Highlights
. Sophisticated Milan and regal Turin
. Charming villages of Piedmont
. Wine tastings: Poderi Aldo Conterno,
  Pelissero Winery, Oddero Winery
. Superb meals featuring white truffles
  at outstanding restaurants
. International Truffle Fair
. Slow Food Wine Bank
. 150th anniversary of the unification
  of Italy

Piedmont Tour - Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1 - Welcome to Milan
Wednesday, November 9

Giovanna Chiti, your host and owner of Discover my Italy, will greet you at Milan’s Malpensa airport.  After settling into your 4-star hotel in Milan Center, you will begin your visit to this bustling economic and fashion capital with an orientation walk: The Scala, the Galleria and the Duomo.  You will then experience true Milanese hospitality with a welcome reception dinner at the private residence of Kathleen Chiti, Giovanna’s mother.

Day 2 - Art and Time to Explore
Thursday, November 10

You will start the day with a visit, with reserved tickets, to the Last Supper, the seminal 15th century mural painting created by Leonardo da Vinci.  Spend the rest of the day shopping, relaxing and exploring Milan on your own.  Don’t miss a stroll through the “Quadrilatero della moda” or the quadrilateral of fashion, in the Via Montenapoleone fashion district. 

Day 3 - Piedmont Wine Country
Friday, November 11

Journey to the hilly area of southern Piedmont called the Langhe, home to Barolo wine, Alba’s white truffles, hazelnuts and mountain cheeses.  En route we will stop in the heart of the Barbaresco wine region, for a tasting at Pelissero Winery.  With Giorgio Pelissero at the helm, the family-run Pelissero Winery produces its fine wines from start to finish, growing grapes, producing the wine and marketing it all on the estate.  Check into your 4-star hotel for the next 3 nights. After lunch we will visit the estate's  pasta factory and "acetaia", where they produce and age vinegar.

Dinner that evening will be at Ristorante da Felicin, known for cooking with the highest quality local ingredients in a style both traditional and innovative..

Today you will visit one of the most important producers of Barolo wines, Poderi Aldo Conterno.  Poderi Aldo Conterno is situated in the heart of the Barolo region on the prized Bussia Soprano vineyard.  The Conterno family has been producing and aging these great Piedmontese wines for more than five generations with a philosophy that marries tradition with innovation.  Later in the morning you will stop in at the Castle of Grinzane and Cavour, located in one of the most spectacular settings in the Langhe.  This 11th century castle once belonged to Count Camillo Benso of Cavour, one of the architects of the Unification of Italy.  Now it houses the prestigious Cavour Regional Enoteca, which showcases the best regional wines.  In the afternoon you will visit the international gastronomic center, the Agenzia, located in a recently restored farm complex.  The Agenzia is the home of the historic cellars of the Wine Bank and the University of Gastronomic Sciences, established in 2004 by Carlo Petrini, founder of the Slow Food Movement.  That evening you will enjoy a gourmet dinner at the Ristorante dell'Albergo dell'Agenzia.

Start the day with a private visit to the family-owned Oddero Winery, an historic name in the long tradition of Barolo winemaking.  Run for generations by Oddero men, it is now in the hands of Mariacristina and Mariavittoria, the daughters of Barolo patriarch, Giacomo Oddero.  Niece Isabella Oddero will show us the cellars, share the history of her family’s estate and offer a tasting.  In the afternoon we will head back to Alba for the famous International Truffle Fair, which attracts world-class chefs and food enthusiasts.  You will have time to explore the fair on your own, and then we’ll come together at Ristorante La Posta for a superb authentic dinner.

We will travel to the elegant and regal town of Turin, once the royal capital of the Kingdom of Savoy and first capital of Italy.  In the afternoon a walking tour with a local guide will take you to the Piazza San Carlo, Guarini’s cupola, the Royal Palace and the Piazzo Castello.  A stop along the way at the historic and renowned Caffe Baratti for chocolate and coffee will renew our energy.   You will be on your own for dinner that evening.

Day 7 - Leisure Time in Torino
Tuesday, November 15

You will have the entire day to explore at your leisure.  We suggest a visit to the Mole Antonelliana, originally intended as a synagogue and now a symbol of the city housing the Museo del Cinema.  A visit to the Egyptian Museum is also recommended; the Egyptian Museum is one the world’s most important antiquities museums, second only to that in Cairo.  You might also stop in Eataly, the grand emporium dedicated to the finest gastronomic traditions of Italy. A sequel was recently opened in New York.  You will end the day with a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 8 - End of tour - Fly home or extend your stay 
Wednesday, November 16

Itinerary specifics subject to change.

____________________________________________________________
Tour Cost based on double occupancy and on a minimum of 10 participants
8 days/7 nights Piedmont Tour …………..………………   $3,475/€2475
____________________________________________________________