Help with an Italy trip?

CellarTracker Main Site

Help with an Italy trip?

View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Logged in as: Guest

Users viewing this topic: none

Printable Version

All Forums >> [Cellar Talk] >> General Discussion >> Help with an Italy trip?

Page: [1]

Message

<< Older Topic Newer Topic >>

Help with an Italy trip? - 4/24/2024 5:59:12 AM

Smaragd

Posts: 720
Joined: 2/3/2017
From: New York City
Status: offline

Hello friends... it's been some years since I posted in this forum but I wanted to ask some help with a trip to N. Italy that is coming up.

We will be encircling the barolo country with a 6 year old this summer. I don't have a lot of time for wine tourism but wondered about good ways to explore the wine culture of the region... there are so many wine tours and tasting experiences and so many are geared toward novices.

Can anyone recommend must-do things involving tastings, winery tours, meals, or shopping for bottles?

My interests are barolo/barbaresco sure, but I also like the wines of Aosta (we will be a couple of days in the Aosta valley) and Gattinara/Ghemma especially the reservas of good quality. One of my go-to wines was always Vallana's Gattinaras, north of Novara.

Our itinerary is Milan-Genoa-Sanremo-Torino-Aosta Valley - Lago Maggiore

i appreciate any suggestions if you know the lay of that land.

It's a family of three, traveling most likely with no car, our 6 year old girl is rather patient with meals out, but she is still a 6 year old...

thanks
J

Post #: 1

RE: Help with an Italy trip? - 4/24/2024 12:00:30 PM

DoubleD1969

Posts: 3595
Joined: 8/19/2008
From: New Jersey
Status: offline

Hard to make specific recommendations because it’s been eight years. Not having a car will limit your options. It’s an hour by car from Turin to Barolo. It’s a quaint town with places to taste but the better ones are a mile or two away. Ellio Grasso was the best experience versus Scavino and Chiara Boschis (?). All three make great wines.

(in reply to Smaragd)

Post #: 2

RE: Help with an Italy trip? - 4/24/2024 1:58:49 PM

wineismylife

Posts: 6491
Joined: 11/7/2006
From: Arlington, TX
Status: offline

I was in the Barolo region and can't phantom how you'll get around without a car. Some of the drives within the region are pushing 45 minutes to an hour so traveling from outside in and across is easily well north of an hour with a car. I'm sure there are public transport options but I didn't see them. I can't recall even seeing a single bus except in Alba when we were dropping our wine off for shipment home.

Having said that we stayed in Neive and hired a local tour guide who drove us to all of the wineries we visited. Then evenings we walked the small town for dinners. Plenty of good restaurants in Neive to eat well for a week with some variety. Couple of nice wine shops for purchases as well.

Can't help with the non winery visits, sites, education, etc... We were 100% there to taste and eat and only had 7 days to get it done. You best option I would think for those kind of activities and sites would be the cities you're staying in: Milan (Duomo and the square), Torino (Palazzo Madama) and Genoa (Aquarium) specifically.

_____________________________

Joe

Wine is like potato chips around me...if it's open, it's gone.

MyBlog @ http://www.wineismylife.net/

(in reply to DoubleD1969)

Post #: 3

RE: Help with an Italy trip? - 4/24/2024 2:20:56 PM

Echinosum

Posts: 599
Joined: 1/28/2021
From: Buckinghamshire, UK
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: DoubleD1969
... Chiara Boschis (?)

Technically the label is E. Pira e Figli, not to confused with L. Pira. It started to be run by Chiara Boschis in 1980, later her brother Giorgio joining in, though in conjunction with the Pira family. She has managed to stick her name on the label in bigger type than the E. Pira bit, which is the source of confusion over what the label actually is. It seems to me that technically the Chiara Boschis words are merely decorative. The winery, which you can apparently visit, might be best to check ahead, is close to the centre of the village of Barolo.

_____________________________

A discriminating palate can be a curse.

(in reply to DoubleD1969)

Post #: 4

RE: Help with an Italy trip? - 4/24/2024 7:56:49 PM

jmc167

Posts: 81
Joined: 12/30/2015
From: Portland, Or
Status: offline

Last year we used Alessio Marin who is wine maker (he gave us two of his first bottling) to tour with on 3 days, one in Roero, one in Barbaresco, and one in Barolo while staying in Turin. While it is a bit of a drive, he will pick up in Turin and drop you off each day.

You can reach him at info@privatebarolowinetour.com.

Thanks!

_____________________________

Just a guy trying to drink as much as I purchase, and losing this battle brilliantly!

