Three days in Piedmont in April — couple of questions

My wife and I are celebrating our 30th in Europe this spring and I’ve not been to Piedmont in a long time. We’ve got lodging covered at the Relais & Chateau property in Gaurene (I mention that in case anyone has any warnings for us — but, it looked like a nice place for such an occasion).

Here are the questions:

  • I used to make appointments on my own through retailers, importers, and emails (even letters, back in the day). I was considering hiring a local guide to take us around to some of the places we’re interested in visiting (PdB, E. Grasso, Brovia, Vajra, Cogno are favorites). Does anyone have any suggestions going this route? I’m super busy at work and would really prefer hire this out and save all the stress of finding places, introductions, etc.

  • With which producers have you had great visits? Any not to miss? I have a history with those I noted above from a drinking perspective — but, I love a good visit more than a mediocre tourist visit to some producer everyone wants to hit…

  • As an alternative to the more bespoke arranged option, as I haven’t done this in 15 years, what’s the best way to arrange visits these days absent a personal guide (e.g., importer, email, retailer…)?

  • There are countless threads on restaurants, but, if anyone wants to throw out their ‘don’t miss this…’ while you’re there, I’d be grateful.

  • If anyone is going to be there in early April and wants to meet us for lunch, dinner, or tasting, we would be game.

Very much appreciate the help.

I’m wondering whether you need a guide (as opposed to just a driver) since you know who you like and have gone your own emailing.
If you want Giacosa or G. Conterno, you’ll need help getting in (importer, not guide I think) but at least prepandemic, Brovia was super easy, both Rinaldi’s were easy. I think Cogno had a fee that went towards a purchase but easy to arrange.

Mascarello, Giacosa I went through the importer right when they switched. Friends who tried that route (who weren’t retail clients) didn’t get in… Conterno I did myself but was lucky.

I’m not sure you need an appointment at PdB (I had one but didn’t get anything special that walking didn’t). I crashed a Gaja tasting the same afternoon (just asked at the door)that had more special bottling a- but I preferred the PdB

Of course that’s harder than having someone do it for you, but when I think of help for those, I think of distributors and others ITB.

Plenty of restaurant recommendations on the older thread, who knows how they are during these times. Trattoria della Poste was my favorite (had a 60th birthday party there, get the rabbit if that appeals).


Brovia has been my best among those that aren’t super hard to get in.

Just a quick thought… but have you asked the concierge at your accommodation to arrange? I would suspect they’re very connected and can get you in to most of the places you list.

They’re closed for renovation right now — but, yes — I was going to go that route (potentially) after getting feedback from here….

As to restaurants - one of our favorites (we had lunch there) a few years ago was Marc Lanterni Al Castello, in Grinzane Cavour: https://marclanteri.superbexperience.com/

Also the obvious one - La Ciau del Tornavento. The Uova in Cocotte is incredible - not sure if they have a version of it outside of white truffle season.

Thanks for the dinner suggestion. Booked Marc Lanteri…. Looks great.

I would highly recommend Osteria Veglio for dinner. Also really liked Tre Case in Serralunga but it has been a few years since my last visit.

Enjoy your trip :wine_glass:

In 2019 I was able to lineup a great day fairly easily via email. I’m pretty sure I heard back from all or most of who I contacted. The day was Burlotto, Vajra, G Rinaldi and Massolino.

Also, many producers are using the service called Winearound, where you can book directly from their website - Cogno, Oddero and Vietti were on there last time I checked. You can look up Winearound’s site and see a list of clients.

I’ve also exchanged emails with a tour guide who seemed knowledgeable. I can’t remember her name off the top of my head but could probably dig it up.

For a tour guide, you can try Anna Savino at italiannawinetours.com or @italiannawinetours on IG.

We used Alba Wine Tours last year. We did a tour with a couple from Copenhagen last year. Our driver (Stefano) was great. I know little about Piedmont, but we visited two lesser known producers (Pira & Stroppiana) in Barolo, and one producer (Grasso Fratelli) in Barbaresco, with lunch in the middle at an excellent place between Barolo and La Morra. We ended up sending a case and a half back that arrived well before we did.

This is the same one I exchanged emails with, referenced in my post above. Seems like a great contact.

It’s lovely to see you went to Fratelli Grasso, very much a lesser known winery. As so often with smaller places, we found them friendly and welcoming. They also had some back vintages available and from memory I walked away with a back vintage Magnum for a price so cheap I felt guilty about it.

My number one recommendation would be to stop in at La Vite Turchese in the town of Barolo. Amazing little enoteca and wine shop with serious wines available by the glass under Coravin. Great selection of bottles to go as well as stuff to taste with excellent cheeses and meats.

Ian, I had planned to bring back a case of wine from the region, but ended up getting the extra half case at Fratelli Grasso, as I was able to pick up several bottles each from 2008 and 2011 at very reasonable prices.

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Fratelli Grasso was so fun. My wife and I were there in 2016 - we had a lovely conversation in broken English, German, and Italian. They were offering the 2005 Barbaresco for 19 euros.

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I think I paid 30 euros for their 2008 Barbaresco Valgrande Riserva. Their Dolcetto, Barbera, and Langhe Nebbiolo were great too, but it made no sense to bring those back when you could get the Barbaresco for a few euros more. I probably should have brought back more…

Rick, thank you for bringing back a memory.

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I lived in SW Germany from 2011 - 2015. My wife and I did a couples trip to Piedmont around 2014. It was one of favorite trips in Europe. I took pretty good notes, but they are dated now. Still, you might find some useful details for your trip. (I planned it and did it on my own.) Cheers!

You’re likely approaching your trip? I am jealous.

I had a random question about a memory - that probably doesn’t deserve its own thread so I’ll put it here… Wine service in many of the restaurants we went to in Piedmont was done in a particular way that was unusual to an American - I am trying to remember what it was. I feel like it involved pouring back and forth several times between two wine glasses, or tilting the glass to entirely coat the inside … something along those lines that we don’t tend to see in the US. Can anyone remind me of the details? (this is of course in addition to wines being stored vertically more often than not !!! )

They were seasoning the glass. The water over there reacts poorly with wine, so rinsing a glass with water is no help. They use a little wine to rinse the glass to insure that there isn’t any water in there.

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