Piedmont wine country

Alba makes a better base, because it's bigger. Bra, however, is the mother-house of Slow Food, and should be visited. One of the little towns - - I can't remember which, but it's not Alba - - has a castle which houses an association of regional wine producers. For a reasonable fee, you can taste many wines. I think we were also given snacks to accompany the libations.

Both the town of Barolo and Barbaresco have a regional Enoteca showcasing many different producers of their respective varietal wines. We went to the one in Barolo last year (yes, in the cellar of the town castle) and enjoyed it. But we bought our "house wine" at a local coop producer who took in grapes from the myriad small member growers. Great stuff for €3/bottle.

I would choose Bra or a smaller town over Alba, but that's just my own preference for smaller places. We loved Neive and Barbaresco . Another great choice in the region is Cherasco, a beautiful small town with great restaurants. We had a fantastic meal at La Rosa Rossa there.

One place I missed that I wanted to visit was Acqui Terme. If you get there, I'd love to hear more about it! Enjoy your trip. Piedmont is one of my very favorite places.

Did I mention that we are planning to travel by train? Lots of these small, cute villages, hotels and B&Bs are in the middle of hill country and does not look like it would be friendly for walking, so maybe we will need to stay in one of the larger towns serviced by the train? I have also had no luck finding tours/drivers who speak English since it is the busy time of the season. DO you think we are going to have to break down and rent a car in order to get around the wine country of Piedmont?

Togoltry,

Just letting you know that I sent you a private message yesterday.

Nelly and others.

I was thinking of basing ourselves in Cherasco at the Holiday Inn Express Langhe. Is this a good location for 3 days of touring the area, to include Barolo? I'll have a car.

My wife and I biked 8 days through Piedmonte last year and found it wonderful. We visited Barolo, Barbaresco, and Alba, along with many small villages. I'd recommend staying in either Montforte d'Alba (Villa Beccaris) or Benevello (Villa d'Amelia). Both are superior villas close to everything. For tasting, you should make reservations in advance. Except for the Enotecas in the larger towns, very few accept walk ins. Don't miss the Enoteca in Barbaresco, which is situated inside a 14th century church (now that's relegion!). Unless you are a serious rider, I would not recommend biking through Piedmonte. The hills are steep and in some cases unrelenting.

Thanks Larry. Now it's off to look at a map.