My Piemonte

Piemonte sits in the extreme north west of Italy; it borders France to the west and Switzerland and Valle D’Aosta to the north and the Ligurian coastline to the south. The name of the region translates as the “foot of the mountains”.

Piemonte has long been regarded as Italy’s little secret, where Italians go on holiday – a region that they like to keep as their own. The region is renowned for its cuisine and wine production; the hills of Monferrato and the Langhe are home to the best Italian wines. Justly and widely regarded throughout Italy as its “food capital’ food lovers from all over the world visit the area to sample its unique truffles.

Today, more and more tourists are discovering the region’s tranquillity and beauty, diverse landscapes and proximity to the Ligurian coastline and beaches.

The real beauty of Piemonte is its accessibility to the mountains, beaches and the Italian Lakes. The Alps provide spectacular settings for its ski resorts such as Sauze d’Oulx, Sestriere, Courmayeur and Pila to the north, and Limone Piemonte to the southwest in the province of Cuneo. Its proximity to France and Switzerland makes skiing a real possibility in world famous resorts just over its borders.

The Ligurian coastline is easily accessible due to a comprehensive motorway network and resorts such as Portofino, Camogli and the Cinque Terre are well worth a visit.

However, no trip to Piemonte would be fully worthwhile without exploring the beautiful Italian lakes. Lake Maggiore (below) and the smaller Lake Orta are on the west side of the region and will be on most visitors’ agendas soon after they arrive.

The lush gardens, trees and scenery are fitting backdrops to the splendour of the lakes while perfectly preserved villages, luxurious modern resorts and charming fishing villages that have changed little over the centuries co-exist in almost uncanny harmony.

Nearly every turn in Piemonte ends in a picture perfect village, a small town with a distinctive local character and a welcoming air. Choose a pace that is in keeping with the pastoral life of these tiny havens, each unique and yet uniquely representative of Piemonte’s particular charms.

Amble over to the collection of farmhouses tucked into the rolling hills; meander towards the castle overlooking the lake, or the abbey gracing the green valleys just across the way. Lose yourself for hours in a voyage of discovery through the winding medieval streets and alleys of towns like Asti, Bra, Casale Monferrato and Alba (below)

Piemonte boasts some of Europe’s most breathtaking landscapes with its rolling hills and valleys making it ideal for those who enjoy sporting activities such as trekking, horse riding, cycling and golf, all of which are on your doorstep.

For those seeking the very best in shopping, the main cities of Turin, Milan and Genoa can be reached easily by car, or by train from Alessandria, all in approximately 1 hour), so you can indulge in the world of famous Italian designer brands.

Piemonte is now firmly on the map as a ‘must do ‘ tourist destination in Italy.

Morfa Downs, Chief Executive of the British Chamber of Commerce for Italy endorses this,

‘The cuisine is wonderful; it’s an hour or so drive to Milan, Turin and Genoa and the beautiful hilly countryside with vineyards and stunning views makes it better than Tuscany in my view.’ (The Observer 5. 11. 2006 )

Villa Gotta is wonderfully placed for its visitors to enjoy and appreciate the beauty of southern Piemonte and the splendour, variety and hospitability that it has to offer.

Food and Wine

For great cuisine, Piemonte has all the ingredients - corn and rice grow in the fertile plains of the lower Po valley; apricots, peaches, figs and kiwi abound in Cuneo while the Lange is noted for its hazelnuts and of course the Monferrato hills are world famous for their magnificent wines.

“Wine Country is gourmet country” says Paul Bocuse, founder of nouvelle cuisine.

This is certainly true of Piemonte; nowhere else in Italy can you find so many ambitious food producers and wine makers. No wonder that the Piemontese love their food and wine – they know all about it!

Everyone, it seems, has a favourite restaurant, knows an excellent butcher, baker and cheese producer, visits food markets regularly, collects wild herbs and mushrooms, hunts for truffles, and knows “the” best wine–makers.

The local cuisine is sophisticated, French influenced and always freshly prepared. A typical Piemontese meal consists of at least six courses.

Quality is imperative, so time and effort spent on preparation doesn’t matter as long as the result is satisfying. The Piemontese take their time over meals and love to spend hours with family and friends around the dining table. Wine is always part of the meal and is enjoyed reverently.

Interestingly, the ‘slow food’ movement, the Old World’s response to the fast food revolution was founded in Piemonte in 1986. This doesn’t mean that the pizza, an import form the south, is unpopular – the towns in the region boast some excellent pizzerias.

Pasta – traditionally the Piemontese make their own and cut it by hand. With twenty eggs per kilogram of flour and the lightest olive oil, it has very little in common with the pasta on our supermarket shelves! Try it with freshly grated truffles; it is simply a delight.

The golden fleece of gastronomy, the white truffle is a mainstay of Piemontese cooking and is often found sliced thinly on top of salads and pastas. White truffle oil is sinfully delicious and treated with great care since it is very expensive.

Other regional dishes include local game such as rabbit and boiled meat dishes of veal and Ox tail. Local desserts include zabaglione, a decadent concoction of egg yolks, sugar and wine. Piemonte is also the birthplace of “grissini” a crispy breadstick that is popular in Italian restaurants throughout the world.

Piemonte produces some world famous wines in the chalk hills of Monferrato and further south in the Langhe. Of Italy’s 20 regions, Piemonte leads the field with the number of wines that meet today’s exacting DOC standards.

More details on the wines and cuisine are found in the ‘My Monferrato’ section.