It’s no secret that Italy is home to its fair share of fantastic wine regions. From Tuscany to Sicily, you’ll find world-class food and wine tours all over the country. However, Italy’s greatest wine region is arguably found in its northwestern corner: the Piedmont region. Piedmont wine tours are becoming more and more popular as an increasing number of travelers focus on culinary experiences, outdoor activities and sustainable tourism.
As experts of organizing northern Italy wine tours, we know this UNESCO World Heritage-listed wine region like the back of our hands. Years of guiding visitors around some of the world’s greatest wineries have provided us a deep-rooted knowledge of the regional wines, but also given us the skills and ability to create some of the best food and wine tours in Italy.
How to Organize the Best Food and Wine Tours in Northern Italy and Piedmont
If you’d like to offer Piedmont wine tours to your own customers, or if you’re simply looking for the best northern Italy wine tours, here are some important guidelines to follow. They’ll allow you to put together a great tour that’ll get you some enthusiastically positive feedback afterward.
Avoid Mass Tourism Destinations
The best travel experiences happen in quiet places. If you have to share your destination with thousands of other visitors, you’re kind of sharing the experience, too.
This is why we recommend leaving behind the mass tourism destinations in Italy (and elsewhere!) And seeking out those slightly off-the-beaten-track places.
Include More Places
Continuing with the subject above, northern Italy’s Piedmont region is certainly one of those less-visited destinations in Italy.
This UNESCO World Heritage Site encompasses two specific wine regions, the Langhe Region and Monferrato , each of which is home to three distinct wine-growing areas (and / or historic sites).
This results in a wide variety of wine types , including Barolo, Barbaresco, Moscato d’Asti and Freisa. In terms of food, too, there’s a huge amount of greatness to be discovered here, from the famous white truffles of Alba , local honey and regional cheeses to delicious polenta and risotto dishes.
For the best possible experience, it’s important to include more than one place to explore. For example, focus on the Langhe Region, but also make sure to get a taste (literally!) Of what Monferrato has to offer. The Piedmont region isn’t that big and you could easily take in more than one place.
Choose Carefully Between Custom Tours and Group Tours
Another main consideration when choosing the best Piedmont wine tours is whether to go with a small-scale custom tour or a large group tour. Both have their pros and cons.
At Slow Days, however, we’re huge fans of custom tours with a limited number of people. As we’ve pointed out in the first point of this post, the more people, the more you’ll have to share the experience.
This is why our food and wine tours in Italy typically take place in small groups. This allows for more interactions and a better overall experience for everyone involved, including the participants but also the tour guide.
Create a Good Mix of Cultural Activities and Regional Food and Wine Delicacies
While the focus obviously lies on the food and wine of northern Italy’s Piedmont, a well-rounded tour should also include a couple of other cultural attractions and, preferably, at least one outdoor activity.
There are numerous historic sites dotted around Piedmont, so you shouldn’t have much trouble adding a visit-worthy landmark, a castle for example, to the itinerary. As far as outdoor activities go, our northern Italy wine tours may include Vespa trips or ebike excursions .
Slow Days Offers Amazing Northern Italy Wine Tours
For more information about our food and wine tours in northern Italy, you can take a look at our detailed tour page .
Comments