“Autumn in Piedmont with Paul Marcus Wines”

accompanied by Mark Middlebrook from the shop

November 1 – 7, 2004

Taste the 2000 Vintage Barolo and Barbaresco and eat White Truffles!

Hotel accommodations are centrally located in beautiful Novello, with stunning views from the Castello di Novello.

Day One – Monday, November 1 Arrival

Lunch in Vercelli at Risotto Rice Producer Il Principate

Wine Tasting in Barbaresco at the famous Gaja Winery

La Morra Panorama

Novello Castello di Novello Hotel

Dinner at Trattoria Della Posta in Monforte D’Alba

10:00A.M. - We rendezvous mid-morning at Malpensa Airport, Milan in Terminal 1. You are welcomed personally by Denise and Giacomo and then transported by luxurious private mid-size bus to Le Langhe in Piemonte, the heart of the Barolo and Barbaresco wine growing district.

1:00P.M. - Our first stop is in the famous rice producing area around Vercelli with a visit to Il Principate Rice producers for a tour and light lunch that includes risotto made from one of the ancient strains of rice grown on the estate.

3:30 PM We depart Il Principate for the Langhe.

4:00 PM Arrive at Gaja in Barbaresco for a visit to their cellar and then a tasting of three of their wines made from their prestigious vineyards of Sori’ San Lorenzo.

6:30 PM We make a brief stop in the village of La Morra, one of the highest spots in the Barolo DOC zone, for our first glimpse of the Le Langhe Barolo producing zone and a chance to get a bird’s eye view of the landscape, punctuated by castle adorned, roman & medieval hilltop villages. Before us is the birthplace of one of the most important wines in the world and a fitting starting point for our exploration in to their origin, history and creation.

7:00 PM We go on the 3 kilometers farther down this western most ridge of the Langa to Novello to check in to our beautiful hotel, Il Castello di Novello in the picturesque village of the same name. We are overlooking the vineyards of Le Langhe on one side and on the other side, the western end of the PO Valley with the Alps rising dramatically and surrounding us for 180 degrees. We give you a chance to rest and freshen up before we dine.

8:30P.M. – Dinner tonight is at the acclaimed Trattoria della Posta in Monforte D’Alba. This is ‘cucina molta tipica”, executed at the highest level. The prima materia (primary materials) are never compromised, the service by Claudia is impeccable without being stuffy and the dining room is refined and warm. It is one of our favorite places and consistently delivers one of the finest dining experiences in the whole of Langa.

Day Two – Tuesday, November 2 Breakfast at the hotel

Outdoor market in Dogliani

Winery visit and Tasting at Vajra in Vergne (Barolo)

Lunch at Marchesi di Barolo winery

Wine tasting at Elio Grasso or cooking lesson with Denise

Dinner by cooking class in Cherasco at Cascina Angetta

Dinner attended by Winemakers Sergio, Enrico & Alessandro Rivetto of Serralunga

9:00A.M. - Visit to the wonderful outdoor food and flower market in nearby Dogliani, home of Dolcetto di Dogliani. We will purchase the ingredients for our afternoon cooking lesson from some of our favorite suppliers of top quality local products as we stroll through the village. Take a moment to appreciate the particularly grand cathedral, built in the Baroque style by one of the area’s most famous architects, Roagna, in the 1400s.

10:30A.M. We make the short, scenic drive from Dogliani to Vergne, where we will visit Cascina Vajra, the cantina of Aldo and Melina Vaira, two of the most thoughtful winemakers in the Lange. Their winery is a lovely, spacious structure and their wines are a blend of tradition and modernity. They make an astounding range of wines, every one clean, fresh, and typical of the terreno of the specific vineyard. They are well balanced and never over made. They are one of the real jewels in the area - both the people and the wines.

1:30P.M. – Lunch at Marchesi di Barolo winery, which will give us an opportunity to sample the wines of this venerable house, where Barolo truly began in the 1700s. It was the Marchesa Giulietta Falletto who was clever enough to send her wines to the court of King Carlo Alberto, whose favor the wines found. It was she who lobbied the King to call the wine by the same name as village where her estate and castle were located.

4:00 PM Visit to the winery of Elio Grass, in the renowned La Ginestra zone, between Monforte d’ Alba and Perno. Elio Grasso is joined by his wife Marina and son Gianluca in making exceptional wines from their prestigious Runcot and Chinera vineyards, just below their estate. Our private bus will take those who prefer to visit the winery at Elio Grasso and continue on with those who choose the cooking lesson at Cascina Angetta with Denise.

7:00 PM We rendezvous back at Cascina Angetta for a stroll around the farm and aperativi. Dinner for all follows the hands-on lesson and will be accompanied by a selection of fine wines from the Rivetto estate in Serralunga, presented by the winemakers Enrico and Alessandro Rivetto will join us for dinner. The Rivettos have consistently placed in the 90’s for their Barolos and Barbera. Buon Appetito and Salute! A selection of fine Grappas and degiustivi will be served with dessert.

