TOUR DESCRIPTION

 

Unforgettable memories and some of the world's greatest wines await! Italy's Piedmont region, home to the famous Alba white truffle, is most-famous for its boutique wines and gastronomy. Travelers from all over the world come for the outstanding food, cult wines, Medieval castles and hamlets, and romantic, vineyard-covered hills. We'll spend six nights at the ****Hotel Giardino da Felicin Palazzo Boeri in Monforte d’Alba, a place that the Guide Michelin calls, “one of Italy’s most picturesque towns.” Hi-lights will include a private tour of the ancient city of Turin, participation in a genuine truffle hunt with a local Trifalu (truffle hunter), and the startling beauty of the Langhe countryside painted with amazing colors. Most of all, you'll enjoy exclusive tours and tastings with many of the region's most-transformative wine estates, including the legendary Gaja, and six of the now-famous "Barolo Boys," with renowned local wine guide and Piedmont expert Silvia Aprato.

 

SUNDAY, Day 1 (Welcome to Italy!) - Pickup at Milan-Malpesa, Italy. Transfer to Monforte d’Alba and Hotel Giardino da Felicin Palazzo Boeri, in the heart of one of the foremost wine and gastronomic areas in the world, the spectacularly beautiful Le Langhe in Piedmont. Located in one of Barolo’s foremost wine villages, Da Felicin’s Palazzo Boeri—a converted ancient abbey in the historic center of Monforte, with wonderful panoramic views of the vine-covered hills and the entire Alpine arc—is at the epicenter of fine wine production, famous cuisine and woodlands that hide the prized Alba white truffle. Le Langhe has become the most prestigious food and wine area in Italy, and is a "must" destination for lovers of wine, food, beautiful scenery and Medieval hill towns. Palazzo Boeri offers the perfect location for wine tasting and seeing the gorgeous scenery. After settling in, guests are invited to join us at our welcome reception and introduction to Piedmont wines led by Silvia Aprato. Dinner tonight is a short drive away to Ristorante Bovio, perched high on a hillside in La Morra, with an impressive view of the Barolo landscape, and an equally impressive menu and list of local wines.

 

MONDAY, Day 2 (La Morra and Barolo) - After breakfast we'll begin our winery visits with a tour and tasting at the family wine cellars of Elio Altare located in the town of La Morra. Beginning in 1976, Elio’s wine-making decisions marked a radical change of direction and gave a different interpretation to the family's wine, favoring elegance, finesse, and balance, following a strict regime in the vineyards, and adopting new vinification and aging techniques in the cellar. Lunch today is in the lovely vineyard setting of Locanda in Cannubi in Barolo. After lunch, it’s just moments away to our second tasting of the day at the incomparable winery Luciano Sandrone. Dinner tonight is at the enchanting and modern Osteria Disguido situated in the beautiful grounds at Fontanafredda in Serralunga d’Alba.

 

TUESDAY, Day 3 (Torino Detour) - After breakfast, we'll travel about an hour north to the vibrant city of Turin. With its Baroque architecture and many cafés, Torino is reminiscent of both Paris and Vienna, but, surrounded by the Alps, with a feeling all its own. An expert, licensed Torino guide will lead us on a walking tour of the city's most important sites including Piazza Vittorio Veneto, the Mole Antonelliana (the location of the National Cinema Museum), Borgo Medievale, Real Chiesa di San Lorenzo, the Cathedral of San Giovanni (housing the famous Shroud of Turin), Piazza San Carlo, and the Palazzo Reale. Lunch today is at the charming and lively bastion of the Slow Food movement, Ristorante Consorzio at Via Monte di Pietà in Torino, serving delicious Piedmontese specialties with excellent local wines and cheeses. In the afternoon there is time to take in some of the city's eleven miles of arcades offering shops such as Guido Gobino and their incomparable chocolate, or to visit a museum. Turin's stunning Museo Egizio (Egyptian Museum) contains one of the world's top collections of antiquities. We dine tonight in Serralunga d'Alba, at the elegant Michelin 1-star Guido Ristorante that, according to viaMichelin, "is situated in a splendid old building on the top of a hill with panoramic views. It is renowned for its fine cuisine and excellent wine list. A superb combination of beautiful scenery and cuisine typical of the Langhe region."

