Italy food and wine travel: living it up in southern Piedmont
This Unesco-listed area ‘rivals the hills of Chianti as a poster child for the good life’
In the decades after the Second World War, life in rural southern Piedmont was tough, and many locals left for Argentina, the US or jobs in the factories of Turin. But today, this Unesco-listed area of outstanding natural beauty “rivals the hills of Chianti as a poster child for the good life”, said Lee Marshall in Condé Nast Traveller. One reason for its transformation was the rise of the local wine industry in the 1980s. The vineyards of Barolo and Barbaresco now turn out some of Italy’s most “highly prized” red wines. The region’s gastronomic scene has followed suit: there are now 22 Michelin stars spread over 20 restaurants in the countryside around Alba and, more recently, tourist accommodation has improved, too. The “stylish” Relais San Maurizio resort and spa led the way when it opened in 2002, and last year there were two further big openings – the “Alpine chic” Casa di Langa, and Nordelaia, “a boutique stay in a coolly converted farmhouse”.
Alba is lovely, with its “pugnacious” skyline bristling with medieval towers and its abundance of “boutiques, wine bars and delis”. Nearby Bra is the headquarters of the Slow Food movement: it was founded here in the 1980s to “defend the local culinary culture”. It has plenty of “flowery charm”. And there’s much for enthusiasts of both wine and art to see nearby, including the Ceretto winery (which has a transparent domed tasting room like “a Bond villain’s lair”, and a wayside chapel that was transformed into a wildly colourful “site-specific installation” by the artists Sol LeWitt and David Tremlett in 1999).
Visit relaissanmaurizio.it, casadilanga.com and nordelaia.com for more information.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Quiz of The Week: 16 - 22 November
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By The Week Staff Published
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures Firing shells, burning ballots, and more
By Anahi Valenzuela, The Week US Published
-
Damian Barr shares his favourite books
The Week Recommends The writer and broadcaster picks works by Alice Walker, Elif Shafak and others
By The Week UK Published
-
Damian Barr shares his favourite books
The Week Recommends The writer and broadcaster picks works by Alice Walker, Elif Shafak and others
By The Week UK Published
-
The Great Mughals: a 'treasure trove' of an exhibition
The Week Recommends The V&A's new show is 'spell-binding'
By The Week UK Published
-
Aston Martin Vanquish: 'the best Aston Martin full stop'?
The Week Recommends The third-generation Vanquish 'offers spectacular performance'
By The Week UK Published
-
Her Lotus Year: Paul French's new biography sets lurid rumours straight
The Week Recommends Wallis Simpson's year in China is less scandalous, but 'more interesting' than previously thought
By The Week UK Published
-
Say Nothing: 'sensational' dramatisation of Patrick Radden Keefe's bestselling book
The Week Recommends The series is a 'powerful reminder' of the Troubles
By The Week UK Published
-
Joy: fertility film starring Bill Nighy offers 'dose of seasonal cheer'
The Week Recommends The film about the invention of the fertility treatment is 'unassuming' but may 'sneak up on you'
By The Week UK Published
-
Ed Park's 6 favorite works about self reflection and human connection
Feature The Pulitzer Prize finalist recommends works by Jason Rekulak, Gillian Linden, and more
By The Week US Published
-
6 fantastic homes in Columbus, Ohio
Feature Featuring a 1915 redbrick Victorian in German Village and a modern farmhouse in Woodland Park
By The Week Staff Published