Piemonte view

Lunch during a walk

Piemonte vines

Cellars at Ascheri

Another beautiful view

Piemonte Vineyard Walk

13 - 19 September 2010

On this eagerly awaited new walk we visit many of the top wine producers and we will taste and enjoy the full spectrum of Piemontese wines ranging from the frothy but appealing Moscato d’Asti, to the serious wines from the Nebbiolo grape; the powerful tannic Barolo, and the elegant Barbaresco.

Piemonte is a beautiful region of rolling countryside nestling at the foot of the Alps in the North West of Italy. It quietly, but proudly, carries its reputation as the most premium of all Italian wine regions. Internationally, Piemonte can be compared best to Burgundy, due to the small individual plots of vineyards and the strong respect for Terroir. Also due to its ethereal and illusive qualities, the Nebbiolo grape is referred to as another ‘holy grail’ variety like Pinot Noir.

This tour is based in the Langhe sub region close to the Tannaro river, with the backdrop of the often snow capped Mon Viso. Our first day’s walk talks us from Ricca to Montelupo Albese, and on route we’ll stop off in the Ascheri Vineyards for a tasting of their superb wines, we picnic in the vineyard, and on to Serralunga to taste with Fontanafredda at the former royal property and hunting lodge of King Victor Emmanuel II.

The next couple of days take us through Barolo, La Morra and Monforte d’Alba past many of the famed ‘cru’ vineyards. Here we will taste stunning wines at the likes of G. D. Vajra, owned by the dynamic but shy Aldo Vajra. His Barbera and Nebbiolo based wines are outstanding as is his excellent Freisa made in the traditional style of a powerful red wine.

We also visit Aldo Conterno, in Monforte, one of the most influential wine estates in the region, lunch at Cordero Montezemolo. These are all, of course, some of the greatest estates in Barolo – they are also some of the greatest estates in the world.

On our walk from Barbaresco we taste with the Produttori di Barbaresco and lunch at Marcehse de Gresy, the only estate in the DOCG to have sole ownership of one of the top single cru of Barbaresco. Next day, in the small village of Mango, we call in at the Regional Enoteca situated in the 13th Century Busca Castle, to enjoy a tasting of their local Moscato wines. Light and aromatic, with hints of elderflowers, this wine is the perfect way to revive the palate as a welcome apéritif after a morning walk.

For the whole walk we are based in a small welcoming, family run Agriturismo on the hillside outside Alba on a wine estate, whose wines we’ll enjoy over dinner. This is a perfect base from which to explore the region and there will be no need to pack and change hotel throughout the walks. The breakfasts here also tend to be bountiful to prepare you each day for the walk. There are numerous restaurants, trattorias and wine- bars in Alba including the Slow Food restaurant (which we include on one evening) and so, on others evenings, when we are not dining at the agriturismo, we’ll take you into Alba for your choice for a superb meal at the end of a wonderful day.

Piemonte is also famous for it’s cuisine and Alba, is seen as an epicentre for gourmets. Respected throughout Italy, the local produce in this agricultural region at the foot of the mountains, is excellent including rice, truffles (both white and black according to the season) along with porcini mushrooms and mountain cheeses, such as the wonderful crumbly Castelmagno. We’ll also arrange a truffle hunt on one of the days, for you to see an expert “tartufaio” and his dog at work.

The Walk is escorted by a highly knowledgable native Piemontese guide who has escorted many wine tours and gourmet tours in Piemonte and other parts of Italy for Arblaster & Clarke as Wine Guide.

The team at A&C count as passionate admirers of the wines of this region and we can’t think of a better way to get to understand their complexities than walking through the vineyards, fabulous wine tasting at the top domaines and superb Piemontese cuisine!

The rating for this walk will be medium as there are lots of hills but not strenuous trekking – it is similar in level of walking to our Rioja walk.