- Accommodations (double occupancy)
- Farmers market/ truffle hunting/cooking classes
- E-bike tour
- Several local hikes
- Cheese festival
- Winery visits
- Most meals (7 dinners, 7 lunches, 8 breakfasts)
- All transportation by van during trip
- All tours and tastings
- English/Italian-speaking guide
2025 Italy Food & Wine Trip
- Sept 19 - 27, 2025
- 12 People
- 9 Days / 8 Nights
- 4450
NC Wine Gals +
Piemonte Italy, Where Food Meets Wine
Join us for a guided trip to the Piemonte region of Italy, famous for its wine, hazelnuts, risotto, egg pastas, chocolate, castles, art, architecture, and beautiful countryside. Piemonte is also the birthplace and home of “Slow Food.” Following Turin native, Monica Wuthrich, a graduate of Slow Food’s University of Gastronomic Sciences, we will visit a plethora of food producers, chefs, and winemakers for exclusive tours, tastings, classes, and experiences.
The Itinerary
No place captures our imagination and desire like Italy. From amazing architecture, villas surrounded by olive groves and grapevines, paper-thin slices of prosciutto tucked into crusty bread, life-changing gelato, big glasses of wine, and tiny cups of espresso, Italy is an exciting and delicious place. The language is beautiful, the people are warm, expressive, enthusiastic, and hospitable, and the pasta is almost incomprehensibly amazing.
Join an Italian truffle hunter as his dogs look for the famous truffles of Alba, take a chocolate making class from one of Turin’s artisan chocolatiers, visit a revered gelateria to learn how to make gelato, and sip the famous Barolo, Barbera, and Dolcetto wines as you look over hillsides covered in vineyards and the celebrated hazelnuts trees of Langhe. Explore Turin, an important historical and cultural center of northern Italy. Experience the restaurants of Piemonte and taste the regional dishes: agnolotti del plin, vitello tonnato, risottos, bagna cauda, yellow and silky tajarin pasta, and more.
Piemonte is a culinary paradox. It has remained intensely traditional and yet is one of the most progressive regions in Italy culinarily, with influences from the Spanish avant garde. Slow Food, an international organization formed to protect traditional foods and food production, started in the town of Bra, located in the heart of Piemonte. We will tour Slow Food’s School of Gastronomic Sciences where we will visit the impressive and unusual “Banco del Vino” (wine bank) and learn about the mission and history of this internationally famous food organization. We will also dine at Osteria Boccon di Vino, where the idea for Slow Food was formed.
Italians are great appreciators of beauty and pleasure. We will stay in beautiful old hotels, a spectacular villa in the countryside, and even an agriturismo. We will see stunning architecture, art, and experience the pleasures of the table. Sip espressos, macchiatos, and cappuccinos throughout the day. Visit castles, stroll on cobblestone streets, hike through terraces of hazelnuts and wine grapes. Sit down at a vinoteca for “appertivo” and choose between hundreds of local wines to sip alongside a platter of paper-thin prosciutto, hams, salamis, and local cheese. Experience the Italian way of life, full of joy, passion, and emotion. Time restraints are forgotten and hospitality is everywhere. Relax and let us lead you to the amazing people and food of Piemonte!
What's Included
What's Not
- Flights to/from Italy
- Some meals
- Travel insurance (highly recommended). Try World Nomads
- Alcohol
- Gratuities
Deposit Required
Save your spot with $500
Aaron - Your Guide
He is a trained anthropologist with a food & writing backgroud. He was fortunate enough to live abroad in some fantastic places and cultivated many friendships with all kinds of people, but especially with artisan food producers as my culinary curiosity led to short internships. He has a “backstage pass” into many bakeries, butcher shops, farms, cheesemakers, and other food producers and farmers so he can take the travler on unique culinary journeys.
This trip costs $4450 for each guest sharing a room. There is a $800 supplement for guests who want a single room.
Deposit Requirement: A $500 deposit is required immediately with each booking request. A booking cannot be guaranteed without a deposit.
Deposits can be made by PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle
Cancellation Policy: The deposit is half refundable until 90 days before the start of the trip, after which it is non-refundable.
Final payment is due 60 days before the start of the trip. Cancellations between 30 and 59 days before the of start of trip are 50% refundable (of total booking cost). Cancellations less than 30 days are non-refundable (100% of booking cost). No refunds will be made if you voluntarily leave a trip for any reason after the trip has begun. The same applies if you leave a trip or cannot fully participate in a trip due to injury or illness. Refunds will be at the discretion of the Company if you are involuntarily forced to leave a trip for any reason. No refunds will be made for any accommodation, transport, sightseeing, meals or services not utilized. For this reason, we recommend you consider purchasing travelers insurance (try World Nomads), which will cover the cost of your trip in extenuating circumstances.
If the trip is canceled due to the situation surrounding COVID-19, you will be notified, and your deposit or trip balance will be applied to a future trip. If you need to cancel the trip because you test positive for COVID-19, you will be given a full credit for a future trip until 2026.
If a trip does not receive the minimum number of bookings the trip may not run. Please confirm with us before you purchase airfare or make non-refundable plans.
FAQs
The itinerary is already set. If, due to some unforeseen event, the schedule does not go according to plan, the commitment is to present and move towards options for the same price and quality level that were initially presented.
A $500 deposit is required to secure your spot.
Yes. There are free afternoons and evenings to enjoy. Also, morning activities and visits will not start before 10.30 am, which may also give some R&R time.
No. You can pay an extra fee ($800) to have an individual room.
Both of the hotel choices are 4-star hotels in Logroño – one of them being a converted fortress-like building – at the heart of the city center and a 5-minute walk from the Cathedral and the Calle de San Juan and Calle De Laurel streets where the Rioja Wine culture and gastronomy is up for grabs. The Spanish hotels (and the 4-star ones) offer high-quality accommodation and hotel amenities. Both hotels have gym & spa options for guests and other activities that can be purchased at the hotel (like wine tastings) but are not included in the tour price.
The upgraded hotel – Fuertes Ruavieja Hotel – is an extra $300 per person.
We recommend buying a wine suitcase or brining wine sleeves and an extra suitcase
No, travel insurance is not required but heavily recommended. We recommend World Nomads for this trip.
We recommend the Turin airport or flying into Milan and taking a train to Turin.
This trip is not suitable for vegetarians, vegans, dairy free, or gluten free diets. Many of our meals will be hosted and it can be difficult for our hosts to accommodate many dietary restrictions. Please contact us if you have any questions.
The weather in Piemonte in September is usually quite nice, with highs in the mid 70s (Farenheit) and lows in the 60s. Of course nights can get a bit chilly and we may the occasional hot day.
This trip includes several moderately difficult hikes that can include rocky terrain and elevation changes with steeper uphill sections and descents. You should have some experience hiking and be able to hike for 30 minutes without having to stop.
The trip will also feature an e-bike ride and lots of walking in historic cities.
Please plan on being in shape when you arrive for the trip. Try to do 30 minutes of aerobic activity 3 times a week leading up to the trip.
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