Dolcetto di Dogliani

A few weeks before Christmas my husband had the idea to take a ride over to the Langhe to taste some wines.  He had a specific goal:  he wanted to go to the Bottega di Dolcetto di Dogliani the regional enoteca that is snuggled below the Municipio, right next to the splendid Chiesa dei Santi [...]

Piedmont, the colors of Italy

This is a guest post from my lovely friend, Tuula Mattson.  An American living in France, Tuula has called Europe home for the past 4 years. Having fulfilled a lifelong dream of living  and working in Rome, Italy, she now resides in Provence with a surprisingly charming Frenchman and writes about her three loves: France, Italy, [...]

Viotti Vini, Castel Rocchero, Monferrato

Earlier this week, we took our friends/guests Gina and Dennis to visit the Viotti winery.  It was a beautiful, breezy, Indian summer afternoon, the perfect moment to visit a winery in the throes of preparing for the vendemmia. Guido Viotti, who owns one of the most beautiful 17 hectar wineries in the area, was our [...]

Day Tripping: Nizza Monferrato

A short hop over the hill from Acqui Terme  is the town of Nizza Monferrato.  Well, a small city, really, of about 10,000.  You won’t find much written about Nizza on line, unless it was written by me.  I like Nizza.  It’s a comfortable place to visit.  A lovely shopping zone with arcades, cool shops, [...]

Piemonte, Its Secrets, Its Regions and Its Wines

Piemonte.  The foot of the mountain.  The name alone conjures up images of endless roads that wind you through bucolic hills of Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto vineyards. Ancient villages dot the crests, sparkling like jewels in the setting sun.  Well-tanned faces and sinewy bodies tend the vines, looking up only when a car passes.  A stone [...]

Traveling to and around Piemonte

Piemonte is a beautiful region to visit.  It’s comprised of so much – mountain ranges, the incredible Lake Region of Lago di Maggiore and Lago di Orta, and of course the wine region.  But two of the things that make Piemonte so wonderful to visit are its accessibility and its infrastructure. Flying in to visit the [...]

Paradise Revisited – Forteto della Luja Winery Dinner

A breezy summer evening. A winery perched on top of a hill overlooking almost all of the Piemonte wine country.  A walk along the ridge. Romantic tables set to view the sunset. Wonderful hosts. Delicious food. And of course, fabulous wine. The beautiful Forteto della Luja sits on a hill that divides the Monferrato wine [...]