Month: July 2023

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Barolo & Barbaresco, Italy – Langhe Wine Tour

South of the river Tanaro is the wine region of Langhe and the two of the most well known Italian wine towns, Barolo and Barbaresco. For any wine enthusiast, it is an important stop on par with the fabled wineries of Napa Valley in California, the Saône river valley of Burgundy and the Gironde river valley of Bordeaux in France.

Langhe

For the Piedmont this region is by far the most important place for wine and truffles. Every year during the fall, people flock to this small region in Italy to enjoy the Italian harvest of truffles, both black and white, and naturally the wines that are produced in this region. Our recent summer trip concentrated on the wines and to enjoy a wine tour with other wine enthusiasts from Germany and Denmark. Though we did sample the black truffles while here, I can only say we are not fans. So wine it is..!

First, some background. The wine production and labeling in the area is controlled by a Control Denomination of Origin, or Denominazione di origine controllata, as it is in the rest of Italy. Structured after the French model and adopted by the European Union (EU), there are essentially four designations for Italian wines:

    • Denominazione di origine, or DO, this is rarely used
    • Indicazione geografica tipica, or IGT, this is used to designate wines typical of the region
    • Denominazione di origine controllata, or DOC, to indicate wines controlled and designated for the area
    • Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita, or DOCG, to indicate wines controlled and guaranteed to be from the area

The last two appellations are the most important, since they both assure a rigid and specific level of government oversight, as well as control over the labeling and the origins of the grapes in the wines of these designations.

It should also be noted that no IGT wines are produced in Piedmont or Valle D’Aosta.

DOC

Originally there were only the first three designations, DOC being the highest of them. However, the Italian food industry quickly decided that its designation was far too liberal and included other foodstuffs within the standard, so they requested a more rigorous standard, thus DOCG came into being for wine only and superseded DOC.

Much like DOCG, the DOC requirements demand that such wines use only certain grape varietals, are aged properly, have a certain alcohol content and be produced within certain areas or regions. Though the number of bottles that may be produced for a given wine is somewhat restrictive, the wines do not have the direct governmental wine panel oversight or trails of paper found in the higher classification.

Wines of this category are Barbera, Dolcetto and Nebbiolo, all of which are designated grape varieties and may be identified as such on a bottle marked as DOC.

DOCG

DOCG is by far the more rigorous designation and is controlled to such a degree, that the vintner is forced to follow rigid rules regarding the care and quality of the wines throughout its production, all the way down to the number of labels they will receive for their bottles for each wine.

Wines of this category are Barolo, Barbaresco and Muscato wines, of which Barolo and Barbaresco are made from Nebbiolo grapes and Muscato from the Muscato Bianco varietal.

Once the wine is produced, a batch of five (5) bottles are processed, corked, sealed and labeled for the authorities. All of which have the CDO label across the corks, signed, sealed and documented. Four of the bottles are taken for lab analysis and a wine panel judges them to ensure quality, clarity and that the wine produced meets the standard set for DOCG for that wine and region. One bottle is left with the produced. An example from the Grasso Brother vineyard in Barbaresco is shown below.

Our Wine Tour

For our wine tour we chose Alba Wine Tours. We tried to arrange a private tour, but they only offer group tours of up to six people. The cost for us for a one-day tour of Barolo and Barbaresco was 220€/person. Yes, a bit expensive, but unlike our experience in the United States at such venues, we tasted more than 25 wines. Moreover, our hosts were more than happy to provide us with second tastings or additional wine, if we enjoyed it and felt a certain wine was exceptional.

For each wine taste, they dispensed between 5-10dl, which is not bad considering a normal glass of wine is typically around 20dl. Typically in the States you barely get enough wine to get a nose on it, let alone taste it. Which probably shows that most wineries in the States are more interested in mitigating costs, then in pleasing theirs guests and trying to sell their product. This usually indicates to me that their products are typically not good enough to sell to begin with, let alone taste.

Unfortunately, as is true of most wine tastings, most of the wine was dumped. However, by the end of the day, it was very evident that we all had more than our fair share.

Barolo

Our first stop was in the small town of Barolo, a castle turned museum being its most prominent feature. There are of course numerous wine stores, most belonging to vineyards in the region, which have tastings and sell wine. We only stopped to see the town and to continue to our first stop, the Azienda Agricola Stra, also known as Stra Winemakers with Foresteria.

One of the most notable features of Barolo is its soil and topology. Not only is the soil a kind of hard-pack mixture of sand, clay and other components, its valleys are steep and almost treacherous.

