La Dolce Vita Wine Tours

Slow Food, Comfort Food

The Food Traditions of Piedmont and Parma

Itinerary:

DAY 1 – SLOW FOOD PIEDMONT

The international Slow Food movement started in Piedmont, and so shall we. After a pick-up at the Tortona train station (one hour south of Milan), we’ll shuttle to the beautiful Langhe hills, birthplace of Barolo wine. There’s no better spot for a historical introduction than the Castle of Grinzane Cavour. Now a Barolo museum, this was home to Italy’s first Prime Minister, who was also a winemaker and co-creator of Barolo in the mid-1800s—much like an Italian Thomas Jefferson. After a castle tour, we’ll go to the petite village of Barolo (pop. 679) for a complementary welcome lunch. Here you’ll have a parade of Piedmont’s famed dishes, such as vitello tonnato (veal with tuna sauce), plin (tiny meat-stuffed ravioli), and bounet (chocolate-hazelnut pudding). The rest of the afternoon is dedicated to the bounteous truffle market & food fair in Alba. This occurs every October, when Piedmont’s fragrant white truffles are ready for harvest. The fair has whole truffles for sale, of course, but also plenty of other mouthwatering goodies: Arborio rice with truffles, creamy mushroom spreads with truffles, honey with truffles, fresh cheese laced with truffles. Dinner is at a cozy Slow Food restaurant, where we'll hunt for truffles on the menu.
L, D • Hotel I Castelli

DAY 2 – BAROLO, THE KING OF WINES AND WINE OF KINGS

In the 19th century, King Carlo Alberto and his son, Vittorio Emanuele, maintained several hunting lodges in Piedmont. One is now the Ceretto winery. Producing wine for 70 years and still family-run, Ceretto has grown into a constellation of small-estate wineries that make benchmark Barolo cru and refreshing white Arneis. As architectural patrons, the Ceretto family has also built some of the Langhe’s most visible landmarks, including the Brunate Chapel and their own, brand new wine cellar. We’ll have a tasting there and sample an array of wines, from traditional Barolos to modern Super Piedmont blends. From here we drive south to the Alte Langhe, gaining in altitude and head to cheese country. We’ll visit a small, family-run cheese farm in Murazzano, where the daughter is the cheesemaker and mama is the sausage-maker. We’ll have a buffet lunch of their fresh DOP cheeses and salumi, then walk through the cheese-making facility—most likely with the cheesemaker as our guide. In the afternoon, we return to the Barolo DOCG zone for our second winery visit. This is in Monforte at the top-rated Conterno Fantino estate. Here we’ll delve more deeply into nebbiolo, the sensitive thoroughbred grape behind Barolo, and how the terrain of Monforte creates a more structured, “masculine” style. As a special treat, we’ll have dinner at the Marchesi di Barolo winery, the historic birthplace of Barolo wine and still a leading player in the Barolo wine world.
B, L, D • Hotel I Castelli

DAY 3 – PIG HEAVEN: PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA

This morning we transfer from Piedmont to Parma (2-1/2 hours), the gastronomic cradle of Emilia-Romagna. This is home to the real deal in Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and Prosciutto di Parma. We’ll arrive in time for lunch, then visit a producer of prized Prosciutto di Parma, where we’ll see the steps in making Italy’s most popular DOP ham, from salting and fatting to aging in cold storage. We’ll also learn about other cured-meat specialties of Parma, such as salami di Felino, culatello di Zibello, and spalla cotta di S. Secondo. Back in town, we’ll have a guided walking tour of Parma’s historic center, visiting its Duomo and baptistry, Piazza Garibaldi, and other major sites. Dinner in town might feature such regional specialties as tortellini in brodo, soul-satisfying lasagna, or pumpkin tortellini with butter and sage sauce—all perfect pairings with violet-hued, frizzante Lambrusco. (Don’t knock it til you’ve tried it!)
B, D • Starhotels Du Parc

DAY 4 – IN THE PARMA KITCHEN

Today’s the day for devotees of Parmigiano Reggiano, a DOP cow-milk cheese which, produced elsewhere, is called parmesan. Following Health Ministry rules, our visit will take place in the early morning. We’ll tour the dairy rooms where curds are worked, then poured into molds, where salting takes place, and where the hefty rounds are aged for years or even decades, quality-tested with a special hammer. There will be free time in the afternoon to explore Parma’s museums, churches, and specialty-food shops. Then we make our own dinner! Our cooking lesson is in a homey B&B; just outside of Parma, run by a young couple. Here we’ll venture into the world of stuffed pasta and other comfort foods that define Emilia Romagnan cuisine and lunch on our efforts. Dinner in town.
B, D • Starhotels Du Parc

DAY 5 – BALSAMIC VINEGAR & LAMBRUSCO

One hour south of Parma is Modena, famous among foodies for two things: fizzy, fun Lambrusco and the traditional, aged balsamic vinegar of Modena. Many farms in the region produce both, and we’ll visit one such family-owned estate: Manicardi. Here we’ll see the aging lofts for balsamic vinegar, which spends years rotating through small barrels of various woods until it turns into a sublime, dark nectar. And we’ll also get a crash course in Lambrusco, which is made in both off-dry and dry styles, and in colors ranging from pale pink to jewel-like violet. Manicardi is located in the subzone of Castelvetro, so we’ll find Lambrusco at its most intense—with deep violet color and full-throttle fruit. We’ll taste the fine distinctions between dry and off-dry versions, both perfect accompaniments to salumi and rich meats. After lunch in Castelvetro, we’ll visit a second Lambrusco producer, Vittorio Graziano, a long-haired, motorcycle-riding traditionalist who makes some of the most earthy, distinctive Lambruschi around. Back in Parma, our farewell dinner is at a trattoria that hews to tradition in its atmosphere and dishes, embodying Slow Food tenets at their best.
B, D • Starhotels Du Parc

DAY 6 – BUON VIAGGIO!

A shuttle to the Parma train station and assistance with your travel plans. B

Please bear in mind that this itinerary is made one year in advance, so details may change due to the winemakers' schedule (especially during harvest), hotel availability, weather, and other unforeseen circumstances. Any substitutions will be with a property of equivalent interest and value.

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