Piedmont with Vinya and Heathen Wine Tours

Heathen Wine Tours is joining forces with Florida fan favorite, Vinya Wine, to take you on a trip like no other. Led by friends and wine pros, Heath Porter & Allegra Angelo, you’ll travel off-the-beaten path to meet world-class producers and experience the very best of Piedmontese cuisine, culture, and hospitality. And, in classic Vinya style, there will be plenty of surprises and mystery wines along the way. Are you ready?

See you in Piedmont, Heath & Allegra

Our travel will take us to Northeast Italy to the home of Nebbiolo. "King of Wines and the Wine Of Kings!" (We'd like to think they shared the Nebbiolo with the Queens as well!) From the backroads of Monferrato to Barolo, Alba, Barbaresco and back. Piedmont hierarchy! For centuries farmers and grape growers in this Northern Italian region made their mark producing long lived, elegant, vineyard focused wines. But don't look now, there is much, much more than just Nebbiolo in this Unesco World Heritage recognized region!

After departing Milan, we head to our home for the next three days in Calosso. Here the local farmers have been producing world class wines for centuries. We'll stay at a newly renovated villa nestled amongst the vineyards, and take over their property for our three nights. After a tour of the grounds we'll crash the cellar for older vintages, followed with a private dinner, cooked by a local Chef with produce from her garden. We'll head to Nizza Monferrato for lunch at a local trattoria. After we'll head to Amista winery to meet Mr. Jeremy Parzen, PhD who teaches at the local university in Bra. We'll get up close and personal with local wine history and gain a deep knowledge of the renown Slow Food movement which was created in the region. We'll taste world class wines with the owners and winemakers followed with a gala dinner on property at the farmhouse. We will also gain access to some of their lesser known wines, which don't make it out of their cellars. Also a surprise visit to one of the greatest vermouth minds in the world, and blend our own bottles of vermouth.

The legendary Nebbiolo vineyards of Barolo need no introduction to anyone in the wine world. These Grand Cru sites are home to the "King of Wines and the Wine Of Kings"! We'll spend three days and nights in and around these world heritage UNESCO villages. We'll meet some of the greatest winemakers alive. Massolino, Boroli, Paolo Scavino and Marchesi di Gresy, just to name a few. Our first evening we'll dine at Pietro Rinaldi with 4th generation owner Paolo. It's only appropriate that we make this our home base for our time in Piedmont. We'll take over rooms in the middle of the vineyards in Barolo. That's right you'll wake up and go to sleep over looking the most historical vines as your back yard view.

Barrel samples with Achille Boroli at Boroli Winery, followed by lunch at a local osteria in Castiglione Falletto. A vertical tasting at Massolino, side by side with current vintages. How about a private truffle hunt with a world renown truffle hunter and his dogs to snag some fungi for dinner? We'll also spend time in the local village of Alba, known around the world as some of the best food, wine and truffles anywhere. Our friend Denise Marrone has a traditional restaurant and winery, and has invited us to make pasta for dinner. A once in a lifetime event never before seen or recreated. We'll also take time to visit local castles dating back to the 14th century, and enjoy spring bounty and fresh made pasta with local chefs.

Agenda includes

Castle tour of Castello di Serralunga d'Alba

Cooking class and dinner with the Ms. Denise Marrone of Familia Marrone

Truffle hunting with our favorite local guide and his dogs

Vermouth blending class with Italy's leading vermouth expert Fulvio Piccinino

Cellar tour and back vintage tasting with Franco Massolino of Massolino Winery

Cellar tour and dinner at Marchesi di Gresy with 3rd generation owner Ms. Ludovico di Gresy

Free time in Alba and Asti to dine, see sights, shop, etc...

Cellar Tour and lunch in the vineyards with Professor Jeremy Parzen at Amista Vineyards

Cellar Tour and tasting in the vineyards with Carlos Deltetto of Deltetto 1953

Cellar Tour and tasting of Barolo with Achille Boroli of Baroli Vineyards

And many more surprises, tastings and of course the most scenic vineyards and villages in the country.

Of course, we will have our own bus/driver for the week. Pick up and drop off will be from the Milan-Malpensa airport.

