Follow the Piedmont
+ Local Events link to see the wide range of special events in
Piedmont, from Italy’s oldest Palio to the renowned antiques market,
from the re-enactment of medieval sieges to the vendemmia – the wine
harvest, when the roads are full of tractors carrying grapes to the
presses....
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Wine, Truffles and Superb Food
La Villa is ideally situated for the enjoyment of the 'finer things in life'. Surrounded by vineyards as far as the eye
can see, the local area is at the centre of wine production in the Monferrato hills, with many important producers minutes away.
In the Autumn, truffles grow in abundance in the valley below the hotel and the quality and style of the local cuisine will
have you remembering tastes, smells and textures for weeks afterwards.
We are a short trip away from the world renowned vineyards of Barolo and Barbaresco, the truffle fair at Alba,
the food and wine festivals in Asti and many other culinary experiences, including fabulous cheeses, amaretti biscuits and
luxury hand made chocolates. Coming here, it's always good to pack light as you will need all the space you can get for the
journey home.
From our own research and from feedback from our guests, we have chosen what we believe to be among the best experiences
throughout the area:
Wine
Piedmont is a wine lover's paradise. It produces more quality wine than any other region in Italy, and has a host of
different types of wine often unheard of outside Italy. It also has a lot of passionate wine makers. We have excellent
relationships with a large number of award winning (Decanter, International Wine Challenge, etc.) wine producers throughout
each of the main wine-producing areas, where we can book you in for tours of the wineries, together with tastings.
The areas we cover include Monferrato, Langhe and Roero where the famous reds of Barolo, Barbaresco and Barbera are produced
alongside the equally famous whites of Gavi, Asti and Moscato. There is also a wide range of other indigineous grapes to try
- Dolcetto,Ruche, Grignolino and Arneis to name only a few, as well as some superb Grappa. Often, we will co-ordinate your visit
directly with the owners of the wineries and they will personally host your visit.
Independent Tours - for those of our guests who prefer to set their own pace, we organise personal itineraries. You simply
let us know what types of wine you are interested in, or what wineries, and we liaise with the wine producers to put together a
programme of visits and tastings to suit your taste buds.
Hosted Tours - for those guests who prefer to let someone else do the navigating and the driving (together with an English-
speaking host, if required). Again, the wineries to be visited will be based upon your own preferences.
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Organised Tours - for larger groups of guests we also have our own, all-inclusive, eno-gastronomic tours, taking in the best
of Piedmont's wines and food (including truffle hunts) the Italian way - relaxed, informal but always top quality. For groups, we are happy to arrange a tailor-made
trip. For details of the November tour, or to get ideas for a tailor-made trip, just click here.
Wine Appreciation
- accompanied by one of the local major wine producers, we can organise wine appreciation sessions here at the hotel. You will learn
how the experts taste wine and what they are looking for, the jargon and, most importantly, how to find the wines that you will most
enjoy.
Truffles
The Piedmont area is known throughout the world for its truffles - especially the white truffle. The Truffle season starts officially on
15th September and continues to the 3rd weekend in November; the later in the season, the better the quality. And during these months,
this region goes truffle mad. There are fairs every weekend - the main ones in October are in Alba, and then in Asti in November -
and the restaurants are filled with that distinctive, earthy aroma.
For many, part of the pleasure is in the hunting. La Villa is within walking distance of one of the most prolific regions for truffles
in the area. You will join our local expert who has been
pulling truffles from the ground for at least 3 decades. He and his very accomplished dog, Rocky, will 'sniff out' the most likely places
to find our own 'white gold'. They have now being mentioned on the Letterman show; appeared on the BBC and The Luxury Channeland are in Franceso's Italy - apparently, Vanity Fair is next! Amongst his first finds of the season with us, was this fist-sized one which fetched 150 euros.
At the end of your hunt, you can buy the truffles at 'straight from the ground' prices, and having built up an appetite, take it to one of
our locally recommended gourmet restaurants, where they will grate, slice or shave it onto your meal.
Restaurants and Eating Out
Piedmont is highly renowned for the quality of its cuisine and there are many exceptional restaurants within easy driving distance of
the hotel. Whether your preference is for an 8 course gourmet meal enjoyed over two to three hours with fine wines, coffee and liqueuers,
a simple pasta or pizza or something in between, we will have plenty of choices for you - and many with stunning views!
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