Rolling hills of Piemonte

Grinzane Cavour

White Truffles in Piemonte

Vineyards of Barbaresco

Gourmet Piemonte: Truffle Hunting & the Slow Food Festival

24 - 28 October 2012

Experience truffle hunting in the Piemontese countryside; taste wines from our personal selection of the pioneering Barolo wine estates; sample chocolates of Turin; visit the Slow Food’s flagship trattoria in Bra plus visit the Slow Food Salone del Gusto food and wine festival in Turin, all in five superbly organised days! The beautiful region of Piemonte (literally “at the foot of the hills”), with its undulating countryside, seems to be hugged by a huge bowl of snow capped Alps. We stay at a stylish 4* boutique wine hotel owned by the Barolo producers, Ascheri, in the traditional town of Bra. Here you can easily while away many a pleasant hour in the handful of truly classic wine bars. While you relax in leather-seated comfort with a glass of Asti and a palate-pleasing tray of complimentary bite-sized delicacies to accompany it – so civilised!

October is perhaps the most satisfying time to visit this region, not least because this is when the truffle season gets underway. Described, it has to be said rather unromantically, by Elizabeth David as “…a variety of parasitic mushroom which grows on the roots of certain oak & hazel nut trees…”. This unprepossessing tuber is highly prized for its exquisite intensity of flavour, nowhere more so than in Alba, which is home to the largest truffle market in Italy. Ms David does go on to make amends for her less than romantic description, by calling truffles “the most delicious of all foods anywhere”. Both the black and the more sought after white truffle are often served freshly grated over egg taglioline or creamy risotto. The elusive, powerful, pungent white truffle is a superb match for the robust tarry reds of Barolo.

We spend a morning seeing how a genuine truffle hunter and his dog work together to discover these great prizes. Then, at his house in the woods, we’ll tuck into a tasty selection of salamis and cheese, with freshly grated delicately scented and aromatic truffle, mmmm! There is no sign of Michelin stars here – but this is the true stuff of foodie heaven and happy memories to last a lifetime!

We’ll discover a very different kind of truffle indeed later in the day, with chocolates! (Yes, we have known people to be confused between the chocolate ones and the tubers!) Turin is credited with being the city that bought us chocolate as we now know it and the villages of Piemonte are famed for their artisan chocolate producers. None more so than in the really pretty village of Cherasco. Little is reported about this village apart from the fact that it was founded originally as a medieval fort. However we know that not only is it a beautifully unspoilt town; you come here to taste the chocolate “baci”, which means a little, in this case chocolate flavoured kiss! We’ll visit one of the tiny artisan producers, taste a few samples and sit down over a coffee to relax and savour.

And as you are on an Arblaster & Clarke Wine Tour, we cannot forget the wines! Piemonte quietly, but proudly, carries its reputation as perhaps the most classic of Italian wine regions. Wines range from the frothy, fun Moscato d’Asti; to the serious, prestigious wines from the Nebbiolo grape; the huge tannic Barolo, and the lighter Barbaresco, which is the preferred wine of the Piemontese themselves. We visit producers of Barolo and lunch at a wine estate that produces Barbaresco and then spend some time in Alba.

We will visit the market in Alba, on the banks of the River Tanaro, which has been an important market town since Roman times and is the regional capital, now famed for its truffles. Here, on our perfectly timed visit, the streets will literally be perfumed with the heady scent of this precious and expensive white tuber as this is the time of the truffle (tartufo) fair. Amongst the produce at the weekly market are the region’s cheeses, Bra, Tomme and local Castelmagno, and at this time of year, another speciality too, hazelnuts. The delicate local pasta, Tajarin, is also a great delicacy. It is not surprising to learn that one of the most important local employers, employing around 4000 people, is Ferraro of Ferraro Rocher fame, who also make Nutella (both of which rely on chocolate and hazelnuts).

On our final morning we head to Turin where our lunchtime and afternoon is spent at the Salone del Gusto, the Slow Food movement’s bi-annual Wine & Food festival. The Slow Food movement was founded in 1989 to counter the rise of fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, what it tastes like and how our food choices affect the rest of the world. It is a global organisation that is “not for profit” and member supported (it is said that the catalyst for the creation of the movement was when Macdonalds opened on the Spanish Steps in Rome). The “Salone del Gusto” showcases many traditional food products from all over Italy that would have been lost. You’ll have plenty of time to explore the many stands at your own pace and to wander around the festival and sample the excellent choice on offer.

We spend the last night of the tour in a traditional 4* in the centre of Turin and have a final dinner together at one of our favourite restaurants. This is another unmissable Arblaster & Clarke Wine Tours gourmet experience for all those who enjoy great Italian food and wine – and who are keen to learn the art of abbinamento (pairing food and wine) with some of the most superb food of Northern Italy.

On our final day you can choose to return home on your choice of transport or perhaps stay on in Turin. (Please note that if you want to stay on in the same hotel, as this is perhaps the busiest time ever in Turin, it is absolutely essential that you let us know at time of your main booking as the add on price will not be available to us or to you within 4 months of departure). There is so much to see and do in Turin: from the Royal Palace, to the Egyptian Museum, the Motor Museum and those famous steps driven down by the Minis in The Italian Job! And that’s before we get on to the shops, the exquisite cafes where you’ll discover the “bicerin” a uniquely Torinese drink made up of coffee and hot chocolate; the opera house….

Alternatively, join us to carry on sampling even more great classic Italian foods with our Gourmet and Wine holiday in Emilia Romagna that overlaps with this event! On this tour you’ll discover more of the great Italian ingredients; Prosciutto crudo; real balsamic vinegar and Parmigiano Reggiano. We’ll start out on the morning of the 28th for Parma together from the hotel for the next gourmet adventures involved in this trip!