A Taste of Italy’s Northwest October 3-10, 2021
Join JoAnn Actis-Grande, wine and travel columnist for a delightful week of wine tasting, local food, and historic sites throughout Piedmont and the coastal area of Northwest Italy.
8 Days / 7 Nights, $5,400 pp
· Private coach
· Luxury accommodations throughout
· Expert guides at all times
· Crowd free
· Visit local wineries and private wine cellars in Piedmont, exploring the flavors of the region
· Explore the city of Torino
· Discover the Italian Riviera
· 7 dinners; 3 lunches
· Strict safety protocols
From historic Italian designed wine cellars to Royal Castles of the UNESCO World Heritage Langhe-Roero, Piedmont’s Wine County and capital city Torino, to the stunning shores of the Portofino coast, also known as the Italian Riviera, this boutique tour is limited to only 6 people. The custom made tour is a sensorial experience that fully immerses you in the finest Italian culture of Northwest Italy.
While there, a renowned local architect will personally open the doors and share his knowledge of some of the most wonderful wine cellars he designed and built in the magnificent Langhe-Roero and Monferrato area, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The tour is a flavorful week specifically made for you to discover the rich wines of Piedmont– including the famous Barolo, a deep red wine referred to as “king of wines, wine of kings” - they are truly some of the finest red wines in Italy, perhaps even the world. Although, Piedmont is highly respected for its rich reds, it is also an excellent region for whites — Spumante (the famous Asti is here), Arneis, and Moscato - a sweet dessert wine. Other local specialties include velvety chocolate, rare white truffles, heavenly coffee, and traditional cured meats, cheeses, and their famous hazelnuts.
Wine and food lovers will enjoy the city of Turin (Torino) where we visit the city center filled with historic landmarks and museums as well as the Porta Palazzo Fresh Market plus the Langhe area made up of quaint, charming historical towns, and villages such as Alba, Asti and many other hidden gems.
We will wrap-up the tour with two night’s in the charming fishing village of Camogli, along the Ligurian coast, in the National Park of Portofino, a stone’s throw from one of the worlds famous seaside locations.
This is a unique experience where you will be fully immersed in authentic Italian culture while traveling luxuriously and safely.
Wine Jag Journeys partnered with Travel Education & Cultures will guarantee all safety procedures will be strictly followed to ensure the wellbeing of our groups. Tour guides and coach driver are fully vaccinated, and we accommodate small groups in selected villas complying with our high standards of safety.
Let’s go!
DETAILED ITINERARY - 8 DAYS, 7 NIGHTS
DAY 1
Arrive at Caselle Airport Torino.
Transfer by private coach to La Torricella in Monforte d'Alba – a 4-star hotel, restaurant, winery, and spa in the heart of the Langhe-Roero area, a UNESCO heritage site. https://www.latorricella.eu/it
Check in. Relax by the pool or the sensory wine spa.
Welcome wine tasting followed by dinner.
DAY 2
Visit the Barolo UNESCO World Heritage area
· Discover the history, art & culture of some of the most beautiful historical villages of the area
· Barolo wine tasting, enjoy great local food and breathtaking views in a cultural atmosphere of this rich Northwest Italian region.
10:00 am
Depart the hotel in your private coach to start a full immersion in the Strada del Barolo, visiting some of the most beautiful places in wine county. This area offers 14 small towns included in the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy. We will stop at Grinzane Cavour, a small village developed around the castle that was home to Count Camillo Benso, who has personally built upon the first experiments to improve the techniques of production of red wines in Piedmont.
We will then take a walking tour of Serralunga d’Alba, a lovely village. After this, we will continue the provincial road towards the villages of La Morra, where we will stop for lunch at a local restaurant with wine and views of the countryside.
Afternoon visit to Ceretto Winery that features award winning Barolo and tour their wine cellar.
Barolo is a traditional hillside village in the rolling hills of Piedmont, northwestern Italy. The vineyards and wineries there have long been famous for producing some of Italy's best red wines. Barolo wine is made of Nebbiolo blends from different vineyards and while this approach is still the core of the denomination, several producers also make single-designation Barolos from the 170 officially delimited crus or vineyard sites, under strict DOCG regulations (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita, it means the highest quality level). Following the vinification, Barolo wines are aged in wood for 18 months. It is aged for another three years in bottles before being released.Cannubi is one of the best cru or wine hills in Barolo. "Cru" is the French word, widely used in Piedmont, for the most renowned vineyards in a growing area.Of the 11 villages, only Barolo, Castiglione Falletto and Serralunga d’Alba lie entirely within the denomination. La Morra and Monforte d’Alba are also key towns. Together, these five communities make up Barolo’s core villages.
