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Does anyone have an email contact at Luciano Sandrone. My emails are either not going to the correct place or… Thanks
I don’t think there’s a Massolino tasting room in Barolo. Do you mean Damilano? That is open on Sunday. Marchesi di Barolo is also open on Sunday for walk-ins.
When I went last year, the only places I found open on Sunday for scheduled visits were La Spinetta and Ceretto. Don’t know if they interest you. I didn’t go to either so I can’t say whether they’re worth visiting.
It indeed still is a great restaurant, but also consider Locanda dell’Arco which has an amazingly deep wine list. The region is definitely worth a visit for a great Sunday lunch.
The sommelier’s name is Iulian Groza and as you say he is a great character. Last year we dined twice at San Marco and were very happy at both occasions.
Me and my wife will stay a week in Canelli in October, within walking distance to San Marco. It will be our second stay in Canelli, having previously stayed in Nizza Monferrato a couple of times.
Yes meant Damilano. Thanks for the info on Ceretto and La Spinetta. I have a appointment for Ceretto and will try to arrange La Spinetta.
I was able to get in Sandrone now as well. One week to go. So looking forward.
Another thought: The village tasting rooms in Barolo, La Morra and Castiglione may well be open on Sundays, and that would give you a chance to taste some producers you might not otherwise.
I believe La Vite Turchese in the town of Barolo is open on Sunday. I highly recommend going there and have Stefano set you up with a comprehensive tasting of Barolo or barbaresco. Great selection. Great place and great people. Don’t miss it.
Agree with John M that the regional Enoteca are a good Sunday option. In fact, the one in barbaresco typically holds a giant tasting and festival (Piacere Barbaresco) in late October that runs a full weekend. The date for this may not have been announced yet but you could drop them a note and ask.
The Alba truffle festival is of course ongoing in Oct/Nov and is open Sundays.
All of the vineyards are “open” 24/7 and there are a number of marked walking trails so Sundays are great for hiking off the big meals and soaking in the incredible scenery.
I wanted to give a short update and a major thank you to everyone who responded as your replies were very helpful. Hopefully my update will help someone as well. Sorry I’m late as it takes awhile to recover from such a great trip:
We drove in from Milan and stayed at Cascina delle Rose in Barbaresco area. Their signature wine is Rio Sordo where their Cascina is located. Tre Stella I guess is their top wine but I think it may be a selection of Rio Sordo. Anyway Riccardo is a great host/winemaker/farmer/business man etc. He was very accommodating and helpful in making reservations etc. My friend is a US importer for them as well. Very comfortable apartment with a kitchen we never used as we were there to eat out. We were there to sight see and just take it in, the wine was secondary on this trip.
After checking in we drove up to Barbaresco for aperitivo, then dinner at Antine’. Wow. We were the only ones there (Tuesday night) and the staff were great. 7 course meal with wine parings which were very nice (and local). Expensive and elegant but very very good. I forget all the wine selections specifically but the entire experience was great. I felt kind of selfish being the only ones in the restaurant with such an elaborate meal. Amazing. This is a Micheline star type place.
Next day (Wednesday), had a tasting/tour at Albino Rocca about a half mile away in Barbaresco-just the three of us. The sisters who run the place were wonderful. I mentioned I had some late 98 and 01’s of theirs and she gave me a funny look and said “we changed our style from that era” and were going more for traditional/ elegance. They got rid of barrique and went to large casks which I am happy about. No more of the old de Grazie roasted oak mess. Wines tasted great.
Lunch at Aromatario in Neive. Very nice casual laid back traditional place. We got an assortment of pastas and antipasta and entrees. Over ordered but oh well. Wine list is amazing but we stuck with Nebbiolo d Alba most of the trip as the wine was excellent and inexpensive- like $20-25/bottle. Unreal bargain. Neive is a beautiful town. Just take some time to walk around.
Toured the Barbaresco tower. I never realized the history there.
Afternoon visit back at Cascina delle Rose for a tour and tasting. Great wines. Then we walked to dinner up the road at Tastè which is fairly casual and modern. Very nice and more my style than the formal Micheline star type places. Great food as everywhere on this trip. Building is an old school house from the 1800’s. Very cool place. I would go back repeatedly if I could.
Thursday morning we went to Alba and walked around the main drag. Unfortunately not truffle season but we bought some souvenirs at one of the truffle places. It’s worth a visit for a few hours for sure. We just popped into some old cathedral which was very old and beautiful and we were the only ones in there. I’m used to throngs of tourists in most of the churches we go into in Europe so this was nice to be the only ones in there.
Morning visit at Marchesi di Gresy. Big producer but friendly people. Barrique for some of their wines like Barbara, but most of the Nebbiolo is in traditional large casks. They do a lot of nontraditional grapes like Chardonnay and such.
Headed to lunch at Osteria dell’Unione in Treiso. My importer friends highly recommended this place for really good home cooked food. They were right. We just told them to bring whatever they were cooking and we were not disappointed. Amazing.
