Piemonte, better Langhe and Roero

Piemonte

The Piemonte reaches from the Swiss border in the North with the Lago Maggiore and the Alps to the "Highlands" (Lligurian Alpes) behind the coast of Geneva. The Capital City is Torino, or "Fiat City". Other well known parts of the Piemonte:

But when I talked about the Piemonte, my Piemonte, then I mean only parts of the provinces of Cuneo and Asti, mostly only the Langhe with its Capital Alba.


	The province and its Capital Torino

	The province, city and valley of Aosta, which its highway to the Mont Blanc Tunnel.

	The province and city of Novara.

	The region around Vercelli with its plains and the rice fields.

In my Piemonte, or the region of Langhe you can find villages like:



	Alba
	Barolo
	Barbaresco
	Monforte d'Alba
	La Morra
	Neive

	Asti

	Dogliani

	and much, much more

The three regions of Langhe, Roero and Asti are the major wine production region of the Piemonte, or at least the major region of high class wines. Only a few names:


	Barolo
	Barbaresco (little brother of Barolo)
	Dolcetto d'Alba
	Dolcetto Dogliani
	Barbera d'Alba
	Roero Arneis
	Moscato d'Asti

There are so many producers, so many wine houses, that it is not possible for me, to give you only a short overview of the most importent. Go to the website, or buy a (little) Johnson, where you have all the best wines and their producers listet and classified.

But must it always be a classified Barolo, when a "simple" Favorita tastes much better to a traditional Piomentese meal?

And I can say you, the so called "country" kitchen of Piemonte is always a weekend worth.

Aham, you will not find these small native restaurants on this website, that's my secret. Hey, I want a table there, next time a stay at Monforte d'Alba and I don't want to reserve a table, weeks in advance.

These wines are produced out of different grapes. Again only a selection of description of the most importent:


	Nebbiolo
	Dolcetto
	Barbera
	Arneis
	Moscato
	Favorita
	Freisa

There are more grapes, like Cortese, Grignolino and Chardonney.

Black Truffle

In October is one special event every year, the "Fiera dei Tartuffi". Starting with the beginning of the truffle season, mostly the first weekend in October, ending four weeks later. In the last years, the first two weeks are horrible, crowdy, more crowdy, most crowdy. Because in Switzerland, Germany is already the time of the Autumn holidays, the wine producers have finished the vinetage and again time for visitors, for degustation and selling.

Try to visit the Langhe in the last weeks, when the main season of the truffles starts, more of this mushrooms are on the market, the prices are deeper. On the other hand, the weather conditions are more difficult, cooler, more foggy, then the first time.

Don't miss in this time a pasta meal with white truffles!

And don't talk too much about the price. For the much more expensive white truffles you had to pay nearly what the same weight of gold costs.

A few producers in Piemonte:

	Cinzano	with it apertivo Cinzano Bianco, one of the largest wine companies in Piemonte

	Gaja	One of the well known producers of Barbaresco and Barolo

	Levi	One of the well known Grappa producers in Piemonte

I don't say this are the best.
There are other wine producers, with for my taste better and cheaper wines.
There are too other Grappa producers with for my taste have better and cheaper Grappas.

White Truffle

Start a typical Piemontese evening (central Europe style, because the local people NEVER change the wine during diner) with a glas of Moscato in one of the bars.
Start the diner with Antipasti and an Arneis ( like Giovanni Almondo, Euro 13.00 the bottle ). Change to a Dolcetto Dogliani with the Pasta course. Perhaps a Barbaresco or Barolo with Primi or Secondi ( from Euro 25.00 a bottle, up to nowhere for a good year, a rare producer and an expensive restaurant ).
But the most importent, keep in mind, for a diner in Italy you need time, a lot of time. Never take the seats before 8pm and you will leave at 11pm or later, after closing the diner with a "cafe con grappa".