Afternoon
On our way to the village of Barolo, we will visit a very interesting colorful chapel painted by a famous contemporary British artist, Sol LeWitt, in exchange for Barolo wine for life! We will then reach Barolo village and stop for a visit. The village of Barolo, dominated by its medieval castle, is the birthplace of the denomination. Here, in the 1830s, the Marchesi di Barolo Tancredi and Giulia Falletti, focused on making age worthy red wine from the Nebbiolo grape.
6:00 pm. Return to hotel
Dinner
DAY 3
· Meet architect Firorenzo Lovisolo, a well-known local designer of wine cellars, our guide and guest speaker
· Visit select wine cellars designed by Lovisolo while enjoying the wonderful, off-the-beaten track Monferrato hills and the delicious food & wine.
· Discover the UNESCO World Heritage underground cathedrals excavated for the “divinity” of wine in the village of Canelli
· Tuff mineral is said to make the perfect environment for Piedmonts bubbles (and for good cheeses as well). Wine tasting and learning about the metodo classico Piemontese sparkling wine.
10:00 am
Depart to the Monferrato area where we will visit a selection of wine cellars designed by Firorenzo Lovisolo who will give a talk on designing and building wine cellars in the area. Lovisolo and his studio have been working many years on designing, building, and restoring wine cellars of the most prestigious wineries, private villas and restaurant. He will be happy to share with you some interesting stories and his knowledge in this field.
Lunch at a local restaurant restored by Lovisolo.
Afternoon
We will continue to Nizza Monferrato and stop at the village of Canelli.
Canelli – UNESCO World Heritage site in Monferrato. Canelli is home to some incredible underground cathedrals, and the metodo classico Piemontesesparkling wine.
The excavation of these cellars began in the 16thcentury, but finished only in the 19th century, the same period that saw Canelli wines becoming more famous in the Italian scene and abroad as well. https://www.altalangadocg.com/en/experiences/the-underground-cathedrals-of-canelli/
Chosen winery tasting.
6:00 pm. Return to the hotel.
Dinner
DAY 4
· Alba, the truffles’ capital: on the search for truffles, the precious white one!
· A sensory experience in the capital of Alta Langa where you will be sampling truffles, wines and great foot with the inclusion of art and history.
· Discover the quaint old village of Barbaresco in Bassa Langa, and its wines.
10:00 am
Depart our hotel to visit the town of Alba, in the province of Cuneo. It is one of the main cities in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato famous for its truffles and the annual Truffles Fair that welcomes buyers and food-lovers from all around the world.
Alba, the capital of the Langa and Piedmont’s greatest wines, is a charming small town with interesting historical highlights, great shopping and food! The town is world famous for its white truffle and wine production.
We will stop for a truffle tasting in a historical shop where you will taste and learn some interesting facts about truffles. From Greek times to the Middle Ages, to the Renaissance period, to today, truffles have always been considered a delicacy and very much appreciated through thousands of years. The white truffles of Piemonte are among the best, very sought-after by food-lovers, shops, and restaurants from around the globe. The local word in Piemonte’s dialect trifulaumeans the person who is digging underground with a trained dog, searching for the precious truffles.
Lunch at a local trattoria.
We will continue to the enchanting village of Barbaresco - one of the most characteristic of the Bassa (Low) Langa area, has the famous Enoteca Regionale wine shop located in an old 19thcentury church with a great selection of DOCG wines.
Barbaresco is an Italian red wine also made from the Nebbiolo grape in this picturesque Piedmont region of Italy. It packs layers of acidity, fruit, and tannins greeting the nose with aromas of cherries, roses, and dark spices.
6:00 pm. Return to hotel.
Dinner
DAY 5
· The charm and the regality of Torino first capital of Italy: a tour of the royal city.
· Discover the city center, its blended architecture while visiting the biggest local market, Torino’s kitchen, and indulging on the great cappuccino in the several historical coffee shops.
· Torino is a chocolate lover’s heaven where you will taste the most delicious chocolate drink, bicerin, a unique torinese tradition!
