An eventful journey through Piedmont awaits Italian Allegria customers.

Wine, good food, history, tradition and culture are the cornerstones of this land, which was recognized in 2015 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. 

The Slow Food movement was founded in this area and in Piedmont is the one and only University of Gastronomic Sciences. Some of the most famous Italian Cafés are located in Bra and Cherasco.

 

Not to forget that Ferrero with its chocolate and hazelnuts made its indelible mark, blending into some of Italy’s most-loved foods: Nutella, Rocher, Raffaello and…!

Italian Allegria wants to give a voice to all these aspects, starting with truffles and wine, a dash of culture and innovative gastronomic initiatives.

 

Between our white truffle hunt adventures and wine tastings, there will be time to visit Alba’s world known truffle markets, to get a taste of many of the iconic dishes originating from the Piedmontese cuisine and culture, including carne cruda, vitello tonnato and brasato al Barolo.

 

PROGRAMME

Day 1 Friday

• Arrival and Check-in at the hotel.
• Apero-riche, relax, get to know other guest and enjoy a short presentation about the area

 

Day 2 Saturday

• Truffle hunt in the forest.
• Let’s taste the truffle we just found while sampling local wines
• Free time to walk around Acqui Terme, feel the local mood and discover the area
• Panoramic drive to the hills to the earth of Langhe 
• Arrival and check-in at the Hotel, a charming 18th-century monastery located in Cherasco, a town steeped in history and within a stone’s throw of regions famous for their outstanding wines.
• Gourmet dinner in a top local restaurant

 

Day 3 Sunday

• It’s not only about luxury food and wine, we never forget art!
• Wine tasting in a design prize-winning winery which combines a deep passion for contemporary art and modern architecture
• After a panoramic trip to the Langhe hills and villages, we’ll visit the Vicoforte sanctuary and the world’s largest baroque elliptical dome. 
• Free time….of course we can help you with a lot of suggestion like more wine museum, golf, Spa and even shopping!
• The most historical and traditional Barolo winery will welcome us for a guided tour with apero in their caves, followed by another unforgettable truffle dinner paired with the best of Barolo and Barbaresco

 

Day 4 Monday

• Travel to Alba to explore the local farmers’ markets and meet the famous local truffle dealers. The whole world knows that the “International Alba White Truffle Fair” is THE place to be for all truffle products including truffle butter, truffle honey, truffle- flavored oil, truffle and mushroom pâté and more. You’ll have learnt enough to choose exactly what’s best to buy and bring home (beside the unforgettable memories and few extra kilos!)  
• Drive back to Tortona. We will top off this weekend with a farewell lunch with an incredible female chef you’ll hear a lot about in the next few years! Another  Italian Allegria hidden gem!

 

PACKAGE  INCLUDE:

• A 3-night stay at ****Hotel 
• Meals including 3 breakfasts, 2 dinners, 2 lunches with wine pairings plus 1 apero riche.
• Wine tastings, activities and visits, as detailed above.
• Transportation during the programme with a private shuttle bus

 

We look forward to sharing this memorable experience with you!

 

YOU WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND YOUR WEEK-END?

Italian Allegria can support you with few more gems such as golf, Spa, outlet shopping

 

ITS MAJESTY, THE TRUFFLE

Barolo is the King of wines, but as far as cuisine is concerned, the title goes to the Tuber Magnatum Pico, better known as the Alba White Truffle or trifola. Perhaps our ancestors used to put some truffle slices into Barolo to celebrate this union: an unusual and extraordinary combination!

It is really fun to follow the trifulao (the truffle hunter with his trained dog) into oak, lime and poplar tree woods on clayey soils, while he spurs his dog to find truffles with appetizing morsels. As soon as the dog starts digging with its paws, the trifulao promptly intervenes and, with a curved weeding hoe, extracts the truffle, makes the dog sniff it and rewards the animal with a titbit. 

 

HAZELNUTS, CHEESES AND EXCELLENT MEAT

With the Truffle as the King, the court dignitaries cannot be less respectable.

Tonda Gentile Trilobata hazelnuts are PGI Piedmont Hazelnuts, the variety grown in the province of Cuneo on approximately 7,000 hectares, corresponding to 85% of the whole Piedmontese production. Its characteristics are extraordinary: round, easy to pick and peel, tasty and compact, particularly suitable for confectionary and nougat.

 

The entire area is rich in typical cheeses, both from cow’s and goat’s milk, but a particular cheese stands out for its unique characteristics: Castelmagno d’Alpeggio DOP. It is one of the most ancient cow’s milk cheeses in Italy, mentioned for the first time in a document of the Saluzzo marquisate in 1277.

 

The summer pastures that produce the milk lie traditionally at over 1,600 metres above sea level. With a unique, long lasting, full and robust taste, the cheese takes the form of solid pieces with different maturation periods, from 3 months up to three years, and goes perfectly with Barolo.

 

And finally, meat. The Fassona is the heifer traditionally bred in the province of Cuneo, with the best one from the Boves area. Its meat has very particular characteristics (fine, not very fat, tender, and tasty) that allow it to be eaten both raw – knife-cut – and braised with Barolo. In high mountain summer pastures, lambs from the Stura valley develop full shoulders and legs and a smooth and delicate taste that is absolutely different from other regions’ lambs. And how can we fail to mention cured meats, made from pork or wild boar meat, flavored with spices and, of course, Barolo?