We drove to Barolo area for the afternoon and stopped in La Morra which is a beautiful town and I think the highest point in the area. Amazing views. Got some local chocolates and candies and espresso, then to Scavino for an afternoon tour. They are very modern and corporate although very nice and hospitable. Lots of barrique which is not my style. It felt industrial.
We killed some time by going to Serralunga which is another beautiful town. Walked around and went to their Vinoteca to look around. Wow. Back to La Morra for aparativo, then dinner at Marc Lanteri Al Castello di Grinzane. Very elegant place in a castle. Wow, just wow. Another Michelin type place.
Friday morning (last day), we checked out and drove back to Barolo area and had a magnificant intimate visit to O Viberti in the shadow of La Morra hill. Osvaldo was out of town but his wife Carla was the most hospitable, enjoyable person you will ever meet. Very generous and she poured my favorite wine of the trip: Barolo Serralunga 2012. Amazing wine.
Then lunch just down the road at L’Osteria del Vignaiolo. Another winner meal. Just perfect al fresco dining overlooking the vineyards and La Morra hill.
We then stopped in Cherasco to walk around the ancient Roman city. Really unique compared to the other medieval towns we had been in. Straight grid streets. Very old. Very cool. Their claim to fame is their chocolates and snails which we bought for gifts. Go there if you have an hour or two to spare.
Drove back to Milan to catch an early flight back the next day. Ate at Trippa in Milan which was really nice and laid back. You need reservations as it is really popular.
This was a phenomenal trip and I can’t wait to return. Thank all of you once again for all the tips.
Hi Tom
Many thanks for the notes, and nice to hear of another good apartment in what is a good location. Loved that you planned so you could walk a few times, avoiding the problem of a designated driver missing out a little. Also good to see you getting into the culture of aperitivo, which can be a real joy.
Perhaps the only criticism we’d have of Osteria dell’Unione, was it was a little too warm inside (this in May 2012), but I admire how they seem to have ignored some rather ill-judged praise of being on a well-publicised ‘top 10 places to eat’ list, and carried on doing good trattoria food.
The hospitality is excellent isn’t it? A common theme in Italy once away from the mass tourism trail.
Regards
Ian
Thanks again for all the suggestions. When we arrived Saturday we did was recommended by Rich and stopped by for a mega tasting at La Vita Turchese. This was a great way to start as Stefano. brought out maps and explained the different areas and soils. Nothing mind blowing but very broad and educational particularly for the wife and had some nice charcuterie to go along. Afternoon tasting was at Vietti and the tour was nice as they have a very old and deep facility. Very broad tasting but the highlights were the 2014 Riserva. Disappointed not to be able to purchase any of their single vineyards on site. Beautiful property. Tasting was 40 Euro.
Yesterday Sunday was low key. Drove to Alba and Sinio and La Morra. Lunch at Mange in town center which was okay. Much in Alba was closed on Sunday. Got back to hotel in late afternoon right in tone for World Cup which we forgot about. Watched the game (France!) with an Elio Grasso Casa Mate 2012 which was amazingly good. Dinner was a highlight. La Ciau Tornavento outside Alba. Incredible view and one of the most amazing well priced wine list. Could not pass up the 2010 Casanova Neri Tenuta Nova on the list for a price you can’t find at retail anymore. It was as good as expected. They let me purchase a bottle of it and a1997 Le Pergole again at a price you just can’t find. Tour of the cellar was the highlight. If you go you have to see it. It is breathtaking. A Wall of D’yquem including 15Ls. It goes on forever and is so well designed. 70k bottles.
Off to B Masaarello, Conterno Fantino, Scavino and Vajra today. Report back.
The cellar at La Ciau is ridiculous!
I have a couple more questions about an upcoming trip at the end of October.
Do I need to make reservations for lunch? Centro Storico in Serralunga d’Alba, and possibly Aromatico in Neive and Osteria Taste near Treiso. We are planning on Bovio, but not sure if it will be lunch or dinner. Perhaps Ciau del Tornavento and Trattoria Della Posta. I assume dinner reservations are a must.
Right now I have Nada Fiorenzo, Sottimano and Paitin confirmed for Barbaresco wineries. I’d like to add one more. Produttori said no tours at that time, but to stop by the tasting room.
For Barolo wineries, Vajra and Massolino are confirmed. I am going to add two more, possibly Cavallotto, Brovia or Frat. Alessandria. Something around Castiglione Falletto.
On the back end we are going to go to Lake Como for a couple days. Likely Bellagio. Any recommendations for things to do up there?
I’m not sure about lunch reservations, but it’s probably wise because that’s peak tourism season, in the middle of truffle festival.
Here is my cut and paste from another board of my July tip with some modifications to help with some of John’s questions
I spent 4 days in the Barolo region in late July and we stayed a Il Boscareto that was in Serralunga d’Alba and was an easy spot to drive to everything in short order. I visited Vietti* on Saturday when I arrived. Sunday was a touring day as many places were closed (although Ceretto and La Spinetta are open on Sunday) and we went to Alba. Monday and Tuesday were Barolo boot camp and we went to B Mascarello*, Conterno Fantino* and Scavino* and Vajra*#. Tuesday was G Rinaldi#, E Grasso#, Cavalotto* and (the best for last) L Sandrone#. (*You can purchase wine at the winery) (#-tasted with owner or wine maker)
The only tasting that we paid for was Vietti and it was a group tour but they poured a fair bit of wines in addition to the 3 Baroli we paid for.
