearby zones of Roero and Asti also offering incredible vinous potations and not as firmly rooted on the tourist pathway, we love to provide our clients with an opportunity to visit some of the renowned (but less widely known to the outside world) producers of these neighbouring wine zones.
With many a morning and afternoon booked for visiting cellars and tasting wine, you can feel safe in the knowledge that the Langhe hills are the birthplace of the Slow Food movement, home to the Slow Food University of Gastronomy, and have an incredible food culture which is represented by literally hundreds of incredible restaurants. Between our tastings we will visit an array of different eateries from Michelin Starred places to modern bistros to ultra traditional and old school venues. You will be kept well fed and watered throughout your touring days with us. All dietary requirements can be met as long as we know ahead of time.
Dinners will follow the same path with us visiting a range of places during our gastronomic adventures together.
Check-out and carry on your travels. Following breakfast I will collect the group and transfer you on to your continued travels. I can organise to drop you elsewhere in the Barolo area if you desire to stay on longer in the region, or get you to one of the local train stations, or back to Milan Airport for flight and rail connections.
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