Piedmont Wine Tour - A very special trip!
We have just returned from a fantastic few days in Piedmont (or Piemonte to the locals!) – for what was our 26th Tour du Vin since our inception in 2011.
21 tourists (Charles Waud, Jeremy Waud and Vicky Thompson + 18 guests) assembled in Turin Airport just before midday on Monday, jumped in the three ‘Fun Buses’ – and head South for the first of many meals on this four day eating and drinking extravaganza.
Our first stop was lunch in Barbaresco – located in the incredibly picturesque village of Neive at the fantastic Ristorante Locanda Borgo Vecchio. Only a three course lunch today to get us into the swing of things – but some really nice wines, our first sniff of truffle – and a chance for tourists old and new to get to know each other.
A short stumble down the hill to our first tasting at Castello di Neive – a historic wine estate based in an 18th century castle – with the incumbent family, the Stupino’s, who acquired the property in 1964.
An excellent flight of wines, including their Langhe Arneis, an interesting Arneis/Riesling blend, a Dolcetto, a Barbera D’Alba, then a couple of impressive Barbaresco’s that included the flagship Santo Stefano 2020, then the Santo Stefano Riserva 2016. A lovely start to the trip.
We retreated to our first hotels, with the tourists split in across Hotel Dai Gresy and Villa d’Amelia – and the group came together for an excellent first dinner at Villa d’Amelia.
On day two, we started to go through the gears – with an excellent tour and tasting at Marchesi di Gresy. Hosted by the incredibly charming and informative family member Alessandro Di Gresy.
Following an interesting look around the surrounding vineyards so we can understand the geography, we looked around the wine making facilities and cellars, before congregating in a fabulous tasting room, where we worked our way through their Gresy Langhe Chardonnay, their Monferrato Merlot, Monte Colombo Barbera D’Asti, their Virtus blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Barbera. We then enjoyed a flight of Barbaresco wines that included Martinenga 2021, Gajun Matinenga Riserva 2020, Camp Gros Martinenga Riserva 2020, before finishing on Camp Gros Matinenga Riserva 2014 – which gave everyone a real flavour of how their wines would evolve.
A short skip into the town of Alba to have lunch at Enoclub – where we continued our tour of tasting the local delicacy of Vitello tonnato, Piedmontese-style steak tartare and Russia salad (a course that we were very familiar with by the end of the trip!) Each lunch did give us the opportunity to taste other wines and grape varieties of the region – and this lunch included a very pleasant white wine made from Timorasso, then a Dolcetto d’Alba from Rinaldi – then one of our tourists treated us to a Conterno Barolo Francia 2011 – superb.
Having found the Fun Buses, we eventually arrived at Pio Cesare – a fifth generation estate, with their HQ based in Alba. Interestingly they have wines from both Barolo and Barbaresco – so following a tour of their wine making facilities and cellars, we tasted a flight of wines, including Gavi, Barbera D’Alba, 2022 Barbaresco, 2022 Barolo, then a special single vineyard Barbaresco of Il Bricco, in 2021 vintage.
Logistics for this trip were fairly complicated – with the size of our group – and the relatively small hotels and guest houses in the Piedmont wine region. This coupled with it being truffle season, we had to move hotels for nights two and three. Half the group based at Garesio Wine Resort – whilst the other half at Tenuta Bussia.
We again congregated for dinner number two of the tour at the highly recommended Antico Podere Tota Virginia restaurant. We had a very enjoyable few hours here working our way through their extensive wine list – alongside a very pleasant taster menu. We discovered throughout the evening that the restaurant was famous for their unbelievable cellar – that we were treated to a tour of after dinner. If you were looking to find a wine from any of the famous estates from around the globe – then you would have almost certainly found something here. There were flights of Petrus, Latour, Lafite, Margaux, Mouton and Palmer from Bordeaux – Sassicaia, Ornellaia, Solaia and Masseto from Tuscany. Big guns from Burgundy including Domaine de la Romanée Conti – as well as every single Barolo or Barbaresco you could think of. (including numerous wines from Gaja – who as we found as we made our way around Piedmont – Angelo Gaja is considered an almost god like figure in their community!) This was a very special experience.
