Home to Nebbiolo. Piedmont

CHAPTER 2

The Magic of the Islands

CHAPTER 1

Milano

CHAPTER 3

Gattinara & Ghemme

CHAPTER 4

Towards le Langhe

CHAPTER 5

Is any wine better than barolo?

We have lunch at an elegant yet authentic trattoria - the traditional Piedmontese cuisine is exquisite. And the setting just amazing - its terrace is overlooking the Cannubi vineyards, where the best crus are produced. Time to try the tajarin - fine strands of fresh egg pasta, mady with a high number of egg yolks, which give them their intense yellow color, velvety texture, and deep, savory flavor. Time for some rest.

What awaits us in the afternoon is inconceivable and incredible. We then visit one of the most historic and evocative wine estates in the Langhe — a place where the story of Italian royalty, barolo, and modern sustainable winemaking intertwine. The estate was founded the son of the first King of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II. Entering, you discover in a world by itself - it resembles a village, once with a school, a church, worker's housing and vineyards all around. The wine cellar is unique, a testimony of the royal past of the Savoy dinasty.

We tasted Alta Langa, A wine that undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle, with surprising aromatic complexity and a very fine perlage. But our award goes to barolo, the "king" of the Italian wines, made from the best nebbiolo grapes - the name comes from nebbia, the morning fog of the Langhe hills.

Silky, harmonious, and so complex that you sense the whole world in it. The dinner at the Michelin* restaurant of the estate was amazing - our favourite? The dessert - Fiordilatte gelato gelato made on the spot, with milk from the Piedmontese White Cow of the upper Stura Valley - doesn't it feel special?

Now, no more to say.

Excellence. Piedmont Is excellence, History of the royalty of Italy. Cultural heritage. Cuisine.

We almost regretted that Milan was not our chosen destination. Today we are heading towards Lake Maggiore. It unfolds like a long, shimmering ribbon between Italy and Switzerland, a place where mountains descend gently into deep blue water and villages cling to the shoreline with quiet grace.

Its atmosphere is serene yet majestic, shaped by lush gardens, elegant villas, and islands that seem almost dreamlike.

We had a day to explore the islands, the jewels of the lake - Isle Bella with its baroque palace and terraced gardens, Isola Madre with its botanical richness, and Isola dei Pescatori with its narrow lanes and fishing traditions. The Teatro Massimo was the most spectacular par of the Isle Bella - a spectacular Baroque structure that dominates the garden terraces. A suggestion - definitely visit it.

By the way, we discovered a really rich and suggestive enoteca (wine boutique bar) where you can taste a variety of wines. We opted for a fresh and fruity Arneis that comes from the region, a white wine with a soft and rounded texture.

Suspended above the glass vaults, the 250‑meter skywalk carried us 130 feet into the air. From there, Milan stretched out in every direction, and the Cathedral rose like a white crown beneath us. The view felt almost unreal.

Later, as evening softened the sky, we slipped into Camparino.

The historic café glowed with Liberty‑style elegance, its brass and mirrors catching the last light. Founded by Davide Campari himself, it had become the beating heart of Milan’s aperitivo culture. With our glasses in hand, we felt momentarily part of the city’s long lineage of artists and intellectuals who once gathered here—drawn by the same mix of beauty, conversation, and magic atmosphere.

We landed in Milan - you cannot miss a quick visit of the city.

Milan revealed itself to us slowly, like a city aware of its own charm. It was undeniably a place one must see at least once in a lifetime—its elegant energy rising from the marble spires of the Duomo and flowing straight into the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Beneath that 19th‑century iron‑and‑glass vault, the so‑called living room of Milan, crowds drifted between fashion houses and glowing cafés, while the city’s rhythm pulsed in every step. Fashion and design seemed to breathe from the pavements. The Navigli canals whisper their stories at dusk; and everywhere, architecture stitched together centuries of history with bold modern lines.

It was this unmistakable cosmopolitan atmosphere that convinced us to dedicate a day to exploring it fully. We began high above the city, walking the rooftop path of the Highline Galleria.

As we approach the first vinery, we were welcomed immediately (which made a good impression), and what we first saw was a row of bottles dressed in elegant labels — emblems of history. It made perfect sense: the winery was born in 1920, and every detail seemed to carry the weight of its past.

We chose to discover the cellar as well, letting ourselves be guided by the scent of the barrels, that deep, woody perfume that speaks of time and patience. They told us about the family that still works here, about their devotion to wine and their love for this land; stories of effort, of quality, and of gratitude towards nature.

Then came the avaited tasting, and with it, the unexpected. A fresh metodo classico pas dosé was poured first—its aroma was a revelation. The wine shone with a luminous straw‑yellow hue, and its tiny bubbles rose in silence, as if climbing toward the surface only to surprise us. The next wine was Nebbiolo. A splendid, youthful creation—still gentle in its tannins, yet already whispering of the elegance it would grow into. The sommelier spoke of its aroma (it seemed like a secret code): rose and violet, black pepper, and that faint, intriguing trace of liquorice.

And then came a glass of Gattinara, a wine shaped by volcanic earth, Alpine winds, and centuries of tradition. It too is born mostly from Nebbiolo—a revelation in its own right. “Can we have some water, please?” And so we continued.

Lunch time arrived. Our reservation was at a lovely restaurant just a few steps away. A marvellous setting—green plants cascading from the ceiling, perfectly at home in the slightly minimalist atmosphere. The rice dish, crowned with purple potato chips and tuna roe, was a true explosion of the senses.

Ghemme was our next stop, barely ten minutes away. We visited a small, family‑run winery tucked within the medieval walls of the town, a place where history and ancient winemaking methods breathe through every stone. The cellar lies inside a fortified village dating back to the 1400s, its rooms shaped by brick, wood, and cool shadows that have sheltered wine for centuries.The vineyards stretch across the hills at the foot of Monte Rosa, within the UNESCO Sesia‑Valley Park; the soils — rich in clay, sand, and volcanic stones — give the wines their distinctive minerality. After visiting the castle, an authentic and a place full of magic atmopshere, we tasted some Colline Novaresi and Ghemme Docg.

Time to return to Stresa — slightly tired, yet filled with new impressions.

• Transfers to / from the airports of Milan or Turin

• Personal driver - no worries for you

• Accomodation at selected hotels (breakfast included)

• Personal boat transfers and entry to the Islands of Lake Maggiore

• Local guides in the selected areas

• Visit of the selected vineries

• Lunches & dinners arranged

Included services but will be tailored for you:

You might wish to consider:

• A private boat ride on Orta Lake, an oasis of peace

• Visit to a rice farm in Vercelli and taste the pumkin and Gorgonzola cheese risotto

• See the Unesco underground "cathedrals" of Canelli

• Discovering the Wine Bank

Private transfers upon arrival and departure will be be arranged in acccordance to flight/train schedules.

Suitable for individuals and groups

Being a tour focused on wines we advise opting for a car/minivan/minibus with a driver