While it’s by no means a secret how phenomenal a destination Italy is when it comes to culinary delicacies, the place where you can find the best food and wine tours in Italy is much less famous. We’re talking, of course, about the Langhe Region, a part of Piedmont in northwestern Italy.
Made up of low-lying, rolling hills squeezed between the Mediterranean and the Alps, its climate lends itself perfectly to the production of various authentic and typical wines, as well as some characteristic foods.
4 Typical Delicacies You Must Try on a Langhe Wine Tour
Below, we highlight the four greatest delicacies, both food, and wine, you can find–and taste!–in the Langhe Region. Four excellent reasons to go on a Langhe wine tour, if you ask us. Check them out and we challenge you to not get hungry or thirsty!
1. Red Wines
The jewels that shine brightest in Langhe’s culinary crown are the region’s renowned red wines. Numerous varieties are produced here, combinations of both grape varieties and the location where they’re grown.
The three main red grape types that distinguish the Langhe Region from basically all other Italian wine-growing regions are Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto.
- Nebbiolo: most famous red grape from the Langhe Region, used to produce Barolo, Barbaresco, Nebbiolo d’Alba, Roero Rosso,….
- Barbera: most common red grape in the Langhe Region, popular among locals, used to produce Barbera d’Asti, Barbera d’Alba, Barbera del Monferrato Superiore,…
- Dolcetto: most smoothly drinkable red grape from the Langhe Region, used to produce Dogliani, Dolcetto di Diano d’Alba, Dolcetto di Ovada Superiore,…
2. White and Sparkling Wines
While the Langhe Region is most famous for its delicious well-aging reds, there are also several excellent white and sparkling wines around. So, if you’re not a fan of those tannin-rich red wines, you could still find several amazing sweet or dry white wines on a Langhe wine tour.
White and sparkling wines, too, have three main grape varieties in Piedmont’s Langhe Region, Moscato Bianco, Cortese, and Arneis. Some of the region’s sparkling wines are recognized as Alta Langa DOCG, a famous vintage produced according to strict historical guidelines.
- Moscato Bianco: most well-known white grape variety in the Langhe Region, used to produce the sparkling Moscato d’Asti, Asti Spumante, Loazollo,…
- Cortese: renowned white grape from the town of Gavi, used to produce dry white wines like Gavi and Cortese dell’Alto Monferrato
- Arneis: excellent white grape from the Roero Region, but also found in the Langhe Region, used to produce Roero Arneis, Langhe Arneis, Terre Alfieri,…
3. Hazelnuts and Chestnuts
Although vineyards cover much of the Langhe Region’s picturesque hills, there are also myriad patches of woodland and orchards. Grapes are not the only thing people harvest here. At about the same time the grape harvest takes place, other harvested “tree fruits” are hazelnuts and chestnuts.
Both types of nuts are a historically intrinsic part of Piedmontese cuisine, making for perfect pairings with cheese, cured meats, and/or wine. It’s the hazelnut, however, that has left the biggest mark on the region’s economy and history.
Especially the town of Alba has been a center of hazelnut production for centuries. This is where Pietro Ferrero perfected a local hazelnut paste that later became Nutella. Another famous hazelnut-related product from the Langhe Region is Ferrero Rocher, also made by the Ferrero company.
4. White Truffles
As famous as Langhe’s hazelnut products may be, the region’s top food product is indisputably its white truffles. Specifically, the white truffles of Alba are renowned around the world, famous for their distinct and unforgettable flavor.
Foraging, or “hunting”, for white truffles is a major pastime in the fall season, a super-popular activity on food and wine tours in northern Italy. The production of white truffles is closely related to that of nut-bearing trees like oaks, chestnuts, and hazelnuts since they prefer to grow among those trees’ roots.
White truffles are used as an ingredient in many typical Langhe dishes, from truffle omelets to pasta dishes with truffles.
Enjoy the Langhe & Piedmont Delicacies with Slow Days
As a tour operator, we at Slow Days focus on the beautiful Langhe Region in northwestern Italy and all its culinary specialties, from ravishing red wines to wonderful white truffles. This is, after all, the birthplace of the slow food movement, which is now a global phenomenon. There’s no better place on Earth to really discover, enjoy and indulge in authentic, locally produced food and wine.
So, if you’re interested in joining us on a Langhe wine tour, you can check out all our culinary tour packages on this page.
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