Day 3 – Barolo day, and more fine weather. (a barmy 22 degrees with pleasant sunshine that seemed to be par for the course over the 4 days) Following an idealic drive in through the Barolo hills, we arrived at GD Vajra for our 10am appointment. In order to delay tasting wine until at least 1030, we were shown the very smart wine making facilities – where their hallmark blue stained glass wines reflected beautifully onto the steel tanks.
Their tasting room was stunning – and we sat down on the incredibly long tasting table for our first wines of the day. A very sophisticated pink sparkler made from Nebbiolo first up, that everyone enjoyed. Followed by their Barolo Coste di Rose 2022, Barolo Ravera 2022, Barolo Bricco delle Viole 2022, Barolo Cerretta 2022, then the wine dubbed the ‘Friday Night Wine’ – Albe Barolo 2022. A brilliant tasting to start the day.
We HAD to make our way to another big lunch – this time at Osteria Veglio, where we were able to sit on a packed our terrace. Another venue that we would highly recommend you visit if you are ever in the area – and you must book in advance! We ticked off our first real pasta fix here – and some superb ice cream too! An excellent warm up before our two afternoon tastings.
Next up was Prunotto, the Piedmont Antinori estate. Stunning views looking across this Bussia amphitheatre shaped vineyard – where Barolo wines have been produced here since the 1960s. We tasted some of the best Barbera D’Albas of the trip here – before tasting their Secondine Barbaresco 2021, Bussia Barolo 2022, Mosconi Barolo 2022 and 2021 Cerretta Barolo. A great opportunity for the group to decide whether they preferred Barolo or Barbaresco – with the group pretty much split down the middle.
Our last tasting of the day was at Luigi Pira – more stunning views here, that we were starting to become accustomed to! Hosted by Tiziana Pira, the wife of current wine maker Gianpaolo Pira, we had another super tasting, that included Dolcetto D’Alba, our first Langhe Nebbiolo of the trip, then Serralunga D’Alba Barolo, Margheria Barolo and then a final Vignarionda Barolo 2022 – that was potentially the most popular wine of this flight.
The last dinner on tour was at Convino Ristorante con Camere, based in the famous Castiglione Falleto village. Another chance to flex our way through the wine list – where we another indigenous white grape variety to start called Erbaluce – a light to medium citrus style that everyone enjoyed. This was followed by an excellent run of Ceretto Barolo 2016 in magnum, GD Vajra Coste di Rose 2018, Castello di Verduno Massara 2016, alongside some interlopers that snuck onto the table with an 1985 Pira Barolo, and 1996 Pajana Seghesio.
Day 4 – and we checked out of our hotels for the final time, to make our way to our seventh and final tasting of the trip. Back to Bussia and to spend time with the Fennochio family. No messing around here – after a team photo and an explanation of the local geography, we were straight into a wine tasting – Roero Arneis first up (probably the best wine of this style we had all week) – followed by a very pleasant 2025 rose. A quick stop with Barbera D’Abla Superiore 2024, Langhe Nebbiolo 2024, then only the Barolos – Castellero 2022, Bussia 2022, then finishing on a very excellent Bussia Barolo 2016.
Many thanks to Carlo Fennochio, his wife Nicoletta Fenocchio – and Eleonora Fennochio who looked after us so well alongside ….
One final lunch to go – and this was at the absolutely brilliant Le Torri restaurant – back in Castiglione Falleto – and a last chance to tick off any wines we had missed on the trip. We tried a brilliant chardonnay from a wine maker called David Fletcher – everyone enjoyed this. Before a few more bottles from Fennochio – this time the 2019 Cannubi, arguably the most historic and prestigious MGA (Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva, or cru) in the Barolo DOCG wine region of Piedmont. The 2019 vintage was excellent – and this was followed by a final Barbaresco on the trip from Produttori, again in 2019 vintage.
So 4 lunches, 3 dinners and 7 tastings later, we made it back in one piece to Turin airport. As I am sure you have seen, a real action packed few days, in fine company – and we return to the UK with many memories from a special trip – and hopefully the first of many outings to Piedmont.
Thank you to the drivers, photographers and tourists for making this such a super few days.
We now turn our attention to 2027, with three tours planned to Languedoc, the Rhone and to Veneto. (with much conversation about the 30th Tour du Vin going to South Africa at the beginning of 2028!)
If you are interested in joining us on any of the 2027 trips – follow this link to read more about them, and register your interest.
Very best,
Charles Waud
Managing Direct of Waud Wines Group