10:00 am
Depart the hotel to visit Torino, capital of Piedmont and first capital of Italy.
Guided tour of the Royal city. Independent lunch in the historical center of the city. We will give you a list of places, reserve your table and guide you to the restaurant.
Afternoon
The bicerin’s ritual should not be missed! Torino is chocolate heaven and the Caffè Al Bicerin, close to the Sanctuary of the Consolata, offers a legendary drink served in a rounded small glass filled with layers of espresso, chocolate and whole milk, which should not be missed! The quaint coffee shop is part of the historical coffee shops in Torino, popular since the 18thcentury.
Free time. Optional: visit the Egyptian Museum or Royal Museums.
6:00 pm. Return to hotel.
Dinner
DAY 6
· Portofino Bay: the magical coastline dotted with small, picturesque villages. Smell, sight, taste, touch, and hearing are all alerted here. Mediterranean flora, overwhelming natural beauty, while enjoying the great Ligurian cuisine with fresh seafood, pasta with pesto, locally grown fresh vegetables and chilled Pigato local white wine!
· Camogli: a real fishing village, the houses overlooking the port were painted in slightly different colors so that mariners could identify them from the distance.
· Focaccia ligure is a true experience, not to be missed.
9:30 am
Depart hotel to Camogli.
Check-in to Cenobio dei Dogi Hotel – a 5 star luxury hotel conveniently located in the fishing village of Camogli, overlooking the bay and the Portofino Park, with state-of-the art facilities, including a heated-pool, spa and much more. www.cenobio.it
Camogli is a unique, charming fishing village along the Italian Riviera near Genoa. It has beautiful beaches, a small harbor full of colorful boats, shops and restaurants and has a beautiful promenade where you can admire the pastel-colored houses decorated in trompe l'oeil designs. It is just less than 30 minutes by boat to Portofino and from Camogli you can easily do some amazing walks in the nearby Portofino Natural Park reaching lookout points with breathtaking sweeping view of the Paradise Gulf and the coastline. If you are interested in learning about sustainable fishery, you must visit the close-by Maritime Museum in Porto Pidocchio, the smallest in the world. Camogli is still a well-kept Italian secret, we will help you discover why.
Independent lunch: we will give you a list of seafood places where you can have lunch or the best places where you can get the famous focaccia alla ligure, or you can have the local version of fish & chips, Italian style!
After lunch return to the hotel for down-time
Dinner
DAY 7
· Save the best-for-last, some of these last images will stay with you forever, San Fruttuoso and Portofino are unique marine jewels.
· After this intense week, some time to dedicate to your shopping before you leave, or maybe by now, you have already decided to extend your week in Italy!
· Farwell dinner!
10:00 am
Boat trip, weather permitting, to San Fruttuoso-Portofino.
Only 5 km from Portofino and 40 km from Genoa, the San Fruttuoso abbey is a corner of paradise you can reach only by ferry from Camogli and Rapallo or on foot. This one-time Benedictine monastery (10thcentury), from the 13th century the abbey’s fate became intertwined with that of the Doria family, who renovated its design, adding the loggia and transferred to their family burial ground. The Abbey and the fishing village around it stand as a true oasis in a unique scenario, amid the earth and the woodlands of Mount Portofino and the blue sea of eastern Liguria.
Portofino is a fishing village on the Italian Riviera coastline, southeast of Genoa. Pastel-colored houses, high-end boutiques and seafood restaurants fringe its Piazzetta, a small, cobbled square overlooking the harbor, which is lined with super-yachts.
Independent lunch: we will give you a list of places where you can stop for lunch while strolling through the picturesque village.
Return to Hotel
Farewell dinner
DAY 8
Check-out and transfer to Airport
PRICE
Cost per person in double room: $5,400 (single-room supplement will apply)
Contact JoAnn at 603-674-8991 or joann@winejag.com
· Private sanitized luxury coach
· Professionally guided tours
· 7 night accommodations with continental breakfast
· 7 dinners; 3 lunches
· Visit 4 local wineries in Piedmont, exploring the flavors of the region
· Tour leader available at all times during the tour
· JAG, JoAnn Actis-Grande, on hand before and during the tour
Not included:
· Airfare
· Additional wines & beverages
· Spa treatments
· Cooking class, upon request
· Chocolate tour, upon request