FOOD TOURS
Food Tours
All of my tours are full-day, with a fully-customised itinerary just for you.
I will meet you at your lodging or a suitable pick-up point (such as a rail station, for example), and accompany you all day, before you return to your accomodation.
In between, you will get to visit local food producers, see how they work and taste their products. You will also have lunch in a typical restaurant or osteria.
Below is a sample itinerary for a one-day food tour.
Sample Itinerary
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What is Included
All of my tours are custom-made to fit your requirements. Below is a typical template for a day of food-related activities: it starts here and can go in whatever direction you would like. If you have any special interests or requests, such as 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 Cheese Producer Visit – First stop will be an artisan cheese producer. The visit will include a tour of the facility and a detailed explanation of the methods used to produce the cheese, and a visit to the stable to see the animals.
12.00 – 14.00 Lunch – Lunch will be at the cheese producer in order to taste the products – it wouldn’t be much fun if you couldn’t do that.
14.30 – 16.30 Afternoon Visit to Hazelnut Producer – Following lunch, we will move on to the second visit of the day. We will tour the hazelnut producer’s facility, with explanations of hazelnut cultivation and the production methods used. Then we will sample a range of products such as roasted hazelnuts, hazelnut cakes, and ‘Nutella’-style spreads.
17.00 Return to Lodging – After the second visit, you will return to your lodging, typically around 17.00.
What the tour includes, and what it doesn’t…
Included – My 25+ years of experience in the wine industry, as well as all the contacts, knowledge and experience I have gained over nearly 20 years living in Piemonte.
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 and/or activity fees are not included since these vary considerably, especially if private or specialised tastings or activities are requested. Pricing for all the activities will be provided when discussing and planning the tour – no-one wants nasty surprises on the day…
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.
Any and all activities not included in the agreed tour itinerary.
Anything not specifically mentioned in the ‘What’s Included’ section.
As mentioned above, this is simply a sample of what you can expect on a food-only tour. If you are interested in visiting a chocolate producer, then we can do that. If you would like to go for a lovely walk in the woods looking for truffles, let me know! If you are interested in more than one day in the region, then there is a button below for that. If you are interested in just wine producers, there is another button for that. And if you would like to visit other regions in Italy, there is even a button for that…!
Food Tour Options Include
Artisan Pasta Maker Lunch. 3 pasta courses plus dessert, paired with wine. We visit his pasta making facility, with the pasta lunch prepared for us using homemade sauces created from the family’s kitchen-garden.
Artisan Sheep’s Cheese producer visit. Includes a tour of the facility with explanation of the work and the cheese followed by a tasting. Also available as a lunch. March to October only – Silvio only makes cheese during this time.
Hazelnut Farm visit. Includes a tour of the facility and a taste of their products. Also available as a lunch.
Artisan Chocolate producer visit. Includes an introduction to the process of making chocolate, followed by a tasting. September to April only – Mauro does not make chocolate during the hottest months of the year.
Cooking Classes. These range from simple pasta making to an entire meal, with prices varying accordingly. Duration: 2-3 hours plus eating time.
Truffle Hunt. Includes an introduction to truffles and the work of the truffle hunter and their dogs. Suitable footwear can be provided upon prior request.
Contact Me
If this has whetted your appetite, then good…! Don’t hang about wondering if you should book your tour – contact me for more details and pricing!
E-mail me at evan@piemontemio.com to find out more.