(in reply to Echinosum)

Post #: 5

RE: Help with an Italy trip? - 4/25/2024 4:47:23 AM

daviladc

Posts: 1700
Joined: 3/3/2019
From: Myrtle Beach SC
Status: offline

We were in Piedmont last year with an Italian wine importer. The one restaurant we loved was Del Belbo Da Bardone Andre E Bardone Gioacchino near Nizza. Then go to Guaste Clemente in Nizza to taste some phenomenal Barberra and Barolo.

Totally Jealous! That's our favorite part of Italy.

_____________________________

Wine is not furniture. Drink it!

(in reply to jmc167)

Post #: 6

RE: Help with an Italy trip? - 4/25/2024 7:40:04 AM

Smaragd

Posts: 720
Joined: 2/3/2017
From: New York City
Status: offline

Thanks to you all! I have a couple of good leads here to look into.

Just to be clear, we are on a family holiday and wine tourism will be only 1% of it. Otherwise we're plannign to train to the Alps and to the sea and just enjoy the sights.

It is of course possible to hire a car to spend a nice evening in a town if there is a good reason (winery, a great restaurant, wine cooperative etc) to visit.

It happens that my birthday is in the smack middle of this trip, and maybe an overnight to Neive or Nizza is in order if I can find a superb restaurant worthy of my 47th celebration...

Cheers, everyone.

(in reply to daviladc)

Post #: 7

RE: Help with an Italy trip? - 4/25/2024 7:46:08 AM

daviladc

Posts: 1700
Joined: 3/3/2019
From: Myrtle Beach SC
Status: offline

We actually stayed in Neive at Borgo Vecchio Locanda di Charme. We also stayed at the Hilton in Turin across from EATLY.

Just remember, these places don't have air conditioning.

Happy birthday and enjoy!

_____________________________

Wine is not furniture. Drink it!

(in reply to Smaragd)

Post #: 8

RE: Help with an Italy trip? - 4/25/2024 8:03:25 AM

wineismylife

Posts: 6491
Joined: 11/7/2006
From: Arlington, TX
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: daviladc
We actually stayed in Neive at Borgo Vecchio Locanda di Charme.

We stayed in the same place. Great views from most rooms. Spacious up to date rooms. Nice on premise restaurant inclusive. Recommended.

Not very Italian so to speak but one of the best meals we had in Neive was at Umano. Italian Steakhouse. You literally walk up to the case and pick out your steak and then watch them hand cut it at the window to the kitchen before preparing it. Fantastic meat grilled to perfection. Great starters and sides. Thoroughly enjoyed the Amaro after as a digestive.

More classic white tablecloth Northern Italian was Ristorante La Lune nel Pozzo. L'Aromatario was also notable but less formal.

_____________________________

Joe

Wine is like potato chips around me...if it's open, it's gone.

MyBlog @ http://www.wineismylife.net/

(in reply to daviladc)

Post #: 9

RE: Help with an Italy trip? - 4/25/2024 9:13:11 AM

daviladc

Posts: 1700
Joined: 3/3/2019
From: Myrtle Beach SC
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: wineismylife

quote:

ORIGINAL: daviladc
We actually stayed in Neive at Borgo Vecchio Locanda di Charme.

We stayed in the same place. Great views from most rooms. Spacious up to date rooms. Nice on premise restaurant inclusive. Recommended.

Not very Italian so to speak but one of the best meals we had in Neive was at Umano. Italian Steakhouse. You literally walk up to the case and pick out your steak and then watch them hand cut it at the window to the kitchen before preparing it. Fantastic meat grilled to perfection. Great starters and sides. Thoroughly enjoyed the Amaro after as a digestive.

More classic white tablecloth Northern Italian was Ristorante La Lune nel Pozzo. L'Aromatario was also notable but less formal.

Love it!

Yes, breakfast there was phenomenal and their coffee game is killer.

We did have dinner there by a stroke of luck. One in our party was getting a little car sick and didn't want to drive that night. The lucky part was it was white truffle season. They had some phenomenal truffles and a great wine list. We didn't get to far into their menu, just pasta and truffles. Yum!

_____________________________

Wine is not furniture. Drink it!

(in reply to wineismylife)

Post #: 10

RE: Help with an Italy trip? - 4/26/2024 9:43:20 AM

Smaragd

Posts: 720
Joined: 2/3/2017
From: New York City
Status: offline

Oh wow, thank you for this tip! :)

(in reply to daviladc)

Post #: 11