Surrounded by snowcapped mountains and verdant green pastures dotted with cattle, Piedmont (which means ‘at the foot of the mountain’) in the Northwest corner of Italy has a terrain that lends itself to producing superior cheeses and world-renowned wines. It also boasts picturesque villages and thriving cities-albeit smaller than cities such as Rome, Florence, or Milan but also less frenzied and more navigable.
Having spent over four weeks in the Piedmont region over the past year and experienced both summer and fall seasons, I’ve fallen in love with it completely.
Enjoy your own mouthwatering journey through this gastronomically rich region that offers as much natural beauty and culture as phenomenal food and wine, by making this region your next Italian travel destination. Use the below Piedmont itinerary to start planning!
1. Piedmont Itinerary: When You Arrive
You’ll fly into the Turin-Caselle airport located in Piedmont’s capital city, Turin.
Turin is a compact yet bustling modern city hidden inside impressive historic buildings and flanked by the Alps.
To do this vibrant Northern Italian city justice, stay at least a day and a night.
Take a peek into Italian motion picture history, with a visit to the unique and impressive National Cinema Museum or indulge your hedonistic side with a deluxe food tour led by locals Cecilia and Abram of I Eat Food Tours.
Prefer to cook at home? Head to the impressive Porta Palazzo open-air market where you’ll find a dizzying array of produce, meats, cheeses, and more. This market is the largest-open air stall market in Europe and between the hundreds of outdoor stalls and the nearby Mercato Centrale which you can duck inside to snack on salumi and gourmet cheeses or shop for wine, there is no way you will go home emptyhanded.
To burn off some of your gluttonous indulgences, try a morning run in the scenic Parco del Valentino which offers both paths along the Po river as well as interior paths through the park and gardens. Or, you can take a small (city) hike up to Monte de Cappucini for some of the most spectacular views of the city.
Extra time?
Get your gelato fix at La Romana (I am a gelato snob and I dream about La Romana’s fondente mono origin chocolate gelato!) on Via Santa Teresa, visit the Royal Palace and Gardens, or grab lunch at one of the artisan eateries inside the Mercato Centrale Torino.
2. Piedmont Itinerary: Head to Wine Country
The city of Alba is located a little over an hour’s drive (southeast) from Turin in the heart of Piedmont wine country. Just 20 minutes from the world-renowned wine regions and villages of Barolo and Barbaresco and a half an hour from the Roero, Alba makes the perfect base for exploring Piedmont’s wine country.
Rent an Airbnb apartment in the center of the city if you’ve got more than a few days and enjoy cooking some of your own meals and feeling ‘like a local’ or try a hotel (like Palazzo Finati) if you are on a shorter trip and prefer the conveniences that come with hotel stays.
Then, grab a map of the region and start plotting your itinerary! Or, if you’ve booked a tour with a local expert ahead of time, you can sit back and relax and let them guide you.
Note: Most wineries in Italy require appointments to be made in advance. They are generally run by family members and don’t have commercial tasting rooms that are open all day to walk-in visitors. Call or email in advance of your visit to ensure that your visit can be facilitated.
3. Piedmont Itinerary: Visit Wineries in Barolo and Barbaresco
While grapevines were cultivated in the Piemonte region as early as the 1st millennium B.C., commercial viticulture really only began to flourish in the region during the Middle Ages. Today, the most famous wine regions in Piemonte are undoubtedly the world-renowned provinces and DOCG’s of Barolo and Barbaresco in the Langhe region of Piemonte. Barolo and Barbaresco are the names of both communes and the so-named villages within those communes. The regions are most famous for their Barolo and Barbaresco wines made from Nebbiolo (which only makes up less than 10% of the overall plantings in Piemonte despite being the grape the region is most famous for producing) but are also well known for producing excellent Barbera and Dolcetto in addition to other less common native varietals.
The Barolo DOCG is located in the northwestern area of Langhe, on the right bank of the Tanaro River.
Within the Barolo DOCG lie the following villages: Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d’Alba, Cherasco, Diano D’Alba, Novello, Roddi, Verduno, Grinzane Cavour, La Morra, and Monforte d’Alba.
The Barbaresco DOCG also lies on the right bank of the Tanaro River, but is separated from Barolo by Alba and has a slightly lower elevation within its hills as well as slightly warmer temperatures than Barolo.
The Barbaresco DOCG contains the villages of Barbaresco, Neive, Treiso, and San Rocco.