Azienda Agricola Stra

Our stop at Agritourism Stra was very informative and our hosts, including our tour driver, Saverio Molinai, were very instructive about the wines and the process to make them. This included a tour of the wine producing facilities and their cellars, where the wines are stored and kept during the aging process.

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The tasting included a flight of all the wines they produce, with one exception, the Dolcetto 2022 for 8€. The list below shows some of the wines offered and we essentially when from the top of the list to the bottom.

All during our tasting, our tour guide explained the various aspects of Barolo, its soil, the wines and the wine making process they used. He was actually very knowledgeable and when he was not sure about something that was particular to this producer, he would ask our host and she provided the necessary explanation.

Impressed with the quality of the wines, we purchased almost half a case of five bottles, two bottles of DOCG Stra La Volta 2019 Barolo and three bottles of DOC Stra Barbera D’Alba 2021. Of course, the Barolo is kind of young to drink right now and needs a handful of years to mellow. But the Barbera is young and fruity, with plenty of tannin, cherry and tobacco overtones and ready to drink now. It would be great with a nice steak or any other dish that could compete with its strength.

The last thing that we tried here that was not on the list was their Grappa. I actually forgot what they labeled it as and what the year was, but for a grappa is was very good. Most grappa can be a bit strong, even harsh, this one was actually a pleasure to drink, even Patti liked it, and she doesn’t even like grappa.

Barbaresco

Our stop in Barbaresco included two stops, one in town for a tasting at Produttori del Barbaresco S.A.C., or the commune wine store; the other at the Grasso Brothers to the south of Barbaresco in Giacoso. The town, Barbaresco, is unmistakable from a distance, due to its distinct tower which is so prominent on the horizon.

The land here is flatter and clearly more rolling than in Barolo. The valleys are not as steep and the vineyards appear to be able to employ more of their land to grapes. However, our guide told us that the primary reason some of the land still has trees was for truffle production in the area, its not necessarily unproductive, just used for another purpose.

Produttori del Barbaresco S.A.C.

The inside of this store is rather modern, almost sterile in a contemporary way. Here we tasted the DOC Langhe Nebbiolo 2021 and two DOCG Barbarescos, a 2018 and a 2019. The nebbiolo was rather dry with little fruit and unimpressive, but clear with a crisp ruby color and a distinct nose. The 2018 and 2019 Barbarescos were a bit disappointing. Although they were typical of a nebbiolo varietal for Barbaresco, there price was rather high. I felt I could find a similar one that was less expensive in Turin.

The last thing we tried was their Grappa. It was typical for grappa, lots of alcohol and perhaps a bit harsh. So this stop was a bit disappointing, but we got to see that town.

We left here without purchasing anything.

Azienda Agricola Grasso Fratelli

The Grasso Fratelli, or Grasso Brothers, have a rather unassuming winery. From the outside the construction is typical for Piedmont and it is adorned with signs of the wines they make, like Barbaresco, Bricco Spessa, Barbera, etc. One could call it a typical farm.

The building houses two large rooms for tasting and the atmosphere is rather laid back. The wines for the tasting contained Chardonnays, Dolcettos, Barberas, Nebbiolos, a Moscato, a Rosato and a wine called Vino rosso Trej. All of these wines were very good, including the Chardonnays which I thought were very clean and not overly oaked, like most complain about in the United States.

There were however no Barbarescos on the list to taste, so we were all a bit taken aback. Once we mentioned this, our host and driver Saverio went to retrieve a few bottles for us to try

There was an immediate reaction and the brothers appeared, looking a bit hesitant. However, Saverio convinced them that if they don’t let people try the wines, they won’t sell them.

The brothers have never marries and still work on the farm, though some of the work is done by the cooperative. They have been working their plot of land for over sixty years. The eldest, Alfredo, is eighty-two (82) years old this year and the other brother, Luigi, about ten years his junior. The two brothers came to the table and talked with our guide, while we tried the wine.

The best bottle was their DOCG Giacosa Spessa Barbaresco 2017. This is an amazingly good wine, full of cherry and other fruity undertones along with plenty of alcohol for longevity, coupled with an amazing nose and a rich red color typical for a nebbiolo, and best of all, ready to drink now. The vines that it is produced from are of the oldest in the vineyard, being planted by Alfredo when he was only twenty years old. This means that the roots of these vines have driven over a meter deep into the ground, allowing them to access different soils and salts. It is so good, I had to purchase two bottles. Unfortunately, I was not able to carry more, so I had to keep to that limit. A planning mistake I will not make again in the future.

