Crossing the wine landscapes of Lower Piedmont, 3 days in the magic of the lands of wine and Slow Food
It is a fantastic itinerary, with completely different landscapes even if very close and united by the same wonderful harmony between the environment and the peasant civilization. A small taste that you could also enjoy in a day, but we guarantee that you would lose the essence and breathtaking beauty of certain views and certain flavors. We therefore propose a slow itinerary of 3 days, returning to sleep in Turin or with overnight stay in the center of the region so as not to miss even a moment of these unique lands in the world.
Langhe-Roero and Monferrato and the thought runs along rolling hills covered with vineyards that give different color tones at any time of the year and day. Small villages surrounded by fields, churches and medieval castles, scents of wine, truffles and chestnuts. A feeling of tranquility mixed with beauty, because the territory between the provinces of Alessandria, Asti and Cuneo is really a microcosm of different environments where man and nature have been going hand in hand for centuries and it is for this harmony that the region formed by 29 countries and six wine landscapes has deserved the recognition of UNESCO World Heritage in 2014.
Su richiesta pick up da altre citta.
Per individuali self drive e piccoli gruppi accompagnati
Conferma al raggiungimento di 12 iscritti. Chiusura iscrizioni 40 giorni prima della partenza
What will we do:
First day – Langhe – Roero and Barolo
Starting from Turin we divide our excursions according to the wine landscapes starting from the Langa del Barolo and Pollenzo, home of the University of Gastronomic Sciences, a unique jewel in the world, where students from all over the planet meet and confront the philosophy of Slow Food, local production, the defense of territories and diversity.
Born from the collaboration between Slow Food and the regions of Emilia Romagna and Piedmont, the university, which occupies the beautiful castle of Pollenzo, surrounded by the highest peaks of the Alps, is today the reference point for the protection and development and diversification of local production. Small productions, sometimes very small but that allow Italy to have landscapes and landscapes so wonderfully different and a gastronomic quality on a local basis that has no equal in the world.
Slow Food has reached more than 100,000 members worldwide and defends food, promoting respect for producers and the environment.
But the first visit will be to one of the most important centers of Roero and the food and wine culture of Piedmont, Bra. The city is famous for its sheep's cheese, but its centre is also worth a visit. Among the streets of Bra, there are important testimonies of the Piedmontese Baroque with palaces and churches of great value. The founder of Slow Food, Carlo Petrini, is from Bra.
Thanks to this association Bra for four days every two years becomes the capital of cheese, with Cheese (https://cheese.slowfood.it/), an event that takes place in the streets of the city and sees the participation of about 300 exhibitors from 23 different countries.
But we come to us, after a taste of cheeses in one of the many dairies in the area, we move to nearby Pollenzo to visit the village and the Castle of Pollenzo, home of the University of Gastronomic Sciences. A spectacular place where, after the guided tour we can have lunch tasting the local products.
In the afternoon we will walk through the beautiful hills of Barolo and its enchanted villages up to "Barolo", and its castle-Enoteca, where we can taste the most precious and famous of the products of this region.
Qui possiamo terminare la prima giornata di visita e sistemarci in hotel prima di assaporare la tipica cucina locale a cena. Overnight stay.
Second day – Fabulous landscapes, Truffle and Barbaresco
After a good and slow breakfast we resume our journey to discover the beauties of Piedmont from Alba, one of the most important cities of the Langhe, owes its fame to the Truffle of which it is the capital. The historic center of Alba is medieval and circular in shape, it is nice to walk among the picturesque towers and fortified houses and then come across the great churches, the Duomo and above all San Domenico, one of the most beautiful Romanesque-Gothic monuments in Northern Italy.
After that you can not taste the white truffle, a product for which Alba becomes every year the world center of trade of this tuber that can reach unpronounceable figures, defined by the Romans as the food of the gods.
But normally a truffle lunch in these areas has reasonable figures and we take advantage of it with pleasure.