Day Three – Wednesday, November 3 Breakfast at the hotel

Wine Tasting in Barbaresco at Albino Rocca

Lunch and Tasting at Cascina Serragrilli in Neive

Wine Tasting in Castagnole delle Lanze at Rivetti La Spinetta Winery

Dinner at ll Verso del Ghiottone in Dogliani

9:00 A.M. - Depart for Barbaresco

9:30 A.M. - Visit to Albino Rocca, the cantina and the man by the same name. It is he, along with Bruno, who has championed Barbaresco for the past two decades and who heralded the comeback of Barbaresco in the early 1980s by creating softer, more elegant wines.

11:30 AM We make a short visit to the village of Barbaresco itself to take in a stupendous view from the Tower of the village, from where we can see all three famous wine growing districts: Le Langhe which produces Barolo, Roero, across the river Tanaro and famous for Nebbiolo and white wines Arneis & La Favorita, and the Monferrato which produces Moscato D’Asti.

12:30 P.M. - Tasting and Lunch in Neive at the charming Cascina Serragrilli. This is a particular treat as wines of the three sisters of Serragrilli are extraordinary, particularly for the price. The cucina of their mother is wonderful and straight from her garden. You will find that the warmth and charm of this family is unsurpassed. An afternoon at Serragrilli makes you feel like you a truly part of the Piemontese family!

4:00 P.M. - Visit to Giorgio, Bruno & Carlo Rivetti’s “La Spinetta” cantina just outside of Neive in Castagnole delle Lanze, where we will taste their internationally famous wines including Barbera D’ Asti and Barbera D’Alba and Barbaresco Starderi & Valeriano.

6:30 P.M. - Return to hotel for rest before dinner

8:00 P.M. - Dinner tonight at the Il Verso del Ghiottone in Dogliani. This is one of the newest fine restaurants in the area and has immediately become one of the most popular by locals and producers “in the know”. It is destined for a Michelin star, but never sacrifices tradition for gratuitous innovation. The dining room also preserves tradition by retaining the local vaulted ceilings made of red brick and the original old red tiles for the floor called “cotto”, or cooked. However, they have “modernized” the room and service with warm wall colors and tablecloths, fine silver and Riedel glassware.

Day Four – Thursday, November 4 Breakfast at the hotel

Vineyard walk through the vines from Santa Maria to Annunziata

Renato Ratti museum in Annunziata (La Morra) with wine tasting

Lunch at renowned cheese producer Cascina Raflazza in Murrazano

Winery Visit and Tasting at Aldo Conterno in Monforte

Dinner at La Rosa dei Vini Ristorante in Serralunga

Dinner attended by Franco Massolino winemaker from Vigna Rionda in Serralunga

9:00 A.M. - Vineyard walk between Santa Maria and Annunziata

10:00A.M. - Visit and Tasting at the incredibly interesting wine museum in the Monastero di Annunziata owned by Renato Ratti winery. The museum tour is personally lead by the very amusing Massimo Martinelli, winemaker at Renato Ratti. After the tour, we will taste Renato Ratti's Barolo while still in the very atmospheric monastery/museum.

1:00 PM - We depart La Morra by way of Barolo as we head to Murrazano, in the Alta Langa to visit Caseficio Raflazza, producers of Murrazano cheese DOP and salumi. We have been invited to watch part of the day’s work of making cheese from their 300 head of goats, visit their salumeria where we will tour the ageing room where the salami from their pigs is curing. Then we sit down to a wonderful, farm style lunch overlooking the beautiful countryside and Alps.

4:30 PM We return to the Langhe to make the short but very scenic drive from La Morra to Vergne where we will visit Cascina Vajra, the cantina of Aldo and Melina Vaira, two of the most thoughtful winemakers in the Lange. Their winery is a lovely, spacious structure and their wines are a blend of tradition and modernity. They make an astounding range of wines, every one clean, fresh, and typical of the terreno of the specific vineyard, They are well balanced and never over made. They are one of the real jewels in the area - both the people and the wines.

7:00 PM Return to hotel to freshen up before dinner

8:30 PM We dine this evening at La Rosa dei Vini, situated right in the vineyards between the Castles of Serralunga and Castiglione Falletto. Weather permitting we will dine on their very scenic terraza overlooking the entire lower Langhe with the Castle of Castiglione Falletto in the foreground. Dinner will be attended by Franco Massolino, of the award winning winery ‘Vigna Rionda – Massolino”, who will present his wines.

Day Five – Friday, November 5 Breakfast at the hotel

Monforte D’Alba to visit meat producer Cascina Borio

Wine Tasting at Paolo Scavino in Castiglione Falletto including vineyard visit conducted by winemaker Enrico Scavino

Lunch with Tartufi Langhe in Piobesi includes truffle hunt & visit to their artisan factory

Visit to Guido Porro in Serralunga or Cooking lesson

Dinner preceded by cooking lesson in Vicoforte with winemaker Massimo Martinelli

9:00 AM Visit to Cascina Borio, a producer of the finest Piemontese beef from an ancient breed of white cattle known as Razza Piemontese. The meat counter is at the farm and only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning. Their cattle are loving tended and fed only grain grown themselves and ground on the premises. We will purchase the meat for tonight’s dinner.