Restaurants

We visited one restaurant for lunch, which we had to inform the tour operator in advance of how much we wanted to spend. At the time, the limits were 30€/person, 50€/person and 70€/person, for which the unnamed restaurant would provide a basic lunch with appetizer and primi, or a heavier lunch with appetizer, primi and secondi, or a culinary delight of the same, but made personally by the chef. We both thought it was overpriced. So we went off-menu and ordered from the daily specials and only what we wanted.

Locanda La Gemella

For lunch we stopped at Locanda la Gamella on the edge of town. A very nice, I would say upscale restaurant with a very dynamic menu. They also have daily and chef’s specials, so there seems to be something for everyone.

We went a la carte with the special Tajarin al ragu, some still water and a glass of wine. Our total bill came to 51€ total for the both of us, which wasn’t too bad, but still a bit pricey. Unfortunately, neither myself nor my wife took any photographs of our dishes or the place, though they were kind of normal and not very special for the Piedmont.

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Alba, Italy – Piedmont’s Wine Center

Our trip started at Turin’s Porta Susa train station. For a little over 12€/person, you can purchase a one-way commuter ticket on Piedmont’s Sfm4 line to Alba, which takes about an hour and twenty minutes to get there, going through Bra first, which can also be a stop on your itinerary.

Alba

Anyone serious about wine or truffles has to visit Alba, Italy. Located an hour or so south of Turin, it is a bustling center for both, especially in the Fall when both of these products are harvested. Our whole intent on visiting the town was a wine tour we had booked for Barolo and Barbaresco (covered in my next post), but we decided to grab a hotel and enjoy an extra day just to explore.

The town is rather self contained and almost in the shape of a loose hexagon, owing to its ancient Roman ancestry as a fortification no doubt. There are several places where these ancient ruins are evident and demonstrate how the town itself is constructed upon them, using them as a foundation. There are also underground caverns and tunnels that can be explored, but arrangements have to be made ahead of time in order to visit them.

The town has numerous towers and it was once known as the town with a hundred towers. These were most likely constructed as lookouts and were defensive in nature.

There are also numerous churches, as is true of most Italian towns and cities. The cathedral, or Duomo, occupies a central place near the town’s marketplace and between the Piazza Duomo and Piazza Rossetti. The interior is typical for its size and function.

Other churches, including the Church of the Maddalena, actually have more interesting and elaborate interiors. One, the Church of Saint John the Baptist, looks more like a provincial library than a church inside.

Hotel Dellatorre

A three star hotel, which is actually more of a converted Bed-n-Breakfast, than a real hotel. It is more like a cafe/bar that has added rooms and tries to call itself a hotel. All the rooms are separate and there is no main structure with hallways, they all have external doors.

The owner runs a cafe or bar as well, and although we stayed here for one night, we did not use her cafe for breakfast, since we had learned that the beverages were a bit over-priced. Again, we are not sure whether that is in fact the case, but we did notice that there was no menu or price list anywhere. While we travel we have a general rule that if the prices are not listed, we tend to avoid the establishment.

The room was spacious enough, quiet and comfortable for the most part. The bed was very hard, so if you prefer that kind of mattress firmness, this place might be for you.

Restaurants

Conterosso

For lunch we ate at Conterosso and chose two of the local dishes. Patti had the Agnolotti with truffles and I had the veal with a barolo wine sauce, both were excellent dishes.

Gusto Madre

A contemporary dining place that makes excellent pizza. Located in Piazza Michele Ferrero, it is just on the edge of town.

Since Patti was not feeling well, I ate alone and just ordered a simple Pizza Margherita which was drizzled with a pesto, it was actually quite good.

Map of the City

Below is a map of the city.

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Turin, Italy – Accorsi Ometto Museum

Museo Accorsi Ometto

In Turin, on via Po and not far from Piazza Vittorio Veneto, is the obscure and easily missed Museo Accorsi Ometto, or the Accorsi Ometto Museum. Actually, when we first arrived in 2019 we had wanted to go, but then it closed suddenly due to Covid. It has now reopened, probably along with surge in tourists we have seen in Turin.

The Entrance and Ticket Office

Though not entirely nondescript, the museum might be easy to walk passed if you are not paying attention. Though now they have several placards outside indicating that something interesting might be going on inside.

The Museum

The museum actually serves a dual purpose, the building is itself an attraction and the house loaned exhibits from time to time. Therefore, for your entrance fee, you actually get two museums in one.

The museum’s current attraction are Works from Venice from the eighteenth century and is called the Museum of Decorative Art. They actually have a very good online introduction and additional information about tickets. We found it easy enough just to walk in.

One thing we did find, the QR codes on most of the exhibits did not work. At least using my phone scanner, I was unable to load anything, so you may have to tour the exhibits without this luxury, though we found many exhibits were already translated.

