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.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
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
-
6 stylish homes in Portland, Oregon
Feature Featuring a wall of windows in Collins View and a historic ballroom in Portland Heights
By The Week US Published
-
What's next for US interest rates?
The Explainer Stubborn inflation forestalls anticipated rate cuts
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
Russia rattles nuclear saber, orders tactical nuke drills
Speed Read President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian military to hold nuclear weapons drills in response to Western "threats"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
6 stylish homes in Portland, Oregon
Feature Featuring a wall of windows in Collins View and a historic ballroom in Portland Heights
By The Week US Published
-
My Arbor: a unique treetop retreat in the Dolomite mountains
The Week Recommends Detox like a true European in the South Tyrol region of northernmmost Italy
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Tom Crewe's 6 favorite works that challenge societal norms
Feature The novelist recommends works by Margaret Oliphant, Patrick White, and more
By The Week US Published
-
On the trail of India’s wild lions at Sasan Gir National Park
The Week Recommends The sanctuary is a 'roaring' conservation success
By The Week UK Published
-
Recipe: almond marmalade cake
The Week Recommends This syrupy cake can be toasted for brunch
By The Week UK Published
-
Properties of the week: houses with enchanting gardens
The Week Recommends Featuring pretty homes in Hampshire, Devon and West Sussex
By The Week UK Published
-
Venice Biennale 2024: from the good to the bad to the downright 'bizarre'
The Week Recommends Central exhibition features the work of some 330 artists
By The Week UK Published
-
Sunset Song: gripping theatre that's 'close to magic'
The Week Recommends Morna Young's 'first-class adaptation' of Lewis Grassic Gibbon's classic novel
By The Week UK Published