1st day - Starting from Turin or its surroundings, we will drive to the Langhe region, the pearl of Piedmont. The first stop of our tour will be in Barbaresco, a medieval village located just east of Alba. From its 36 meters tower of the village you can admire a majestic panorama that embraces the entire Alpine arc from Monte Rosa to Monviso.

This area of the Langhe is the origin of the homonymous red wine that is also one of the best known in the world, Barbaresco, an elegant and full-bodied red wine. It is produced exclusively with Nebbiolo local grape and aged in chestnut or oak barrels for at least 2 years (but can be up to 30 years). We will stop at one of the best wineries in the area, a small family business for a special Barbaresco wine tasting. The family has dedicated its entire life to the production of one of the best wines of the area, which not surprisingly can be found in the best wine shops and starred restaurants of Piedmont. One of the members of the family will take you on a tour of the cellars, telling us about their history and illustrating the qualities of their Barbaresco and Barolo wines. The tasting will be accompanied by a couple of typical Piedmontese dishes that will perfectly match the flavors of the full bodied wines offered for tasting.

We will then reach a farm that specializes in the production of another culinary treasure of this area: Piedmontese hazelnuts. You will discover how the old farmhouse has now been transformed into a laboratory of excellence, where the hazelnut is processed into a variety of products. The "tonda gentile trilobata", an extremely valuable type of hazelnut, is processed with selected machinery, until it becomes cream, praline or delicious oil. We will be taken to the organic hazelnut grove, visit the laboratory to understand the various stages of production and then taste a selection of their best products. Each cream and praline will be combined with small pieces of cheese, bresaola, fruit or ice cream: a truly unique olfactory and gustatory experience!

Soon after we will reach the small town of Alba, known throughout the world for its prestigious white truffle, also called Tuber Magnatum Pico, an absolute excellence of this territory. We will be glad to book you an excellent trattoria in the historic center where you can taste this inebriating product in one of the many typical Piedmontese dishes paird with local wines. Overnight in Alba.

 

2nd day – Driving through the beautiful hills of this fascinating countryside, we will arrive at to  Grinzane Cavour. The history of this village owes everything to Camillo Benso Count of Cavour, first prime minister of Italian nation, an important noble international statesman, who was mayor of the village from 1832 to 1848. The whole history of the wines of this land is connected to the Count, who, thanks to his passion for agriculture, was able to solve the diseases that affected the surrounding vineyards. The charming castle is the symbol of the area and houses the ethnographic museum, the regional wine shop and the seat of the world white truffle auction.

 

After the visit we will stop at the bar of the castle, inside the mighty walls, and we will taste the typical coffee of Piedmont: Becerin. A delight made of coffee, chocolate, amaretti biscuits and cream: it is hard to resist this mixture of taste and aroma! Soon after we will arrive to the iconic village of la Morra, where we will stop in a family-owned estate producing excellent white and rose wines, as well as a well rated Barbaresco and Barolo. We will then enjoy an excellent lunch, based on typical dishes of the area and strictly homemade, accompanied by a tasting of 4 wines, all matched to the right dish.  After relaxing in this splendid estate, we will continue to visit and taste the king of red wines of Piedmont, Barolo. Produced mainly in the area of La Morra and Barolo, this intense and aromatic wine makes use of Nebbiolo vines, so called because it ripens late, in October, just when the first fogs (nebbia in italian) appear in the countryside. Barolo offers an intense and persistent bouquet and a full-bodied and robust taste, which perfectly matches with red and savory meats. Inside the castle, dated back to the tenth century and ancient residence of Marquis Faletti di Barolo, you will find the wine museum and the regional wine shop. Castle and village appear on the rock that closes the road to those who, going up from Alba, want to go to the Langhe. We will visit then the winery par excellence of these lands, that of the Marquises of Barolo. The old cellars are located right in the village, next to the castle of the Marquises Falletti, the noble family that at the beginning of 1800 made this wine so famous and appreciated. Definitely an excellent, and tasty, conclusion to this weekend entirely dedicated to Piedmont and the discovery of its culinary excellence.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Available: All year round, rain or shine

Duration: 2 full days up to 8 hours, but customizable to more than 2 or to more than 8 hours.

All tours can be customized according to your interests and/or timetable.

Tours in Tuscany can make suggestions for a personalized itinerary based on your preferences.

Quotes for tour will be personalized according to your needs, timetable, group size, etc.

Wineries – Boutique family owned wineries, well rated internationally and out of mass tourism. Note we can also check availability to visit wineries suggested by you.

 

INCLUDED IN THE TOUR

Luxury, air-conditioned vehicle

English-speaking driver at disposal up to 8 hours per day

All local taxes, gasoline, highway/parking tolls, and driver's meal

 

NOT INCLUDED

Hotel accommodation in Alba

Meals

Wine tasting fees

Admission fees where required unless otherwise specified

Guide inside of official tourist sites such as museums and churches