The exhibit begins with many works of Venetian art, without much in the rooms themselves to see. However, in the latter rooms, both the works of art and the rooms themselves are explained in detail and exhibit some of the finer Piedmont style furnishings and cabinetry.

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Finally, there are a few rooms with smaller artifacts in exhibits or porcelain and other expensive materials. Most of these appear to have been decorative, but some actually served useful purposes.

That concludes our visit to one of the smaller museums in Turin. In many ways we found it better designed than some of the larger museums we have been to in the area. The entrance fee is around 12€/person and discounts are available for older adults and children. Here are some last pieces and rooms of note, enjoy!

 

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Turin, Italy – Sunday Ride from Turin to Trofarello

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Verbania, Italy – Pallanza and Villa Taranto

Across Lake Maggiore from Stresa lies Verbania and the town of Pallanza. This is another destination one may reach by purchasing a ferry ticket with the Lake Maggiore Ferry transportation system.

Verbania

Since we had an extra day, we took a day trip there to discover if Pallanza had anything to offer and to visit the Gardens of Villa Taranto.

Pallanza

There is not much to see here, though during our visit there was a lot of lake side construction, which not only blocked our view of things but made for a rather noisy visit. Hence, we did not stop here to eat anything.

The town is actually quite simple and the only things there that stand out are the Church of Saint Leonard and its bell tower, and a few World War I memorials.

The water show off the beach appeared a bit to much for a destination offering so little, but we took a photograph of it anyway.

After a quick tour of Pallanza, we attempted to walk to the Villa Taranto gardens. After about forty minutes of frustration with a well known map application, we decided to turn around and take the ferry instead, which has service to the gardens.

Regardless what the phone application tries to tell you, you may not enter the gardens from any side other than from where the boat launch is, so do not try unless you want to walk on a state road or you want to waste a lot of your time trying. The entire garden is surrounded by immense walls or fences and all of the entry points are locked. I walked all the way up to the Oratory of Saint Remigio just to make sure.

Villa Taranto

Villa Taranto is the ferry stop right after Pallanza and before Intra. It is about a ten to fifteen minute ride from Pallanza, so we purchased a round trip ticket from Pallanza to Villa Taranto to make up the difference with our ticket from Stresa to Pallanza, since we would be taking the ferry directly back once we finished the gardens.

The Gardens

The gardens of Villa Taranto are very well kept and marked. Each section is dedicated to some specific type of flora or theme. The walkways are well maintained such that you will have no issues ascending the hill that the gardens are planted on.

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Restaurants

In Villa Taranto we ate at the bistro within the park, having no desire after a long walk through the gardens of venturing any further out.

Cafè & Bistrot

Nothing much to rave about here, it is just a simple bistro and cafe. In one section you may sit and enjoy a drink, in the other you may order lunch or whatever they are serving at the time, if they are open. For lunch, we just had a simple salad with tomatoes and Tropea onions and olive oil, along with some white wine on the side, which was very dry and very good.

Aside from the failed attempt to walk to Villa Taranto Gardens, the ferry and the gardens, saved what could have been a sweaty miserable afternoon looking at flowers. So after eating, we thoroughly enjoyed our boat trip back to Stresa and would commend others not to stop in Pallanza, but go straight to the gardens and perhaps even Intra later, if the traveling bug moves you so.

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Stresa, Italy – Borromeo Islands

Borromeo Islands

Of the five Borromeo islands that make up that small group in Lake Maggiore, three have ferry service to them, one is uninhabitable, but has a beach you can visit, and the other, not far off the coast near Pallanza, is small and not frequented by visitors.

One should note, at least for our CMA ferry service, the islands are visited in an order, as presented below. Altering this order is impossible, if not very difficult, so plan accordingly.

Isola Bella

Isola Bella is probably the most frequented of the three. It has an ostensibly renowned italianate garden, which you have to purchase tickets for of course, but they do include access to the palazzo and the other gardens on Isola Madre.

The Palazzo

The entrance to the gardens is via the palazzo, you cannot just walk into them. We walked through the old fishing town thinking there were multiple entrances to the gardens, there are not. There is only one, through the palazzo and after the ticket counter.

A walk-through of the palazzo is provided in the below slideshow.

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The gardens are accessed from the palazzo through what is called Diana’s Atrium, a small sub-garden with stairways to the garden. There is not much to see here and it is probably meant more as a meeting place, than any important adjunct to the gardens, so we ascended to the gardens almost immediately.