Recommendations for wineries to visit in or near Barolo
Paolo Scavino
There are few names in Barolo spoken quite as often within the wine industry Barolo-loving circles as Paolo Scavino. Paolo Scavino wines are regularly held up as examples of what elegant, balanced, purity-driven Barolos should aspire to. The wines are stunning across the board. Their hospitality is also fantastic. This is one of the few wineries on this list, where you are less likely to meet with a family member when you visit, but the passionate members of their small staff are highly knowledgeable and like extensions of the family.
Cantina Cavallotto
Founded in 1928 by Giacomo Cavallotto, Cantina Cavallotto (formerly called Bricco Boschis after the vineyard manager who inherited the estate and land from the Countess who owned it when she died) is now run primarily by Giacomo’s great-grandchildren Alfio, Giuseppe, and Laura. The estate offers panoramic vineyard views and fantastic wines including a Freisa. They are renowned for their Barolos of course, but Cavallotto’s Langhe Nebbiolo is also a phenomenal example of the quality of wines this estate is capable of producing and is almost as worthy of lingering over as their Barolo.
G.D. Vajra
Located in the village of Vergne, G.D. Vajra is a fourth-generation family-run winery, owned and operated by Aldo and Milena Vajra and their three adult children Francesca, Guiseppe, and Isidoro.
G.D. Vajra was, among other things, the first winery in Piemonte to pursue and receive organic certification and a big part of the movement to spur a revival of Freisa (a native grape that was almost extinct by the 80’s).
The Vajra estate produces a large variety of wines from Moscato d’Asti and Freisa to the standard Dolcetto, Barbera, Nebbiolo, and Barolo in addition to single-vineyard or special bottlings of Dolcetto, Barbera, and Barolo (they farm the Bricco delle Viole cru which is considered to be the highest cru in the Comune di Barolo).
When you visit the winery you may or may not tour and taste with a family member, but they are there every day working (when not traveling around the world for the winery), with bright smiles on their faces and a visible passion for what they do.
Recommendations for wineries to visit in or near Barbaresco
Tucked into the Barbaresco Cru of Tre Stelle, Cascina Delle Rose is just a few minutes’ drive from the village of Barbaresco. Currently run by the Sobrino brothers, Riccardo and Davide, Cascina delle Rose produces wonderful, elegant wines.
Located in the hills near Treiso, Ca’ Del Baio is a family-owned and run vineyard currently owned by Giulio and Luciana and run (mostly) by their daughters Paola, Valentina and Federica. The property and wines are lovely, as are the family!
Run by sister and brother Jole and Enrico, Rizzi is a fantastic winery that produces balanced yet powerful wines that are very well-regarded around the world.
Located in Nieve, Francone makes one of my favorite sparkling Nebbiolos and has a very cool wine cave featuring a display of antique winemaking equipment that has been used at the family estate over the past 100+ years.
Located in Barbaresco, Produttori del Barbaresco is a winery comprised of a union of small growers in Barbaresco that joined together to make quality wines in Barbaresco back in the ’50s, as a way to survive and achieve greater success. The winery now has 51 members and produces a DOCG Barbaresco and Langhe Nebbiolo every year, in addition to single-vineyard Barbarescos during stellar vintages.
Winery recommendations in the Roero
Piedmont wine country restaurant recommendations
Osteria More e Macine– More e Macine in La Morra is a favorite among local winemakers and wine industry folk. The osteria offers a few tables indoors in addition to some nice outdoor seating. The wine-by-the-glass list is small but offers a great range from sparkling and light to mid-weight whites to light, medium, and fuller-bodied reds. The menu has a nice mix of standards brightened up with a light and modern touch.
Locanda Fontanazza- Locanda Fontanezza is located on a country road just a minute or two from the center of La Morra. This restaurant is another favorite with locals in the wine community and offers nice views of the surrounding countryside as well as a relaxed fine dining ambiance, a modern menu that integrates classic ingredients, and a great (reasonably priced) wine list.
Trattoria Risorgimento – A casual trattoria in Treiso (near Ca del’Baio) that serves up simple and delicious fare to a primarily local clientele. This is the perfect spot to sit on the patio with a chilled glass of white wine and cold antipasti after a morning wine tasting.
Villa Tiboldi – One of the best meals in the Roero. Owners Patrizia and Roberto Diamante have created a gastronomical oasis-complete with top-notch fine dining service, presentation, and ambiance. The restaurant offers an excellent wine list, which includes the full line of Roberto Diamante’s own Malvira wines. The restaurant sits next door to the Villa which holds a small selection of luxurious rooms.