Calling all wine lovers!  Travel with Chefs Joe &Angela Cicala and 

a guest Sommelier to northwestern Italy in autumn. Home to world class vineyards, truffles, castles, and some of the best views of the Italian Alps, this is an exquisite tour. Grab a glass and get cozy.

Spend 4 nights in the vine covered hills of Piemonte at Villa D'Amelia,  then we move closer to the Alps for 4 nights in Val d’Aosta, at the majestic Bellevue Hotel & Spa. All rooms have a balcony with a view over an Alpine field or the snow covered Gran Paradiso in the distance. Taste cheese and wine fireside, or relax at the spa.

Excursions around the area include medieval castles and fortresses, wineries, and local artisans’ workshops tucked away high in the mountain villages. Being so close to the French and Swiss borders, expect the local cuisine to blur the lines of France, Switzerland and Italy.  Think polenta, rich cheeses, juniper and mountain herbs, warm raclette, prosciutto, and pastas with a foreign flare

Pick up at Milan Malpensa airport or Milano Centrale train station according to your needs. We start the week off with a wine tasting and lunch at Villa Tiboldi's cantina, Malvira', before checking into the Villa d’Amelia. Dinner tonight at Villa d'Amelia.

Today we visit Silvio Pistone's cheese farm for a tour and tasting in his countryside cottage including giunta and tuma cheeses, which few farmers make anymore. For dessert, we head to Cascina Barroero hazelnut farm for a tasting of sweets including giandujia, torrone, and more.  Aperitivo tonight in the village of Bra, the birthplace of Slow Food, followed by dinner at Osteria Boccondivino, famous for its local sausage, 40-yolk tajarin, and typical Piedmontese bonnet dessert.

After breakfast we take a drive to the vineyards of Ceretto and Vietti for wine tasting, then lunch in the village of Barolo with free time to explore after. Return back to Villa d'Amelia for dinner to relax before dinner at Dama, Villa d' Amelia's modern Italian restaurant.

Sip and create your own wine blend today in a hands-on class at a boutique winery. Stop in Asti for their specialty, piadine, some sparkling Asti Spumati of course, and gelato then time to explore on your own. Rest up back at the villa before our last Piemontese dinner tonight in Alba. Tomorrow it's onto Val d'Aosta!​

Paintings, silverware, fine China and tableware from the major Italian courts will tell the fascinating and intriguing story of popes, princes and kings at mealtime. See how royalty lived it up in the city of Turin long ago.

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Enjoy a light lunch near the palace and then we transfer to the magnificent Bellevue Hotel in Cogne, in the

Val d'Aosta. Dinner at the Bellevue Hotel tonight. Think fondue, steak, and polenta in the coziest setting with our sommelier a tavola to guide you through with wines.

This morning visit a cheesemaker and his cows at his farmhouse just a few steps from the hotel.  Watch the whole cheesemaking process over a fire, tour the cellar, and have a tasting after. You will be able to buy cheese to take home. meet at Bar Fromage on the Bellevue Hotel property in the afternoon for aperitivo, cheese and wine pairing with our guest sommelier.  Dinner on your own tonight.

Take the day to relax and enjoy the nature that surrounds Bellevue Hotel. It's only a 6 minute walk to the village of Cogne, so set out and explore, pick up souvenirs, or grab a bite. Lunch is on your own today. Take advantage of the spa services, restaurants and bars on the hotel property. (Spa services should be booked in advance. Email us for assistance.) Dinner tonight at Lou Ressignon.

Discover the wines of the far north at Grosjean winery today with a guided tasting and lunch, then visit Castello di Fenis afterward.  Farewell dinner together at Cave de Cogne tonight where we'll try a flaming la grolla,

("a friendship cup" of flaming alcohol and sugar), an after dinner tradition in Val d'Aosta.

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After breakfast we will depart to Milan and return you to the Milano Centrale train station or Milano Malpensa airport. If you have a very early flight, a private driver is available at an additional charge for early morning airport transfers. Please let us know in advance.