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Cooking & Wine Adventure in Piedmont’s Barolo Wine Country
Get to know an amazing variety of warm, fun loving local people like cooks, Barolo winery owners, cheese makers, soon new local friends, in a wide range of places, many off the tourist track. Authentic, local Italian life experiences!
Read about the “Italians you will meet” on this Italian cooking school tour.
Included:
- 6 nights hotel in Barolo wine country with private bath & continental breakfast
- 3 cooking classes
- all meals, except dinner on Tuesday & Wednesday & lunch on Saturday
- excursions listed in the Italian cooking school tour itinerary
- private transport in minivan
- local guides
- donkey race tickets (for Donkey Race & Truffle Italian Cooking School Tour only)
- private pick-up and drop-off at Turin’s airport or train station
Not included:
- wines with your meals so you can choose which wines you want to drink
- dinner on Tuesday and Wednesday
- lunch on Saturday
6 Night Italian Cooking School Tour Itinerary
Please note: Walks in the Barolo wine country are optional. If you have other interests, just let us know and we can change the day’s plan for you.
Sunday
Meet your group at Turin airport or railway station. Leave for town of Barolo a one hour drive away. In Barolo you stay at a pretty, three star, family-run hotel in town with lovely views of Barolo castle and vineyards.
Dine on authentic Piedmont specialties at a great local restaurant as you drink a line-up of great local wines including Barolo.
In Barolo, you’ll visit the charming Brezza family in their winery cellars, where the father or son sits with you around a wooden table lit by candles and tastes their wines with you. Conversation with them may stray to topics like family and friendship, so when you see them again in their restaurant for dinner, they feel like old pals.
Monday
Explore the hill town of La Morra. From a piazza, take in splendid views of the Barolo wine area valleys, while your guide points out towns you’ll visit.
Visit a winery near Barolo well known for its fine wines and warm hospitality. You’ll feel their passion for their wines as they tell you all you ever wanted to know about Barolo, Barbera, Nebbiolo and other local wines.
Drive along winding Barolo country roads, gazing in awe at the spectacular hill views and up to hill town Castiglione Falletto. Light lunch alfresco on a cafe patio with lovely wine country views.
Drive to a fine restaurant outside a Barolo wine country town for a hands-on cooking class with a young, passionate, creative chef who welcomes you warmly. Some of his typical, local dishes with his creative touches: delicate little torte with asparagus and cod, tasty risotto with Barbera wine and tuma cheese cream, semifreddo with boysenberries, white chocolate and mint. Savour your creations with great Piedmont wines.
Tuesday
Visit a torrone candy factory to see how they make the famous Piedmont nougat of local hazelnuts and chocolate. Yummy!
Visit a family’s farm where friendly Francesca shares a slice of their everyday life with you. They produce cheeses and most of what they eat. Eat a light, scrumptious farm lunch and chat with her at the table. Visit the farm after lunch to experience a slice of country life.
Visit a well known, family run Barolo winery where you’ll chuckle as you tour their cellars, learn their family’s story and taste their fine wines.
Dinner on your own.
Wednesday
Drive into the high hills to visit a hazelnut tree grove. This region is famous for its hazelnuts. Walk through the hazelnut trees to learn how they grow and harvest hazelnuts and what local dishes feature hazelnuts.
Drive into other high hills to a small, family farm to meet a man passionate about making his sheep cheeses in a totally natural way. Learn how he makes his cheeses in the cheese making room. In a divine picnic, you sample a range of his cheeses as he eagerly tells you all you’d ever want to know. You may even meet his sheep!
Stroll through the delightful medieval heart of Alba, a small bustling city and hub of the Barolo and Barbaresco wine country. Visit a bakery to learn about local pastries and desserts. Visit truffle shops. Browse the high quality clothing and houseware stores or tempting gastronomy shops like “Peccati della Gola—Sins of the Throat”.
Dinner on your own.
Thursday
In the Barolo wine hill town of Serralunga, visit a unique medieval castle, renovated in 1340. With the castle’s entertaining guide, discover ingenious architectural features that kept invaders out. On the top floor, marvel at the 360 degree views of the countryside and town.
If you wish, we can go on an optional 45 minute walk through the vineyards at Serralunga. Enjoy a light lunch.
Drive to the scenic Barbaresco wine country hills, stroll through town of Barbaresco and visit a small family run winery to chat and taste their excellent wines.
Just outside the town of Barbaresco, enjoy a hands-on cooking class on several dishes with the delightful owners in a well known restaurant set among vineyards. Enjoy your full menu dinner with Barbaresco wines in their cozy dining room or out on their shady terrace with marvelous vineyard views.
Friday
Drive to Pollenzo, home of the University of Gastronomic Sciences. Visit their famous Banco del Vino, a huge wine museum where you can learn about wines from all of Italy’s regions and taste some of the most prestigious wines. You’ll taste a variety of wines from all over Italy. Enjoy a light lunch.
Back to your hotel to relax.
Drive to Sinio where friendly local women, excellent home cooks, welcome you warmly to a community kitchen for your hands-on cooking class. They show you how to make their families’ traditional dishes, share cooking secrets with you and dine with you around the table. Lots of fun!
Saturday
If you have time, experience market day at the street stalls in Alba, bursting with local people. The colour, pace and sounds of this action filled extravaganza will amaze you. A lively, genuine slice of Italian life! If we go to Alba, lunch is on your own.
Reluctantly depart for Turin or for Alba’s train station and leave your new Barolo wine country friends, taking with you heartfelt memories of all the laughter, sensual experiences, beauty, food and wine you shared together.
