Although primarily known for its eminent and enduring reds, Piedmont also boasts some excellent wines from white grapes. A journey through small villages, lakes, castles and towers – which all stand out against a horizon of picturesque hillsides – will enable you to discover them. Our wine-tasting tour begins with the limpid Erbaluce di Caluso DOCG, the fruit of vineyards which extend through 33 towns in the area between Turin, Vercelli and Biella. The hills facing the Sesia River, between Vercelli and Biella, produce the Coste della Sesia DOC. Meals in Upper Piedmont will often be accompanied by the prized Colline Novaresi DOC and Valli Ossolane DOC wines. Meanwhile, in the Langhe and Roero regions – UNESCO World Heritage sites – wine lists feature Roero Arneis DOCG and Langhe DOC.
Another compulsory stop on our tour is the area of the Colli Tortonesi, which produces the acclaimed Cortese grape, used to make, above all, Gavi DOCG. This wine takes its name from the main town of its production zone, in the province of Alessandria. The area around Tortona, meanwhile, produces Timorasso, a true viticultural gem that made its comeback in the 1980’s. This wine shows rare and ancient qualities that have been appreciated since medieval times: among its fans, at least according to tradition, was Leonardo da Vinci, who chose the wine while organizing the wedding dinner for Gian Galeazzo Sforza and Isabella of Aragon, which took place in Tortona in 1489.