Sunday, May 19th at 1:30PM to head to Villa Giara. After check in at our home for the next 3 days, we will have a private tour of the property/wine cellar followed by dinner overlooking the pool and vines. https://www.villagiara.com/

Monday, May 20th Morning starts with a delicious, traditional European breakfast featuring local breads, eggs, cheese, charcuterie, fruits, juices, coffee and yogurt all served in the villa. Our first stop this morning will be to Deltetto to meet owner/winemaker Mr. Carlos Deltetto. This family run, organic winery in the Roero Hills is cutting edge in their thinking and winemaking. With one foot buried in tradition, yet an eye towards the future we'll be wooed with sparkling wines, fresh whites and velvety soft reds. After lunch with Carlos we head to the Unesco World Heritage sights to find more world class wines with the Damonte family, 3rd generation owners of Malvira winery. Our afternoon will feature a tasting focused on the origins of Roero wines, and what makes this a lifelong passion for this family. In the evening we will stop in the quaint village of Asti for sights, shopping and dinner on your own. After we will return to Villa Giara for the night.

Tuesday, May 21st starts with another great breakfast at the villa. That morning we are in for a huge treat as we will meet Mr. Fulvio Piccinino, author and leading authority on Vermouth. We will taste and blend our own bottles, before heading to the local village for lunch with Fulvio. After lunch we meet our friend Professor Jeremey Parzen, PhD. Our afternoon will be filled with laughs, great wine and world class scenery with Amista Winery in Nizza Monferrato. After our tasting we head to the Amista renovated farmhouse for a world class private dinner, prepared by their Chef with local produce from the farm. Of course, we end the evening with a return to Villa Giara for our last evening before departing to Barolo.

Wednesday, May 22nd after another fantastic breakfast we check out and head South. No one likes a bus ride without something to break up the drive. So what better way to break up the trip to Barbaresco than a visit with old friend Pier Vini in Treiso? A cellar tour and lunch in the cellar with winemaker Pier all whipped up by Pier's very own Nonna!  After a short ride we'll arrive in the scenic vineyards of Pietro Rinaldi and our home for the next 3 days. https://www.miaclararelais.it/miaclara-bistrot/

One of most storied families in the region, the Rinaldi family will greet us at their 10 room resort tucked into the Nebbiolo vineyards that produce their greatest wines.  After a tour of the historic property, we'll head to the cellar for a tasting, followed by a traditional dinner with the family.

Thursday, May 23rd starts the morning with local Piedmont breakfast in the resort. After, we head to our friends Boroli Winery in Castiglione Falleto for a tasting and tour of some of the most revered vineyards in the world. We'll meet with winemaker Achille Boroli to learn about his families story, the grape Nebbiolo and the importance of vineyards to his wines. Following a short walk in the village we'll lunch overlooking Barolo vineyards. Le Terrazza is one of the best osteria's in the region, with their fresh take on local cuisine and Nonna's traditional cooking. That afternoon we head to Massolino, to taste current and older releases with the highly revered Franco Massolino. That evening we head to the village of Alba (truffle capital of the world) where you'll have time to see the local sites, shop, grab dinner and drinks on your own.

Friday, May 24th begins with our favorite local breakfast in the resort. Our first outing is off to hunt truffles with a local guide and his fungi loving dogs. Through the forest we will hunt for some of the most rare, prestigious mushroom glory in all the land, truffles. Our first stop will be with sisters Enrica and Elisa Scavino of Paolo Scavino, and a grand tour of the property. After a local lunch in the nearby village of La Morra, we head

down the hill to Familia Marrone in Barolo. Our friend, and all around awesome lady Ms. Denise Marrone is 4th generation proprietor, and one of 4 sisters who run the winery, restaurant and cooking school. We'll make pasta with her Chef served with truffles from our morning outing, all paired with wines from Familia Marrone.

Saturday, May 25th doesn't have to be a sad day. We'll finish with one more great breakfast in the resort. The group will depart for a 2 hour voyage to the Milan-Malpensa airport. Here we'll say our good byes to our new best friends by noon.

Accommodations in Calosso - Villa Giara https://www.villagiara.com/

Accommodations in Barolo - Pietro Rinaldi https://www.miaclararelais.it/miaclara-bistrot/

All rooms, ground transport, tastings, meals (other than 2 nights on your own), visits, tours included.

Airfare and time on your own not included. We have 14 people traveling for this once in a lifetime experience with Vinya Wines and Heathen Wine Tours.

Double Occupancy $4900 per person

Single Occupancy $5700 per person

Please note a 3% additional charge will be added to all credit card purchases.

RSVP to hold your spot http://www.heathenwine.com