Piedmont with Jeff Porter

Welcome to Torino! We begin the only way we know how—immersing ourselves into the electric buzz of this lively and ancient city. With Jeff leading the way, we’ll traverse spacious boulevards and cobblestone alleys into the beating heart of Torino, where the architecture alone contains 2,000 years of history. As a local expert points out the myriad cultures who have left their mark on the city, we’ll visit the Royal Palace, the Church of San Lorenzo, and finally, a haven for traveling writers and dreamers, the Palazzo Carignano.

As dusk ignites the city and the clatter of small plates echo off the squares, we turn our attention to vermouth. Far from a simple ingredient in a Negroni or Manhattan, vermouth is a revelation here in its birthplace. This evening we sample several distinct recipes while learning how the drink itself has shaped city life since the first vermouth bar opened in 1786.

Alas, the vermouth is but an appetizer to our elegant welcome dinner. In quintessential Torino fashion, we’ll wander into one of the city’s most iconic kitchens, and thanks to Jeff’s deft wine pairings, we’ll savor their hyperlocal specialties and toast the beautiful road ahead.

Our first taste of the city this morning is a literal one: a behind-the-scenes food tour of Torino’s fabled coffeehouses. We’ll sample exquisite pastries, snack on seasonal delicacies, and last — but not least — we’ll dive into the beautifully complex world of Italian chocolate and one of the city’s proudest inventions: a steaming Bicerin made of espresso and drinking chocolate.

After lunch on our own, we make our pilgrimage to the countryside where our Piedmont wine education begins. Here, within one of Italy’s most heralded appellations, we’ll sample Jeffrey’s favorite varietal—the eclectic and volatile Nebbiolo grape, originally planted by the Romans.

After reconciling the subtly of these stunning vintages, we’ll move onto one of the most unique places in all of Piedmont. It’s not a stunning vineyard or ancient amphitheater. It’s Ivrea, a mid-century planned industrial utopia—a shining example of the ideals of the Movimento Comunità that pervaded Piedmont in the 1950s and ’60s. We’ll pass by the headquarters of Olivetti, the makers of coveted typewriters, and marvel at the blueprints of this ambitious social experiment.

Dinner tonight is simple and magical; we’ll belly up to a traditional trattoria and savor the more casual side of authentic Italian food.

Today, we venture to the outskirts only to find ourselves apron-clad, sleeves rolled and learning the art of soft cheese with a master cheesemaker. In the villa of Costigliole d’Asti, we’ll work our ways through mozzarella and burrata, tasting as we go, of course.

Soon we’ll turn to Jeff as brilliant cheese requires brilliant wine. On a family estate, just down the road, we’ll visit Cascina Roera for an immersive visit of the vineyard, including a flight of rare vintages paired with a catered meal from a local trattoria.

This isn’t just any winery. This is a small-batch operation that preaches minimal interference in the vineyards. We’ll witness this philosophy as we tour the estate and with the help of Jeff’s sixth sense for Nebbiolo, tease out the nuances of these particular vintages. As the late light of the November afternoon slips into the valley, we’ll make our way to Langhe and check into our picturesque hotel.

Get settled. Shut your eyes. Walk the dazzling estate. In the evening, we’ll reconvene for a lively and intimate dinner in the garden at our hotel.

This morning, we’ll step outside our hotel to explore the Roman amphitheaters and temples next door and learn about the rich history of Barolo and how this small, beautiful region became the epicenter of Piedmont’s food and wine culture. We’ll then move on to the University of Pollenzo for a tour of its historic campus before descending into their coveted Wine bank, which features more than 100,000 bottles of Italy’s rarest and most celebrated wines.

We’ll leave the bottles uncorked for now, for the medieval hamlet of Alba awaits us. Alba is the undisputed capital of truffles and hazelnuts—in fact Ferrero has its headquarters in the heart of downtown. Before settling in for lunch, we’ll stroll the pedestrian zone and take in the rich splendor of the architecture, not to mention the thriving art scene.

After a stunning lunch, we’ll make our way to a small winery in the village of Neive. Jeffrey and the resident winemakers will lead us through a tasting, and thanks to the smoky varietals of the Barbaresco appellation, we’ll practically float back to the hotel. The late afternoon is yours to embellish. You can find us at the local trattoria nursing an Aperol spritz and reflecting on the amazing journey so far.

We’ll see you at dinnertime for a masterclass in slow food at Guido Fontanafredda.

The hunt is on for truffles! Led by an expert trifolau, we’ll retreat to the forest with specially trained dogs for a guided experience on locating, identifying and cooking up these flavorful fungi. Walking the forests of Langhe is pure magic—as we tramp through brushstrokes of fallen leaves, we’ll listen for a few secrets and tricks of this ancient tradition.

Hunting for truffles is hard work, but don’t worry a sumptuous award is in store. We’ll meander down the road to one of the most revered kitchens in all of Piedmont, Chef Marco Battaglino’s Osteria Battaglino. We’ll treat ourselves to a mid-day vermouth, and a few courses of pasta-heavy specialties.

What’s next? One of the region’s most picturesque and biodynamic wineries, San Fereolo. After a private tasting of their award-winning vintages—widely considered the best representatives of Dogliani terroir—we’ll make our way back to the hotel just in time for sunset. The evening is yours to enjoy. See you bright and early tomorrow.

We wouldn’t dream of going to Piedmont without coming home with hazelnuts. Today, we find ourselves wandering the rows of a majestic, organic hazelnut grove. Here, we’ll sample all kinds of local favorites, witness their handed-down harvest techniques and learn how to elevate these nuts with just the right type of chocolate.

This is all but a delicious appetizer; for lunch, we go off the beaten path to Reppublica di Perno. A Michelin-starred restaurant disguised as a casual bistro, we’ll have a feast rooted in the very fabric of Piedmont tradition. After, Jeff will lead us deep into the terroir and fermentation as we tour the vineyards of a local estate and sample some of their finest young wines.

It’s now we rest, for our farewell dining experience is truly incredible. We’ll don aprons together, and at the behest of local cooking icon, we’ll learn to roll our own pasta, slice and sauté our own truffles into a dish as traditional and refined as Piedmont itself. We’ll sit down together and toast—with wines hand-selected by Jeff—to an incredible week of discovery and exhilaration.

Arrivederci! All beautiful things must end, and so we go our separate ways. After a leisurely breakfast, we’ll transfer to the Torino airport to catch our flights onward and home. Until next time: Ciao!