Tour Overview
The vine is best suited to this unique limestone soil mixed with sandy strata and the sunny and cool hills around the Alps. 67 % of all Nebbiolo cultivated in the world is grown in Langhe. There are 3 designated Barbaresco and 11 Barolo townships in total. The cuisine is aristocratic and simple at the same time: when the French-Italian House of Savoy moved their capital to Turin in the 1500’s, waves of royals built castles here, but the farmers who cultivated these lands created their dishes. This is country cuisine, luscious, sophisticated and hearty at the same time, with agnolotti al Plin, tajarin, porcini mushrooms, Piedmontese beef, truffles, brasato al Barolo, bagna cauda, and cheeses of high Langa.
Day by Day Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Milan or Turin- Canale, ItalyUpon arrival at the Milan or Turin airport, you will be met by your chauffeur and your local Customer Service Coordinator and will be privately driven to your hotel Villa Tiboldi in Canale where you will be assisted with check-in. Enjoy the balance of your day at leisure, by the pool immersed in the vineyards. Villa Tiboldi is a luxuriously renovated Villa and Farmhouse surrounded by Nebbiolo and Arneis vineyards with views that go on forever. Dinner with Chef Stefano Paganini who revisits the classics of the area and infuses them with nouvelle twists.
Dinner
Villa Tiboldi- Standard Room Day 2: Canale- Alba- Canale
After breakfast your guide and driver will pick you up and drive you to Alba, the heart of the Langhe Region, the legendary land of the white truffle. Here you will meet the Trifolau (Truffle hunter in local dialect) and his dog. White truffles, found in the fall, are among the most expensive food delicacy in the world. Black truffles found in the summer are still prized. In Alba secrets about their locations are passed down from father to son and trained dogs are sometime kidnapped for their noses. The guide trained by the National Center for the Study of Truffles and the Trifolau of 60 years will leads you on a walk through the woods with his dog, looking for truffles. Do not forget comfortable shoes! Visit and tasting of truffle products at the renown Alba truffle store established in 1930 by Giacomo Morra, the man who gave a truffle weighing an astounding one kilo (2 lbs) as present to President Henry Truman. This truffle emporium has the widest range of everything truffles: preserved and fresh, you find also truffles sauces, paté, vinegars, and oils. Next we stop for a delicious lunch at a local restaurant. The restaurant owned by the Ceretto winemaking family is a striking pink space with frescoes by Francesco Clemente and the avant-garde cuisine of Enrico Crippa who, having worked in Japan brings an Eastern sensitivity to his inventive Piedmontese cuisine. The restaurant has been awarded one Michelin star. After Lunch a nice walk through Alba, the gastronomic heart of Langhe, famed for its truffles and wines. Alba, the “city of the hundred towers” is of medieval origin and has a beautiful Cathedral from the 11th Century, the Baroque church of St. Magdalene and spectacular terracotta decorated houses with 15th century windows. Then we will stop and relax at a local pastry shop. This café and pastry shop is known for its dietetic desserts created by chef Luca Montersino who is renown for making sweets with all healthy, allergy-free ingredients. You can have dairy free, yeast free, anything free desserts. Go ahead and splurge! Dinner and overnight at the Villa Tiboldi.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Villa Tiboldi- Standard Room Day 3: Canale- Neive- Treiso- Canale
After breakfast your guide and driver will pick you up and escort you to the land of Barbaresco and its capital Neive, a picturesque village surrounded by vineyards with charming streets to get lost in. Then we visit the Stupino Winery at Castello di Neive: visit of the castle and wine tasting; housed in a sprawling and movie-set-like 18th century castle owned by the Stupino brothers, the winery focuses on specialty wines. In the 70’s the Stupino’s, who are technology as well as tradition driven, cloned an old variety of Arneis vine producing a remarkable sparkling Pinot Noir. Other wines: Langhe Arneis Montebertotto, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG Santo Stefano (In 1999 it received a 92 Parker rating), Barbera d’Alba Mattarello. Our next stop is the Castle of Grinzane Cavour’s Enoteca, for a visit to the castle and wine tasting with appetizers. The fortified Castle erected in the 11th Century on top of a hill once belonged to Count Camillo Benso of Cavour, one of the architects of the Unification of Italy. The Sommelier gives a demonstration on the sensorial analysis of wines. This large Enoteca represents the best of Piedmont wines and grappas. The Ethnographic Museum displaying food and wine history of the region is worth a visit. Afterwards a leisurely walk through the charming town of Grinzane. Come back and relax at the hotel before dinner Dinner: Restaurant La Ciau del Tornavento, Treiso The restaurant, housed in a striking 1931 deco building owned by chef Maurilio Garola, sits on top of sprawling vineyards with dramatic views of the Alps. The Chef has consistently received one Michelin star for his groundbreaking dishes such as “ Plin de Seirass”, ravioli stuffed with ricotta and served in an actual nest made out of hay, creamy risotto with fois-gras sprinkled with cocoa and pea soup with oysters (from the nearby Ligurian Sea)
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Villa Tiboldi- Standard Room Day 4: Canale- Barolo- La Morra- Sinio
After breakfast your guide and your driver will take you to the other side of Alba and the other capital of Langhe: the village of Barolo, to visit the Corkscrew Museum. Paolo Annoni, once a pharmacist, abandoned his old profession to dedicate himself to his passion: collecting corkscrews. Over the years he has travelled the world and auction houses searching for the most unusual and precious corkscrews, collecting 1,300 rare ones and exhibiting them in his own Museum the town of Barolo. Christie's in London devotes 2 sales a year to corkscrews. After a nice walk in the village we reach the Winemaker Marchesi di Barolo, Barolo for a visit and a wine tasting with appetizers.
