Wine Tasting – Wine Tours in Italy

SlowFood, the organization aiming to combine the pleasure of food with sustainability and harmony with the nature, offers a wine tour through the Monferrato hills — one of the major wine growing zones in Piedmont — on May 22.

The tour, focusing on Grignolino wine, features visits to local wineries producing this famous wine.

Each of the 25 wineries involved in the tour will be welcoming the visitors with a broad selection of local specialties to pair with their wines.
The tour also features a visit to a Grappa museum.

Where: Casale Monferrato, Piedmont;
When: May 22, 2011.
For more information and how to book the tour, visit http://monferratoslow.com .

Those who are visiting Piedmont in this week, have a great chance to know better the excellent wines Langa territory has to offer.

A fascinating guided wine tasting with famous oenologist Armando Cordero, is being scheduled within one of the top truffle events in Italy, the “International White Truffle Fair of Alba” (held in the town of Alba, Langhe territory, Piedmont, from October 4 through November 9).

Armando Cordero will unveil the emotions great wines from Langa, including Barbaresco D.o.c.g., Barolo D.o.c.g. and Alta Langa D.o.c. Metodo Classico, can offer. A fascinating journey aiming at knowing and comparing unique wines deeply linked with their land of origin.

Dates: on Saturdays and Sundays, from October 4 through November 9. Details at www.fieradeltartufo.org.

The city of Asti, Piedmont, major center of one of most important wine-growing regions, will host its historic festival on September 16: the “Palio di Asti“.

The “Palio of Asti” is the Italy’s most ancient horse race, it has been run since 1275.

For the occasion, the central Piazza Alfieri turns into a racetrack. In the same day a historic procession takes place, with over 1200 characters wearing medieval costumes — including the “Sbandieratori” (traditional flag-wavers), parading through the streets of the ancient centre of the town. Details on
Palio di Asti Website

The area surrounding Asti is well-known for excellent red wines, such as: Barbera d’Asti, Barbera del Monferrato, Cisterna d’Asti, Brachetto, Dolcetto d’Asti, Grignolino d’Asti. Among the whites, we suggest to taste the Asti, a sweet wine, sparkling or still, ideal to accompany pastries, desserts, and fruit.

The grape harvest season is now underway in many of the wine-growing regions in Italy. With the grape harvest season, also many grape and wine festivals are taking place across the Peninsula.

For wine travelers who are visiting Piedmont late September, the wine feast in Casale Monferrato (“Festa del Vino e del Monferrato“) is not to be missed. The festival is taking place from September 14 until 23 (in the week-ends only) in one of the better known areas for excellent wines.

Not far from Casale Monferrato and from Turin, the town of Nichelino will stage its grape and wine festival (“Festa del vino e dell’uva“) from September 19 through 23.
Of course each of these festivals offers free tasting session of local wines and delicacies.

–Where (When): Casale Monferrato (Sept 14-16 and Sept 21-23); Nichelino (Sept 19 through 23);
– See Casale Monferrato and Nichelino on the interactive map.

– Browse accommodations in Piedmont.