Red Wine… White Truffles..... Nothing Blue Except the Skies
Copyright © 2005, Margaret Cowan

Piedmont

If you love rich Italian red wines, enjoy outstanding Italian
cuisine, revel in taking a relaxing stroll through the
countryside and appreciate meeting lots of friendly local
characters; Piedmont is for you!

Piedmont, in the north west corner of Italy, bordering France to
the west and mountains to the north, includes Turin, the home of
the 2006 Winter Olympic Games.

Turin

Turin, the capital of Piedmont, has a historic centre with some
Baroque buildings, elegant, 19th century cafes and the rich Royal
Palace, still glittering in gold. The Egyptian museum is second
only to Cairo's. The Cinema Museum tracing the history of Italian
cinema is unusual and great fun. Turin is full of tempting
gastronomy, shops, good restaurants and cultural events including
symphony and opera. It's a city that encourages  walking, with a
series of covered arched sidewalks.

Barolo & Barbaresco Wine Country: Home to Some of Italy's Top
Reds

The famous, Barolo and Barbaresco wine country, an hour south of
Turin, will awe you with its series of gentle hills and valleys
covered in vineyards, fields and forests. Little towns with
imposing medieval castles crown some hill-tops. On a clear day
you can see the Alps. Peaceful walking paths take you through
vineyards and hills; expansive views replenish the soul!

The rich, fertile soil yields the famous white truffles of Alba,
hazelnuts, mushrooms, peaches, cherries and lots of fruit, sweet
peppers and lots of vegetables and of course grapes for robust
and aromatic wines

Wines and Wine Towns

Barolo is one of Italy's top red wines, ranking with Brunello of
Montalcino in Tuscany. You'll discover a wonderful hierarchy of
red wines from robust Barolo and elegant Barbaresco to mid range
full bodied Barbera and Nebbiolo to younger, fruity Dolcetto.
Winery visits can range from the famous to the not yet famous,
from the big to small so you get a real feel for the culture and
people behind the wines. Very hospitable winery owners love
telling you all about their wines, as you drink them together.

Explore the nine Barolo and three Barbaresco wine towns, small
places where life goes at a slower pace. Tour the castles like
the one in the town of Barolo where Barolo wine began, eat top
quality food whether at a trattoria or a Michelin star
restaurant. Stroll around Alba, the area hub, known for its
medieval towers in its compact historic centre, its gastronomy
shops with names like "Sins of the Throat", markets, fall white
truffle fair.

The Outstanding Cuisine

The outstanding cuisine mixes Italian country style with French
influences. Piedmont is famous for its incredible array of hot
and cold appetizers like spinach flan with fonduta sauce, bagna
cauda (raw or cooked vegetables dipped in a hot sauce of olive
oil, garlic, anchovies), roasted peppers with tuna stuffing.

Pasta is limited to the delicate, thin tajarin (tagliatelle) and
the "melt in your mouth" agnolotti (stuffed pasta) with butter
and sage leaves. Risotto made with Barolo or with Castelmagno
cheese is especially good.

Meats are often simmered long and slowly like the famous, rich
Brasato al Barolo, a veal roll simmered in vegetables, herbs and
copious quantities of Barolo.

Desserts range from hazelnut chocolate cake with Moscato (dessert
wine) zabaglione, to pears simmered in Barolo, to semi freddo
with torrone (hazelnut nougat).

Experiences as rich as the red wine, as highly prized as the
white truffle, are waiting for you under the blue skies of
Piedmont. Bring home stories, photos, recipes, knowledge of a
different lifestyle and adventures to entertain your family and
friends.

Writer: Margaret Cowan at: