Sensory tour of Piemonte

Spend the day today in the company of a local tour guide as you are chauffeured around the Langhe area to discover the sought-after Barolo and Barbaresco wines. Visit the impressive XIII century castle in Grinzane Cavour which also hosts the Cavour Regional Enoteca and an ethnographic museum. Stop in Barolo, the town where the “king of wines” was first produced in the XIX century. Visit a renowned Barolo producer and enjoy a wine-tasting. Short walk up to the Falletti di Barolo castle, home of the French Marquise Juliette Colbert (the lady who created Barolo wine); possibility of visiting the brand-new Wine Mu. (wine museum) inside the Falletti castle which also hosts the Regional Enoteca of Barolo.

Stop in the pretty hilltop town of La Morra whose “belvedere” is one of the most scenic places of the Lower Langa. Then stretch your legs in Alba, once called the “One Hundred Towers Town”, famous for the International White Truffle Fair which occurs each year in October.

Next on the agenda today is the Barbaresco area: walk in the village of Barbaresco with the imposing squared tower built in the late XI century to protect the village from foreign invaders, and stop at the Regional Enoteca (wine bar) of Barbaresco located in the deconsecrated church of San Donato. Visit a Barbaresco-producing winery in one of the three villages which are allowed to produce this wine, i.e. Barbaresco, Neive or Treiso with final wine-tasting before your return to your accommodation. (includes entrances to Grinzane Cavour & wine tastings mentioned).

*Please note that on Tuesdays, a visit of the pretty town of Pollenzo will be replaced by the Grinzane Cavour as the castle is closed on this day.*

Today is dedicated to the senses! In the company of a chauffeur driven vehicle and local guide, you will discover the most genuine products of Piedmont's enogastronomy: sought-after wines, cheese and chocolate. Start the day with a visit of the Falletti castle in Barolo which hosts the museum of wine (Wi.Mu.) and the Regional Enoteca of Barolo.

From here, you'll visit the town of Cherasco, known as the “city of the seven peace treaties”, snail farming and fine chocolate production. Visit a local chocolate producer where you can sample different kinds of chocolates, including the renowned "baci di Cherasco" (Cherasco’s kisses). 

* Please note that during the months of July & August, a vist will be made at the bank wine of Pollenzo instead of the chocolate maker.*

Next on the agenda is a stop (and a tasting of course!) at a cheese refiner in Bra, the town where the Slow Food Movement was born in 1989, who has energetically dedicated himself to locating, aging and commercializing the finest cheese produced in the area for generations.

Finally, visit a Barolo producer in one of the 11 Barolo villages, e.g. Barolo, La Morra, Castiglione Falletto, Monforte d’Alba, etc. A wine-tasting will follow the visit. (Includes entrance to Falletti castle, 1 winery visit and tasting, cheese tasting, chocolate tasting or visit to Bank of wine). 

There are lots of activities that you can busy yourself with while staying at the Relais San Maurizio. For golfers, you may like to consider a round of golf at one of the nearby courses (there are four all within a 20 - 45 minute drive from the property). The new Elettra, an electrically assisted bicycle, is available to Relais guests. Perfect for effortlessly roaming the hills, wth the motor integrated into the rear wheel, the bike has a range of approximately 40 km and a maximum speed of 24 km/h. If you feel more like relaxation and indulgence today, consider availing of one of the treatments available in the hotels onsite spa. In  a thousand square meters of space, the spa features a heated indoor swimming pool, a hammam and Turkish steam bath, a scenic solarium terrace and 11 cabins for beauty treatments, massage and therapy. The Via del Sale Medical & Beauty SPA is a melting pot that brings medicine and nature, health and beauty, body and mind, being and feeling together, suspended in time.... The Monastery of San Maurizio is located along one of the five ancient Vie del Sale or Salt Roads that carried the precious salt from the Ligurian Sea to beyond the Alps.  Salt, the heart of the SPA, plays a starring role in the Gotta where the highly dense, saline water is ideal for hydrotherapy. Here exclusive therapies and beauty treatments are offered in perfect symbiosis with the innovative medical center specialized in wellness. Within the spa facility, the Salt grotto is a natural gorge dug into the rock where the salt baths have been created. The combination of the highly mineralized water of the San Maurizio monks and the salt arriving from the Cagliari saltworks in Sardinia has produced highly saline water able to eliminate toxins and ensure lymphodrainage. The Grotta del Sale offers an exclusive regenerating, health circuit. Besides the two salt baths, the Scuola delle Gambe offers specific treatments geared to cardiovascular wellness.
 

Familiarize yourself with some of the sensory tastes of Piemonte today on a private full-day trip in the company of a local tour guide in the southern Monferrato area to discover not only the typical wines such as Asti Spumante (sparkling wine), Moscato d’Asti (sweet wine) and Barbera d’Asti, but also some delicacies like nougat and the unique amaretti cookies from Mombaruzzo.

Stop and taste some freshly made cookies at a confectioner’s laboratory in the village of Mombaruzzo, famous for amaretti (macaroons) production. Made from sugar, egg white, almonds, and apricot-shell seed, these macaroons are a reason of pride for all the village. (An alternative would be a visit of the city of Asti and a local nougat producer).

Next today is a visit to a Barbera d’Asti producer. Traditionally, Barbera was for everyday drinking, but about thirty years ago Giacomo Bologna with his “Bricco dell’Uccellone” gave Barbera wine a chance to step out of Nebbiolo’s shadow. Barbera makes dark wines that are low in tannins, thus French oak lends wine tannins of its own, giving this newer style of Barbera the balanced structure it needs to support the added richness. A wine-tasting will follow the visit.

Relax on the transfer to Canelli (approx. 30 mins), the homeland of Asti Spumante and Moscato d’Asti. Underneath the streets and houses of Canelli there is a wide net of underground tunnels, which for centuries, served as a place for protection and refinery for the wines produced in the nearby hills. The tunnels are a unique site in Italy, so much so that they are currently being considered as a UNESCO world heritage site. Finish off your tour with a visit of one of the so-called “underground cathedrals"; sparkling wine refining cellars of famous historic wineries such as Gancia, Contratto, Bosca, etc. followed by a wine-tasting. At days end you will be returned to your accommodation. (Please note: there is limited availability of winery visits on Saturday and Sundays).

Enjoy the drive from Turin to Alba in the heart of the Langhe region of Piemonte. The journey should take approximately 1hr 30mins.

Enjoy a 2 hour sightseeing walking tour with an English speaking Guide. The city is well worth a visit with many sites of interest. Walk from the Piazza Castello along Via Roma to the Piazza Carlo Felice, a landscaped park with a fountain in front of the train station. Many of the major sites are to be seen along the way from the Duomo, to various regal palaces, each of which will be explained by your guide.

Meet your driver for a private airport transfer.