Continuing along the banks of the Tanaro River (which divides the Roero from the Langhe), we cross the Barbaresco hills where Barbaresco, Barbera, Dolcetto and Nebbiolo are produced, 4 splendid wines and a medieval village, Barbaresco precisely, a very small village of 600 inhabitants but with wonderful gastronomic traditions. From its tower the gaze sweeps over all the hills of Barbaresco from Tanaro, to Asti, to the majestic necklace of mountains that surround it.
Among the streets of the small village everything seems to have stopped at that historical period, where small squares, the church and the corners tell of stories and shops lost in time and evoke scenes and atmospheres of a distant period characterized by important commercial exchanges, thanks to agricultural products and viticulture that have always distinguished this area.
The vineyards surrounding the village characterize, in fact, the surrounding scenery and determine the conformation of the landscape.
Entering the alleys and getting lost in history, gives us the opportunity to immerse ourselves in fairytale places in which to lull ourselves, without the hassle of passing time. In perfect relaxation and in a timeless context, we can enter the characteristic village walking aimlessly and peeking through the houses towards the enchanting landscape of the Langhe, whose view is favored by the location of the place, which is located on a hill in the middle of the hills.
Questa seconda emozionante giornata la chiudiamo a Grinzane Cavour, nel poderoso castello che ospita l’Enoteca Regionale del Piemonte, assaporando i suoi migliori vini. Cena e Overnight stay
Third day dedicated to Monferrato, its wonderful infernot and the Asti region
First stop of the day in Canelli, Piedmontese town capital of sparkling wines and home to the Underground Cathedrals that we will visit. These are the ancient cellars of the historic companies of Canelli. The soil below the city is the perfect habitat for the processing and aging of wines: calcareous tuff, in fact, is an excellent thermal insulator, capable of maintaining a constant temperature between 12 and 14 degrees.
Like real underground naves, the cathedrals of Canelli are covered with exposed brick, articulated in long tunnels or rooms with vaults and pillars, at a depth that can reach 30 meters for a total extension that exceeds 18 kilometers. They began to be built in the sixteenth century and until the nineteenth century they continued to expand, this process took place with pickaxes and chisels as the company assumed larger dimensions, historic cellars dug underground, which became a World Heritage Site.
We continue north and after a few kilometers we enter Nizza Monferrato, a city of food and wine excellence, there are many products both related to food and drink of excellent quality so as to enjoy primacy and fame both in Italy and abroad.
Do not miss the opportunity to taste these products in a small but interesting tour in the many taverns, restaurants and clubs of the city, concentrated in the wonderful historic center. Every third Sunday of the month there is the market of agricultural and local products, a real explosion of smells and flavors in which in addition to buying products you can eat accompanied by good wine.
The last stop of our day is the land of the infernot, small underground chambers, dug by hand in the Cantoni Stone, a sandstone typical of Monferrato Casalese, which originated from marine sediments when, millions of years ago, the territory was covered by the sea.
A peculiar feature of the Infernot is the absence of light and natural ventilation, which allow these rooms to maintain a constant temperature and humidity throughout the year. They are therefore optimal environments for the preservation of bottled wine and were also used to preserve other foods. Most of the Infernot originated in the nineteenth century and represents a continuation of the cellar.
There are different types of Infernot: single-chamber, multi-chamber or corridor. They have different finishes: smoothed, natural split or with exposed picking. The housing of the bottles varies: niches, steps or continuous floors. Some are embellished with decorations, others are accompanied by a table excavated, too, in stone.
Each Infernot represents a unique work, an artifact that represents the material and intangible heritage of Monferrato Casalese.
Otto bellissimi centri urbani e poco più di cento case vinicole, visiteremo le più artistiche e le più “buone”. Assaporando vini e prodotti di questo territorio magico che è il Monferrato. Rientro ad Asti o Torino.
Termina il nostro viaggio fra le colline, vigneti, castelli, scenari da favola, sapori antichi, sapori preziosi e una atmosfera d’altri tempi.
Quota di partecipazione per persona in camera doppia standard a partire da: 702,00 €
Riduzione terzo letto 200,00 €
Suppl. Singola: 220,00 €
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