TOUR

I call this trip My Nine Perfect Days because it brings together all the things I love: culture, art, food, wine, and friends. 

The city of Torino was once home to the Savoy family, the royal family of Italy, and this week, it will be ours. We’ll explore its elegant architecture, grand cafés, and the largest open-air market in Europe. We’ll visit magnificent palaces, discover one of the region’s most elegant hunting villages, and explore an extraordinary twelfth-century abbey built into the side of a mountain. 

As we traverse Piedmont, we’ll immerse ourselves in the culinary traditions and exquisite wines that have made this region so famous. 

We’ll discover what I call the three B’s of Italian wine: Barolo, Barbera, and Barbaresco. We’ll taste these extraordinary wines with small, family-run producers who have become friends over the years. We’ll also discover another treasure of the region: its abundance of hazelnuts, which find their way into everything from dishes accompanying wild game to some of Italy’s most beloved chocolates. 

We’ll taste Piedmont’s famous gianduja chocolate from a local, family-run producer. We’ll learn the art of Piedmontese cuisine from my talented friend Claudia. We’ll visit an incredible organic rice farm, run by my friend Alice and her family, and learn how to make a proper risotto while discovering the connection between the land, the ingredients, and the food that has been prepared here for generations. 

There will, of course, be time for retail therapy, too, because no trip to Italy is complete without bringing home something special. 

We’ll round out our nine days with a visit to Milano, where we’ll have the opportunity to see Michelangelo’s Last Supper, visit the magnificent Duomo, and enjoy a little time exploring the city before our journey comes to an end. 

These nine days are more than a culinary journey. They are an opportunity to experience Piedmont through the connections I’ve made over the years: the people who have welcomed me into their kitchens, shared their traditions, and opened their homes and businesses to me. It is my hope that you’ll leave with wonderful memories, new friendships, and a deeper connection to this remarkable region, just as I have.