The wine that is known as Barolo was created by Marchesi Falletti in the middle of the 19th century right around the village. The Enoteca has the most complete collection of Barolos in the world with 35.000 bottles. A bottle of the first 2 Barolos, "Cannubbio 1859” and “Cannubbio 1861” are on permanent display, while vintages from 1938 on are available to collectors. Wines: Cannubi Barolo DOCG, Sarmassa Barolo DOCG, Coste di Rose Barolo DOCG. After the wine tasting, a short drive will take us to the village of La Morra. Here we will take a walk through the vineyards (approx. one hour) to visit the Cappella del Barolo (The Barolo Chapel). The Ceretto family commissioned the American artist Sol Lewitt to paint the Chapel, which is now a site of pilgrimage by art loving travellers. Do not forget comfortable shoes and wear Next stop is Ceretto Wineries, Castiglione Falletto for wine tasting. In little more than thirty years, the Ceretto brothers created a network of small independent estates in the Langhe and Roero, with more than 300 acres of land, producing outstanding labels such as the Bricco Rocche Barolo, the Bricco Asili Barbaresco, Blangé Arneis, Moscato from Vignaioli di Santo Stefano, Langhe Monsordo and grappas. Deeply committed to the arts, they have sponsored the Clemente frescoes in their Piazza Duomo restaurant in Alba, the Sol Lewitt chapel and their futuristic wine-tasting all-glass ”Cube” at their winery. Your Hotel will be either Castello di Sinio in Sinio or Hotel Villa Beccaris, Monforte, depending on availability The Castello di Sinio, built out of stone and massive chestnut timber in 1142, is one of the most magical castles of Piedmont and possibly Italy. The spirit of the Middle Ages has been preserved during its careful restoration to a 5 star Hotel with wi-fi access and full AC. The hamlet of Sinio is called the village of flowers because in Spring and Summer it looks like a botanical garden. Villa Beccaris is an 18th Century villa totally restored to 5 Star luxury with all the amenities, situated in the heart of a secular park surrounded by vineyards and the historic center of Monforte, an old medieval town of Roman origins. Dinner this evening will be at the restaurant of the Castelo di Sinio. The Chef is co-owner Denise Pardini, born in San Francisco of Italian parents, who was part of the “Chez Panisse revolution “ in Berkeley and has infused the Piedmontese cuisine with the same innovative spirit.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Castelo di Sinio- Standard Room, or Villa Beccaris- Standard Room Day 5: Verduno- La Morra
After breakfast your guide and driver will meet you for a drive to Verduno, a charming hilltop village, where we will visit the Winemaker Castello di Verduno. Visit to the sprawling castle and cellars and wine tasting.
Two generations of the Burlotto family run the property, once the sprawling baroque hunting lodge of King Alberto of Savoy, which their grandfather bought from the King. The family restored and maintains the original frescos and furniture. The winery produces both Barolo and Barbaresco. Wines grown in Verduno: Verduno Basadone DOC, Barolo Massa DOCG Barolo Monvigliero DOCG; Grown in Barbaresco: Barbaresco DOCG, Barbaresco Rabaja’ DOCG, Barbera d’Alba Bricco del Cuculo DOC, Dolcetto D’Alba Campot. Next up are cooking classes in the castle kitchen and lunch alfresco. The cooking classes are conducted by Lisa Burlotto in the immense kitchen of the castle preparing the most classic of piedmontese dishes that will then be served for lunch in the castle courtyard. Here great traditional dishes are offered such as la giura (braised beef), la minestra da bate ‘l gran (chicken livers and tagliatelle in chicken stock) Risotto with zucchini flowers, goose ravioli with goose sauce, rabbit with estragon and juniper. After lunch we take a short drive to La Morra to visit the Renato Ratti Winery and Wine Museum. Originally started in the Abbey of L’Annunziata the winery is now in a nearby state of the arts building nearby where you will be able to taste the excellent Barolo Marcenasco. The Abbey is now a Wine Museum with an interesting collection of historical artifacts on the making of wine in the region. Definitely worth it. Then we will head back to the hotel so you can relax a bit before dinner. Dinner tonight is at the Restaurant Belvedere in La Morra: on top of a hill where once was a castle of the Falletti family now is a classic Langhe restaurant with stunning views of the hills and the Alps. The cellar, 100 feet deep, has 20,000 bottles.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Castelo di Sinio- Standard Room, or Villa Beccaris- Standard Room Day 6: Piedmont or Turin
Today you have two options to choose from: Easy bike tour among the vineyards with wine tasting on the road. Your driver and guide will take you to a designated place where you will meet your “guide to the vineyards” and will be given your bike and outfitted with helmet. You will visit vineyards and wineries and will taste wines on the way. Or you may prefer to visit Turin: Your guide and driver will pick you up for a 45-minute drive to Turin. Turin, frequently compared to Paris is an elegant city that dates its founding to Julius Caesar. In fact the original Roma Walls are still standing and worth a visit. Turin was also briefly the capital of Italy and the Royal family built impressive palaces and gardens. Sites worth a visit are too numerous: we recommend the Duomo with the famous Turin Shroud, the Egyptian Museum, second in the world only to Cairo’s, the Antonelli Tower with the Museum of Cinema, among the most important in the world. Lunch in a typical Turin Restaurant. Late afternoon return to Hotel. Dinner Restaurant Castello di Sinio
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Castelo di Sinio- Standard Room, or Villa Beccaris- Standard Room Day 7: Depart Milan or Turin
You driver and guide will pick you up and drive you to the airport in Turin or Milan
Breakfast
