Piedmont Guide

A GUIDE THROUGH PIEDMONT AND RESTAURANT #HOTLIST

A trip to Piedmont, one of the very finest wine regions and Unesco World Heritage Site. Located in the northwest of Italy, it is the home of the well-known and respected Barolo and Barbaresco regions. Until the 1970’s, Barolo and its Nebbiolo grapes, were almost unknown. Now it is considered one of the best and renowned red wines in the world, partly due to the revolution of the Barolo Boys. A group of young Modernist winemakers, who in the 1980’s and ‘90s dramatically changed the style of Barolo wine by introducing a series of technical innovations. They were both “revolutionaries” and “scrappers”. Six of nine Modernist winemakers are part of our outstanding piemontese portfolio, Elio Altare, Giorgio Rivetti (La Spinetta), Roberto Voerzio, Chiara Boschis (E. Pira e Figli), Luciano Sandrone and Enrico Scavino.

Another big player within our portfolio responsible for the popularity of Piedmont wines is Angelo Gaja, who‘s vines are mostly located in Barbaresco. When Angelo visited America in the 70’s and 80’s, people told him that his wines were too expensive to compete with French wine. Italian wine had to be cheap. People across the ocean where not used to the taste of Nebbiolo grapes, therefore, Angelo decided to “Americanize” some of his wines and play around to get them closer to the American taste. He created Sito Moresco in 1991, a blend of, of course, Nebbiolo and Barbera, but also Merlot, a grape already well known in the world and therefore more accessible to international palates. Angelo Gaja is also known for his innovative and revolutionist mindset. For example, in 1982, he was the first to plant Cabernet Sauvignon (post-phylloxera) in Piedmont, Darmagi in a single vineyard situated in the municipality of Barbaresco. A tribute to this prestigious vine and to demonstrate the vocation of the Langhe land to produce great wines also from non-traditional Piedmont varieties.

We are very proud of our Piedmontese winemakers, each of them follows a strict and clear philosophy of quality, resulting in great elegance and finesse. Elio Grasso, Conterno Fantino, Moccagatta and Braida di Giacomo Bologna are also part of our extraordinary portfolio. All these wineries bring together only the best from Piedmont and bring to life exceptional wine-making, which for us is a great pleasure to work with.

UNMISSABLE FOOD DESTINATIONS

During our trip we also enjoy delicious meals in different places. Scroll down to discover the unmissable food destinations for those who also travel to eat. Next to the winemaking, local food and flavors are some of the greatest reasons to travel to Piedmont. From traditional plates to exciting fine dining experiences, here are our highlights you need to know about.

MONFORTE D’ALBA

We stayed at the Reva Wine Resort, a tastefully decorated small boutique hotel located in the middle of the vines. A unique view with a magical atmosphere and a fantastic Michelin star restaurant, called FRE. The restaurant offers an avant-garde and creative experience bringing together tradition and modernity, with a unique menu, signed by the famous French chef Yannick Alléno. Definitely the best fine dining experience we had during our journey.

At Casa della Saracca, an authentic local restaurant in the heart of Monforte’s hidden streets, we discovered the most impressive wine list. They have a cave full of older treasures. A real night to remember as we drank vintages from 1997, 1982 and last but definitely not least 1973. Kicking off the aperitivo with Rossi Bass followed by a Barbera from Sandrone. Then digging deep into some old vintages of Darmagi from Gaja, La Villa from Altare and a Barolo blend from Pira, to name just a few, absolutely amazing! On

On Monforte’s main piazza, is Grappolo d’Oro a beautiful place for lunch, fantastic to watch eager cyclists and laid-back bikers passing. Perfect spot to sit down and do absolutely nothing except enjoying a traditional meal together with a glass of fresh Barbera.

Between only Vitello Tonato and Tajarin, we were looking for something else and found a great pizzeria, called Frabea, located at the heart of Monforte offering local style pizzas, simple and just delicious.

A place with an unforgettable view and pleasant atmosphere, Borgo Sant’Anna, a collaboration between Chef and Maître, it’s the meeting between North and South Italy. A place that makes you rediscover traditional dishes and gestures with a sensorial touch of avant-garde. A philosophy “combining the best of the great Italian culinary tradition to the most varied stimuli from the whole world, without taking anything for granted.”

BAROLO

Set on a small plateau, protected by the surrounding hills, disposed to stunning amphitheater scenery. A restaurant located at the heart of one of most important crus in Italy, Locando in Cannubi. Fresh, seasonal flavours, finest ingredients and a contemporary touch to traditional local cuisine. Who doesn’t want to dine in the middle of Cannubi vines, just a spectacular location.

LA MORRA

Small perched on a hill lies the village of La Morra, one of the most striking view points of the Langa landscape. A little bit further down the hill we discovered a very cute local restaurant with an nice terrasse under some natural shade of the trees, a great spot for lunch. Fantastic local food, extraordinary service and of course a great selection of Piedmontese wines.

BARBARESCO

Moving from the Barolo area to the Barbaresco area, the other great appellation of the Langhe region. Barbaresco is charming tiny village, located a few kilometers east of Alba offering 2 exceptional spots to eat. First, the Campamac, a featured local attraction highlighting seasonality with an almost entirely zero-km cooking. Developing offerings of the land, from truffles to tajarin, traditional Langhe pasta to vitello tonnato and way more.

Second, the Antine Bistro, a fantastic place offering typical Piedmontese cuisine, but in a very innovative and creative way. The chef applies great care and attention to the best raw materials from the territory combined with a large wine selection. We were simply blown away.

FIND OUR SELECTION OF PIEDMONTESE WINES