Looking for inspiration…?
If you happened upon my previous blog post, you will know it contained season’s greetings for Christmas & New Year. But they feel long gone now and your holiday is over. So you’ll be wanting some inspiration to keep you going through the long, cold, dark days ahead.
Well, if the thought of dry January and leaden skies for the next 3 months doesn’t fire your imagination, perhaps dreaming of your next overseas trip will…
That could be you in the header-photo above
All you need to do is contact me and get yourself over here!
And you could be doing all this, and more…:
Vineyard and village visits with views of the Alps (terms & conditions apply – it may not be clear enough to see the Alps…), above.
Castle visits, below.
Towers and world-famous wine producers:
Brilliant tastings with views to die for. On this occasion, we were able to watch some locals on a wild boar hunt as we tasted Cru Barolo…
Brilliant tastings with views to die for II: this is the view that greets you at Luigi Pira, looking out onto their Barolo Crus of Marenca & Margheria:
…Which you then taste…:
So that’s the morning taken care of…
…so after tasting, watching a boar hunt and visiting villages, you’ll need some lunch. But first you’ll need an aperitivo to get the juices going.
Something like this…:
Which naturally leads onto something like this:
Followed by this…
Suitably fortified, you’ll feel able to go out tasting again…!
Above, the incomparable Chiara Boschis talks about history, the vineyards and the future of the organic estate.
Below, Massolino impresses (they have a great view, too, but I can’t include everything…).
And as if that’s not enough, there is always the odd wine bar to pop into:
After all that, you’ll probably need somewhere to sleep…
How would you like it to be here? Well, it can be – all you need to do is book with the Hotel Castello di Sinio!
If you would prefer something built after 1142, then there is always Casa di Langa:
Once you’ve checked-in, only a simple dinner is required:
If this looks like the sort of thing for you, then here’s a breakdown of what you can expect on a typical day out tasting wine in my neck of the woods:
Sample Itinerary
&
What is included
All of my tours are custom-made to fit your requirements. Below is a typical template for a day tasting wine in the Langhe, Roero or Monferrato: it starts here and can go in whatever direction you would like. If you have any special interests or requests, such as visiting food producers or hunting for truffles, just let me know: I will do my best to make the tour exactly what you hoped for, plus a little bit more…
Sample itinerary
09.30 Pick-up – Generally within a 30 minute drive of Alba. Usually pick-up will be at your lodging, but if you are coming for a day trip from Turin, for example, then a convenient rail station would be suitable.
10.00 – 12.00 Morning Wine Tasting – First stop will be a wine tasting in the Monferrato, Roero or Langhe, depending upon the region chosen.
Optional Village Stop.
12.30 – 14.30 Lunch – Lunch will usually be 2 courses with local wine, water and coffee at a typical restaurant or osteria. But you can go as big as you like…
15.00 – 17.00 Afternoon Wine Tasting – Following lunch, we will move on to the second tasting of the day. Again, the location of the winery will depend upon the region chosen.
17.30 Return to Lodging – After the second tasting, you will return to your lodging, typically around 17.30.
What the tour includes, and what it doesn’t…
Included – Program planning, including logistics, transport, appointments and lunch bookings.
A full itinerary will be sent to you prior to the tour and includes dates and times for every visit/stop, links to producers visited, contact information and any applicable fees (e.g.: winery tasting fees).
Not Included – Tasting fees are not included since these vary considerably, especially if private or specialised tastings are requested.
Lunch is not included in the tour price – that way you are free to choose whatever you wish to eat and drink: from white truffles to Cru Barolo.
Extra activities such as cooking classes, truffle hunts and other specialised activities or visits are not included. Pricing for these can be provided upon request.
Any and all activities not included in the agreed tour itinerary.
Anything not specifically mentioned in the ‘What The Tour Includes’ section.
If you’re interested in other tours, click on the buttons below:
Right, there should be enough there to whet the appetite and give you a little something to look forward to. All you need to do is send me an e-mail and we can arrange experiences to entertain, elevate and amuse. As well as connect you profoundly with this wonderful land and leave you with memories to last a lifetime.
So what are you waiting for…?
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