Local cheeses at the market in Alba

Truffles in Piemonte

Piemonte

Gourmet Piemonte Wine Holiday

This short gourmet weekend gives you the chance to experience the classic food market of Alba and to stock up on some superb traditional Italian and Piemontese ingredients for your festive entertaining or purely for your own enjoyment! We are based deep in the heart of the evocative Langhe countryside at the state-of-the art winery hotel in the town of Bra.

Piemonte in autumn means truffles. Cookery Writer Elizabeth David in her book “French Provincial Cooking” describes truffles as “a variety of parasitic mushroom which grows on the roots of certain oak and hazelnut trees. There are a great number of varieties of truffle, of which the only common characteristics are their interior structure, their mode of growth, the fact that they are edible and a certain similarity of taste, but in dimension, size, colour and shape they differ extremely one from the other. She goes on to call them “the most delicious of all foods anywhere”.

Your personal guide will take you to the market in Alba, the regional capital famous for its truffles, where the streets will literally be perfumed with the heady scent of this precious and expensive white tuber. Amongst the produce here are the region’s cheeses, Bra, Tomme and local Castelmagno, and at this time of year, another speciality too, hazelnuts. The local pasta Tajarin is also a great delicacy. Our local guide will walk you round her favourite food stands, tasting and chatting along the way so that you gain as much appreciation from this colourful fair as possible.

At lunchtime, she’ll point you in the direction of a simple wine bar, or a gourmet restaurant – whatever takes your fancy, and you can either choose to eat alone or invite your guide to join you to help you choose your way through the menu and the wines!

Chocolate, as we know it today, was first created in Turin and this area is still well known in Italy for chocolate. This afternoon our guide will take you to the village of Cherasco to visit a small chocolate maker still upholding these traditions.

Of course as this an Arblaster & Clarke Wine tour you will also visit one of our favourite small wine estates in the area, where we will taste great Barolo, as well as superb examples of Dolcetto d’Alba and Barbara d’Alba.

Outline Itinerary

Day One

Taxi transfer from Turin airport, (one transfer per party).
Check into your 4* state-of-the art winery.

Depending on your arrival time, you will be given a tour of the winery’s impressive cellars and a tasting.(or, if your arrival is scheduled to take place too late, we will plan this for the next evening or last morning).

Free evening – to either dine at the hotel’s excellent osteria or stroll into town to enjoy one of the classic cafes or the Slow Food Movement’s own osteria, all a short walk away.

Day Two

(Saturday, as this is the only day that the Alba truffle market is on).

After your gourmet made to order a-la-carte breakfast at the hotel, your local guide will collect you with the driver to take you to the Alba truffle market, and walk you round the mouthwatering array of stalls, selling local cheeses, sausages, home made pastas and of course truffles.

Lunchtime – Our guide will suggest a restaurant from the many excellent ones in Alba and will join you if you wish, as your guest, to help you choose and order.

After lunch, our guide will take you to the delightful small town of Cherasco, where you will taste at one or two of the small shops and cafes specialising in hand-made chocolates. Return to the hotel late afternoon.

Free evening for you to choose where to dine.

Day Three

Another gourmet home-cooked breakfast from your choice of the extensive made-to-order menu. Our guide will take you to our choice of two wine estates today in Barolo. You’ll stop for lunch in one of the great wine villages. Free afternoon.

Day Four

Your taxi will collect you to take you back to Turin -either at the airport or your choice of city centre hotel, (one transfer for whole party).

Price includes:

• Three nights four star hotel, standard twin/double
• Breakfasts
• One transfer for the whole party at the same time in each direction by chauffeur driven car from Turin Airport. There is space for one airline size carry on bag plus a handbag/laptop bag per person. Large suitcases are not recommended.
• Two full days out with the local wine guide, plus chauffeur and either minibus or car depending on party size.

These prices are based on: EARLY BOOKING (No later than 14 weeks before departure and on the EXACT itineraries shown).
Please note: This trip is not possible in August.

For last minute bookings (IE within 14 weeks) or for ABSOLUTELY ANY alterations to the above, we will be pleased to provide verbal quotes over the phone. However, please be aware that prices will be very significantly higher to these extremely special offer early booking package rates.

Special offer price, based on the exact itinerary as shown here, and pre-booking no later than 14 weeks before departure.

Please contact us with your payment details. On receipt of this information we will check availability. Should there be availability at the hotel on the required dates, your card will be debited of the package price quoted per person. Should we be unable to match the price quoted above we will of course contact you directly to discuss your options.

Deposit: Full payment is required at time of booking.
Price based on standard twin/double and the number of participants as shown

Please note that if your party size drops at any time after booking the per person price will be that of the remaining party size but deposits from those who cancel will be transfered to the remaining party, less a £50 administration fee.

(All prices are net web offers and not available in our brochure or via travel agents).