Each place was a worthwhile visit between the wines and people as everyone was friendly and generous.
For Barolo-some places poured 13s and others 14s where the former was obviously better.
I was able to do 4 visits a day and still have time for lunch. I only had to rush away from one tasting that I would have liked to stay a bit longer.
Discovery was the Freisa varietal, which is a Nebbiolo ancestor, l I tasted at a few places
Some highlights. I enjoyed getting into Mascarello and Rinaldi as these can be difficult appointments. At Mascarello I had the tasting with an ex-pat and briefly met Maria Teresa. The 2013 was quite nice and they even let me purchase a bottle of the it with the art label. Bartolo drew many labels that were found after his death and and a small amount of them make it onto the wines. Very cool. It is a very small facility right in Barolo.
At Rinaldi I met one of the daughters Carlotta who is making the wine now and since it is such a small operation they do limited visits. It is very traditional and old operation in a beautiful estate right outside of the town. We had the 2014 Baroli and they were obviously quite young. Both of the wineries wines are not easy to find in the US and the prices are quite high when trying to source these wines locally.
Scavino is a beautiful property and they poured a lot of wines with the highlight being 2011 Barolo Riserva Novantesimo and I was able to get a bottle for much less that I could get in the states.Vajra was last minute but very happy I got it on my schedule as mother and daughter Isidoro and Francesca were wonderful people and their wines were quite nice. A common theme in Barolo are the prominent roles of women at the wineries.
Grasso Barolo (which I drank throughout the week in Italy) was a great visit and I even got to taste the 2010 Runcot which was a top wine of the trip and still looking to source some in the US. This 2 non reserve Case Mate and Chiniera Baroli provide incredible value. Also the Cavalotto are top notch and provide great value.
The highlight of the trip was without a doubt Barbara Sandrone and I’d really like to thank Monica Larner for facilitating the introduction. The 2013 Baroli (Vigne and Aleste) were two of the wines of the trip but Barbara is an amazing person. So genuine and animated and passionate, there are not enough superlatives. This is the type of visit that brings you back. Fortunately I was able to source a bunch of bottles locally for a decent price. (Total Wine sometimes ain’t all bad)
For food: When we first got in I scheduled a light lunch and tasting at La Vita Turchese so I can give my wife an overview of the region and wines. Stefano was a great host with maps and great knowledge.
Dinner at Centric Storico in Serraluga was nice and casual.
La Ciau del Tornavento was a highlight because of the food, view and cellar tour. You talk about a jaw dropping cellar. It makes it worth the trip. We had a non Barolo 2010 Casanova Tenuta Nova which was a top wine of the trip. I was able to purchase a bottle of that and 2007 Le Pergole Torte from them. Trattoria Della Posta was pretty good. Ristorante Guido in Fontanafredda was a beautiful with great food. Another wine af the trip was 2010 Aldo Conterno Cicala and I was able to buy a bottle to take home as well.
Great trip. The region was amazing, easy to navigate, beautiful vistas, and friendly people. I’ve always liked Barolo but this trip cemented the knowledge and the love. It will (already has) have a larger representation in the cellar.
We followed this up with several days in Bellagio on Lake Como at Grand Hotel Sebelloni and it was of the most beautiful locations on earth.
Activities in Como tend to center around ferry visits to the other towns and boat tours. Varenna is a must from Bellagio and Mennagio was an okay visit too.
The Michelin starred restaurant has an amazing view but the food was just okay and at ridiculous prices. On the other hand the three piece jazz band nightly in their lounge was fantastic. I had better meals at Salice Blu (where the chef picked us up from the hotel) and you can watch them prepare you meal and Hotel Suisse which has solid food and a good list with a nice view from the terrace. Both in Bellagio. During the day you can get a private or semi-private (much cheaper) and tour the villas. We stopped at VILLA DEL BALBIANELLO and that was a nice tour.
I love Italy
You should check whether end of October is a good period to visit. I wouldn’t be surprised if the area is deserted and pretty cold…but the views remain amazing. Another option would be to visit Milan / Turin?
Thanks everyone. Also, what is the best way to get a case or two of wine back home?
Was just in Piedmont last month and I was lucky enough that a friend of mine had a wine suitcase that I was able to use. Hard cover top with foamy interior with cutouts to fit a case in. Amazon sells them for $300, I was fortunate to be able to borrow one. Hands down the best thing going. I have before checked an extra suitcase with a six bottle shipper inside. The extra cost of $50 is usually offset or close to offset by what you save.
If you don’t want to take over an empty wine suitcase, there is a box company on the main road from Alba to Barolo below Castiglione Falletto that sells shippers and lots of other wine packaging: Albaimballaggi (= Alba Packaging). Click here for map. Their prices were reasonable. Some wineries have shippers, too.
(Beware: The last time I bought from them, they had non-standard hours – they were open until 2 or 2:30, but then closed until 4 or 4:30.)