The Gardens

The gardens do contain some interesting species, especially the old Camphor tree that was planted there in 1819 by Vitaliano IX Borromeo. It also houses a peacock and peahen, which will provide the necessary background noise in the gardens for any videos you wish to make.

Apparently the pride of the gardens is the Massimo Theater. A rather odd assemblage of opulent statues and finished by Carlo IV, it probably points to the decedent past these properties enjoyed.

Isola dei Pescatori

Even though its proper name of Isola Superiore belies its size, Isola dei Pescatori is the smallest of the three islands. Its main attraction is the small fishing town that stretches from three quarters of its shoreline.

There is only enough room here for restaurants, cafes, shops, boat docks and the odd park on the northwest side of the island. So, casually walking its streets and narrow alleyways is, more or less, the only thing to do here, aside from eating of course.

Isola Madre

Isola Madre is the largest of the three and for the most part is an island with a garden and palazzo on it. The garden is entered first, after turning right off the boat and taking the a long garden path walk around a third of the island.

Once you pass the entrance, where a person will scan your tickets, the garden begins.

The Garden

I found this garden quieter, more casual and more enjoyable overall. It has a few different sections, including a jungle environment which is very wet and grows ferns and other jungle type plants.

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The Palazzo

Immediately outside the entrance to the palazzo is a huge Cashmir Cypress tree, that was once blown over by a tornado on the island and later saved. It is indeed a magnificent specimen.

The interior of the palazzo is very interesting and a bit disturbing as well. It contains a lot of desiderata, so the displays can often appear disjointed and not themed well. However, taken as the idiosyncrasies of its creators and owners, it is perhaps more understandable. I found it enjoyable though confused at times, in its own way.

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We thoroughly enjoyed our day visiting all three islands. Though it is a lot to see in one day, it took us about five hours, it is manageable. It might be more difficult if it is hot outside, since all of the gardens are outside and the palazzos do not appears to have any air-conditioning in them. However, there are plenty of places to buy water on each of the islands, so staying hydrated should not be an issue.

Restaurants

Though there are restaurants and cafes on all the islands, we ate on the island of Pescatori because it was in the middle of our day boat trip to all of the islands, and at around half past one, it broke the trip up just about right.

Trattoria Ristorante Imbarcodero

The Trattoria Ristorante Imbarcodero is on the small island of Pescatori. In fact, most of the good restaurants of the three islands are probably here. It has a wide variety of Italian dishes that one can choose from the menu. For lunch, we kept it simple, since we were both not feeling one hundred percent and already had a substantial breakfast at the hotel.

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Stresa, Italy – Quiet Lake Retreat

Stresa

Stresa is a small lake-side tourist attraction on Lake Maggiore, Italy. It is frequented by Italians, Brits, French, Germans, Asians and the odd American. It is only a tiny strip of about a few kilometers, where there are a dozen or so hotels. It is not very busy, unlike the Mediterranean coast, so it is very laid back and relaxing – a quiet retreat.

View from hotel room – Hotel Regina Palace – Stresa, Italy

The area is know for its three Borromean islands, Isola Bella, Isola dei Pescatori (also known as Isola Superiore) and Isola Madre. More on these later.

The town is rather simple, but it has ample restaurants and other types of shopping. There is also an amazing AgriGelateria at Corso Umberto I, which has excellent gelato with all natural and authentic flavors, a must stop, especially when it is really hot outside.

Lungolago di Stresa

Stresa also has a wonderful boardwalk area stretching from Stresa along the lake front and becoming the Passeggiata del lago di Carciano, which is directly across from Isola Bella. It’s a bit over a kilometer and will take about a quarter to half of an hour to walk, depending on your pace.

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Hotel Regina Palace

In its heyday, this four star hotel must have been a place to see and enjoy. However, aside from its opulent structure, this hotel is a solid three-star hotel than what it’s advertised.

The issues we had while here for our short five day star were as follows:

    • Our room was not vacuumed for our entire stay.
    • There was no Hair Conditioner nor Body Lotion in the bathroom.
    • The plumbing is old, requires repairs and updating, some things leak continuously.
    • The walls in the rooms are paper-thin and the painting is dated.
    • Room service does not fill everything you would expect, e.g. tissues.
    • In the dining area – they do not replace things unless you request and even then you might not get it, e.g. syrup for your pancakes.
    • In the dining area – you may have to seat yourself, the concierge is not very attentive. I know it’s Italy, but most of the time half of the staff is standing around doing nothing.

The hotel is in a very strategic position along the coast, it is both very close to the islands and the town, this was one of the reasons we selected it. So, if you visit this hotel, be aware of the aforementioned issues and go in with your eyes wide shut.