Nestled in the northwestern part of Italy, Piemonte is the beautiful jewel in the crown comprised of the French, Italian and Swiss Alps. Piemonte, the word appropriately meaning “at the foot of the mountain”. Perhaps its geographical location has kept it one of the best secrets of the Italian tourist circuit but ready and willing to welcome the most discriminating visitors.

Our journey will take us through the best that Piemonte has to offer. Beginning with Torino, its capital city. Built two thousand years ago as a camp for the troops of Emperor Augustus it evolved through the millenia, influenced by the Lombard and the Franks. Continuing its evolution on to the early Middle Ages and the fifteenth century when the region and Torino achieved prominence as the Duke of Savoy’s official residence.

Following the Franco-Austrian war, Torino was subjected to by a period of occupation by the French which lasted from 1536-1557. It was another Savoy that won back control of the city by defeating the French at the Battle of San Quintino once again making Torino the capital city of the Savoy State.

These beginnings and evolvement through the centuries have influenced the city’s architecture, gastronomy and its culture and is reflected in its evolution through the centuries. The end result is one of understated, sophisticated elegance which is evident throughout the city. The gracious piazzas and corsi flanked by over forty kilometers of porticos, protecting the strollers from rain, snow or sun while shopping in its elegant boutiques and stores.

The multitude of coffee bars spread throughout the city where one can savor as appropriate at different times of the day, a pre lunch or pre dinner aperitif of the local vermouth accompanied by mouth watering hors d’oeuveres. Perhaps an afternoon pick me up of the “bicerin”, a blend of chocolate, coffee and milk as was fashionable in the 18th. Century. Another temptation might be the “sambajoun”, or Zabaglione, a cream of egg yolk, sugar and marsala.

The local cuisine combines the varied local seasonal produce culminating in mouth-watering specialties and features porcini mushrooms, the famed white truffle, tagliatelle, gnocchi, minestroni, risotto, the incomparable bagna caoda, the wonderful salamis and cheeses. Main ingredients in the local specialties are also game such as wild boar, pheasant, and rabbits. Snails are also a local favorite and are featured in many succulent, mouth-watering dishes.

The wines dominate every meal, are a major attraction, and claim to fame of the region. From Torino, one can follow the path to the wine producing area known as the Langhe. Influenced by its regional capital, the Langhe region as the rest of Piemonte, maintains the same sense of style, elegance while focusing on the cultivation of the products so central and vital to the region’s identity and economy. The two most prominent of which are the white truffles also known as “White Gold” and the wines.

The truffles are revered by the most discriminating gourmands the world-over. Their subtle yet acute fragrance is also said to have aphrodisiac powers. Whatever your beliefs, one cannot deny it’s powers to enhance and ennoble many typical dishes that, without its presence, would probably not exist or certainly not feature as prominently as they do in the local cuisine. The truffle can be savored in many varied ways, as a topping to steak tartare piemontese style, on tagliolini, risotto, agnolotti (ravioli), bagna caoda or grace a very modest morning omelet.

A perfect accompaniment to the wonderful cuisine are the great wines of Piemonte boasting 44 D.O.C and D.O.C.G. wines.
The most famous ones are:

BAROLO: also dubbed as “The wine of Kings, the King of Wines” and for good reason. Produced exclusively in Piemonte, through this wine one can clearly perceive the flavor of this land. This wine, after an obligatory maturation period of three years, emerges reddish garnet in color with intense orange highlights. It is a dry full and robust, yet also velvety and well rounded. This is a wine with an extremely long life, best appreciated between the fifth and eighth year of its life.

BARBARESCO: This is a wine that dates back to the Roman times and its presence in Piemonte is recorded as far back as the 15th. Century. Made with Nebbiolo grapes, waxy, plumy flavored, dark violet, juicy, sweet and slightly acidic. Barbaresco wine undergoes an obligatory maturation period of two years and it too has a dry, full, robust and velvety flavor.

NEBBIOLO: original references to the Nebbiolo grapes date back to 1268 as cited in a document from the castle of Rivoli. This was a favorite of the Savoy’s Royal family and it is said that they often served it as a subtle tool to aid diplomatic relations. It has a flavor that ranges from dry to pleasantly sweet, full bodied, velvety and well rounded. These three great wines that comprise the best of the best of Piemonte but this region is also famous for many more superb wines such as Dolcetto, Roero, Roero Arneis, Barbera, Brachetto and Grignolino. There is no other way to do justice to these wines and to Piemonte short of paying a visit and experience them in their local habitat, complemented by the wonderful local cuisine.

We have no doubt that through a tour with ShopWineAndDine you will achieve this goal.