 

WEDNESDAY, Day 4 (Morning in Barolo, Afternoon Truffle Hunt) - After breakfast, we spend the morning continuing our exploration of The Barolo Boys story, but this time with the “Barolo Girl,” Chiara Boschis, at Az. Agr. E. Pira & Figli, in Barolo. We'll break for lunch to enjoy the genuine flavors of the Piemontese table at Osteria Veglio in La Morra. In the afternoon, we will meander east toward Valle Talloria for a truffle hunt! Giuseppe Marengo offers some of the best truffle hunting in the entire area! With his beloved truffle dog Luna, Giuseppe offers an actual hunt, taking you through the forests where the precious white Alba truffle, as well as black truffles, are hidden treasures. You are accompanied by Giuseppe's assistant Giacomo, who explains how Trifalu (hunter) and dog are working together during the search, which lasts for about an hour in the forest. Dinner tonight will be at the charming Osteria di Catari in Monforte d’Alba.

 

THURSDAY, Day 5 (The Glories of Barbaresco and Alba) After breakfast, we’ll journey to Barbaresco, for a tour and wine tasting at Gaja. Founded in 1859, by Giovanni Gaja, it has acquired the reputation of being the finest wine producer in all of Italy. Today the winery is managed by Angelo Gaja and his three children, Gaia, Rossana and Giovanni. Gaja’s wines are known for their rare purity, concentration, elegance and personality. They produce a range of Barbarescos sourced from fourteen different vineyards, as well as cru Barolos and impressive whites including the Sauvignon Blanc ‘Alteni di Brassica’ and ‘Rossj Bass’ Chardonnay. For lunch we will pause at Enoclub in Alba, to enjoy the elegant wine-cellar restaurant Chef Marco Serra, located under the arcades of the central Piazza Savona, the "living room" of Alba, a wide-ranging pedestrian area in the heart of the city. The name itself clearly identifies the soul of this restaurant: wine is the protagonist of this scene. The cellar counts more than six hundred labels, with a focus on local crus of Barolo and Barbaresco. After lunch, it’s just a short ride to another pioneering winery, Giorgio Rivetti’s La Spinetta, in Castagnole delle Lanze, for a tour and an extensive tasting of their incredibly pure and impeccably-made wines. Dinner tonight is at our ‘home base’ at Giardino - Da Felicin in Monforte d’Alba. “Run by the same family for over 100 years, this restaurant is a must for its excellent specialities from the Langhe region. Unfussy yet full of flavor and textures, Felicin’s classic cuisine never goes out of fashion and is accompanied by attentive service that is difficult to beat.” Guide Michelin

 

FRIDAY, Day 6 (La Morra encore and Monforte d’Alba) - After breakfast we will wend our way north to the commune of La Morra to begin our day of tasting with the sublime wines of Az. Agr. Roberto Voerzio For lunch, we'll linger over the innovative dishes at Ristorante Trattoria della Posta, nestled into the bucolic countryside near Monforte d'Alba, after which we’ll visit another esteemed local producer, Domenico at their ultra-modern winery in Monforte d’Alba. Our farewell dinner finds us in the nearby hamlet of Castagnito, at the welcoming table of Michelin-starred chef Marc Lanteri's new restaurant. There, we’ll enjoy his five-course "La Scoperta" menu composed of dishes that best represent Marc's French origins, surrounding Mediterranean flavors and always locally-sourced and seasonal ingredients. Over wine and the excellent meal, we'll share the memorable moments of our past few days together before saying Arrivederci; fino a quando ci incontreremo di nuovo.

 

SATURDAY, Day 7 - After an early breakfast, guests will be transferred by shuttle to Milan-Malpensa Airport for departures home or onward travel.

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