The wine ranks have been picked of their grapes and the autumn sun is shining upon the beautiful yellow and red leaves. Together, the ranks form a remarkable cascade of colours in the steep slopes. We are in Italy’s North Western region Piemonte.
When we glance at the horizon the Alps appear on three sides. Piemonte also means “at the foot of the mountain”. At the centre of the region is Turin whose one football team Juventus is reaching success yet again.
Our starting point for our visit is the town of Alba around which some of the most famous wineries are situated. Piemonte is one of the world’s foremost wine regions. The type of soil is perfect for viticulture. The climate is astonishingly cool with a light fog often occurring. The largest and most famous grape in the region is Nebbiolo whose name actually originates from the Italian word for fog. The two foremost wine districts are Barolo and Barbaresco, the king and queen of wine.
Piemonte is famous for its food and its wines. In the city of Bra Carlo Petrini started the slow food movement in the middle of the 80s as a reaction to the growing trend of fast food. The movement has branched out to 150 countries today where traditionally cooked slow food with locally produced raw products is becoming more common.
Wine
The picturesque city of Barolo is surrounded with heavily sloped viticulture against the Langhe Mountains. According to many some of Italy’s and the world’s most famous wines are produced here. In accordance with regulation the powerful wines have to be made from the Nebbiolo grape and be stored for at least three years on oak in order to be called Riserva. Most of the wines actually gain from being stored.
In the castle of Faletti, in the centre of Barolo, there is a wine museum and an Enoteca, a wine cellar, where the wines of the district can be tasted. Our favourite producer is Damilano and their prestigious wine Barolo DOCG Cannubi – a beautiful wine with the right bouquet, taste and aftertaste.
Barbarescos high-class wines live somewhat in the shadow of Barolos, but the lighter wines are appreciated by several wine enthusiasts.
The church, at the centre of the village, has been significantly rebuilt into an Enoteca, a wine cellar. Maria kindly greets us, informs us and offers a tasting of the different wines of the region. A large selection is for sale.
Earlier we were served an exquisite Barbaresco San Stunet, from the smaller winery Piero Busso, at a top restaurant in Alba. This wine is currently out, but Maria encourages me to take a ride down to the winery where the son Pierguido will receive me. The car journey takes ten minutes before I reach the farm. A room has been refurbished for the wine tasting in the barn. We sit down around a large, solid, oak table. Busso produces seven different kinds of wine, of which we try four. Not unexpectedly Barbaresco San Stunet turns out to be the best.
Barbaresco San Stunet is produced in the wine district of San Steffanetto in Treisio. We buy the highly ranked 2007, a year when only 4800 bottles were produced.
Restaurants
On the crest, by the square, in the small village of Trieso lies the restaurant La Ciau Del Tornavento. The dining room naturally passes onto a terrace with an amazing view. There is familiar atmosphere in the large dining room. The master chef of Piemonte is the renowned Maurilio Garola. Maurilio has written a valued cook book where he presents all of his “classical” dishes.
We choose to luxuriously start off with scrambled eggs and truffle from Alba. The dish is served in a small wooden box that hides a smaller tray with a baked, creamy, scrambled egg topped with sliced truffle. Such a delightful scent and taste.
The next dish is Tornaventos signature one. Ravioli filled ricotta cheese in a birds nest of hay and grass. Delicious and innovative.
After having finished with a good cheese assortment we are allowed to see the wine cellar with over 50,000 bottles. Here is an impressive collection of wines, mostly from Piemonte.
Maurilio and Tornavento is a restaurant we would gladly revisit.
Piazza Duomo, by the square in Alba, received its third Michelin star on the 12tht of November. It is now one of Italy’s seven three star restaurant.
The dining room is, quite unusually, situated on the first floor of an 18th century house and takes 25 guests. We choose Enrico Crippas tasting menu with six dishes that are supplemented with cheese from the cheese wagon.
After a great many appetizers a fresh and tasty salad is served with a lot of ingredients. The next dish is a perfectly made cod with mozzarella cheese and broccoli reduction. A potato soup is served before the mandatory spaghetti, here with tuna and mushroom. Less of a success is the lamb dish with hard to eat lamb ribs.
The finish is wonderful. First the cheese wagon with around thirty cheeses too choose from, of which there are three variations to Piemonte’s own cheese, Gorgonzola. The dessert is built from milk in the shape of ice cream with various sauces.
An exquisite dinner to which a memorable Barbaresco wine from Piero Busso was consumed.
Words by Paul Dahlgren
Piemonte
Wine
Restaurant
La Ciau del Tornavento, Triese