10:00 AM Visit to winery of Paolo Scavino, where winemaker Enrico Scavino now has 42 harvests under his belt. His two beautiful and intelligent daughters Elisa and Enrica assist him in the winery. They have recently added another 2 hectares in Roddi, a magnificently aspected vineyard named San’t Ambrogio from which they will produce a new Barolo. Time permitting during the harvest season, Enrico has personally invited us in to his vineyard to show us his viticulture techniques and secrets to creating the concentrated but wonderfully elegant wines he and his family loving and painstakingly produce.

1:00 PM A special lunch is arranged with the family of Tartufi Langhe who make a number of food products out of fresh white Alba truffles. We will be treated to a truffle hunt on their private property and a tour of their small artisanal factory to learn about truffles after which we will enjoy a lunch with many tastes of those magical white truffles.

5:00PM Choose between the cooking lesson or a visit to Guido Porro, a young winemaker and friend, whose vineyards are nestled in a perfect position in Serralunga d’Alba.

6:30PM Return to hotel to rest and freshen up for those who opted for the Guido Porro visit.

8:00 PM Dinner tonight following the cooking class at Cascina Bricco Mollea in Vicoforte, the personal winery of Massimo Martinelli, winemaker at Renato Ratti, and his very fun wife, Angioletta. The winery is in an unbelievably beautiful position overlooking the medieval village of Mondovi’ with Mount Viso in the background. The sunsets here can be more beautiful than can possibly be described. Tonight Massimo will show us his personal wines of Dolcetto Monraglese, an ancient varietal that he is working hard to prevent from disappearing from the world. He is also a wine educator and one of the funniest guys we know. He & Giacomo have a surprise with a blind tasting test to see what you have learned. It’s all fun!

Day Six – Saturday, November 6 Breakfast at the hotel

Alba famous outdoor market where you find everything imaginable

Lunch and Wine Tasting at winery Podere Corsini in Monforte D’Alba

Winery visit to Domenico Clerico in Monforte D’Alba

Dinner at Il Vigneto in Roddi

Dinner attended by Winemaker Guido Porro of Serralunga

9:00 AM Visit to the outdoor market in Alba where we have until noon to wander the town. If you are missing your morning glass of wine, a visit to VinCafe to sample one of their fantastic wines by the glass, will do the trick. The entire town of Alba is one big outdoor market today plus you will find every type of artisanal local food product that you can imagine. This is the perfect place to scoop up those tastes of Le Langhe to take back home with you and to savor months after when memories of the hills and valleys will make you nostalgic to return. You can be transported back, if only for one dinner, when you whip up some taglietelle with truffle cream you were clever enough to bring back with you.

12:30 PM Visit, wine tasting and lunch at Podere Ruggeri Corsini. You are in for a treat with the wines of Nicola Argamante and the cuisine of Lorredana Addari, his wife. Oh, did I mention she is the viticulturist as well? Nicola and Lorredana make stupendous wines that blend the best of all worlds between tradionalists and modernists. He is a vineyard consultant for Scavino, Clerico, Sandrone, Parruso and about 15 other “Barolisti’. They are one of our favorite “finds” and we also count them as dear friends.

4:00 PM Visit to Domenico Clerico in Monforte who has been a leading figure in Piemontese winemaking for many years. He is now assisted in the vineyards and cellars by Massimo Conterno. We will taste his three Barolos as well as his award winning Barbera.

6:30 PM Return to hotel to rest and freshen up

8:00 PM Our final dinner tonight is at the up and coming Il Vigneto with its stupendous views of the lower Langhe. The chef is young and innovative, but clearly grounded in the traditions of the local cucina. His family is from Langa and he has trained with some of the most important chefs in the area plus worked for a year with Alain Ducasse at his 3-star Michelin restaurant in Monte Carlo. Weather permitting, we will dine outside with the Langa gracing us with 180 degree views. If we are lucky, the Alps will be in view. In any case, Mount Viso will grace us with its presence as the sun sets; a fitting last dinner together as we celebrate one of the most incredible wine growing regions on earth. Winemaker Guido Porro will join us for dinner and present his wines of the same name. This is a chance to taste a completely “traditional” Barolo which will surprise you with its fresh succulent fruit and round tannins.

Day Seven – Sunday November 7Breakfast at your hotel

9:00 AM We bid you a fond farewell and then bus trip to Malpensa Airport. Come back soon! Arrivederci!! Ciao!

Buon Viaggio!

Go to the Web site for La Vita Vera Italia.
Return to the Paul Marcus Wines home page or brief PMW tour description.