Cheese Festival in Piemonte September 12-20
The Ultimate Journey
Join us September 12-20, 2023 in the hills of Piemonte's famous Barolo region for the world’s biggest international event dedicated to cheese from iconic artisanal cheese makers, other naturally produced dairy products, bread and charcuterie! The Cheese Festival event takes place in Bra Italy in Piemonte. Bra is also home to Slow Food’s international headquarters. The pristine streets of the ancient town will be the stage where farmers, cheese makers, cheese mongers and affineurs focus on local, natural and heritage ingredients and methods to produce the best cheeses in the world.
Spend 9 glorious days and 8 nights in Piemonte savoring the best food, wine and scenery on the planet as you experience the best of Northern Italy Travel.
The Goods
Here's what we'll do before, during and after the Slow Food International Cheese Festival.
Spend 3 days and two nights in Milan exploring the food scene and elegance that makes this city an amazing start to our adventure. We will explore the street markets, and learn all about Milanese cuisine. We’ll tour Peck, the gastronomic temple behind the scenes, cook with a local chef and dine at 2 Michelin-rated restaurants. Luxury hotel accommodations for 2 nights.
September 14
A trip to Luigi Guffanti (Arona) offers one of the best culinary experiences to get us started on cheese! An iconic artisanal cheese maker since 1876, we will have a private visit to the caves and a wine, cheese and salumi tasting. Then we continue to the hotel for dinner at a local family restaurant. We overnight in the Piemonte hills in the heart of the Langhe region of Barolo for the next 5 nights.
September 15
Following breakfast at our hotel, we encounter our first full day at the semiannual Slow Food Cheese Festival in Bra, the home of the Slow Food Organization. The festival, simply known as Cheese, attracts cheese makers from all over the world dedicated to making the finest quality and best tasting cheeses. We will literally be eating our way through the festival while we learn. Dinner at local restaurant and overnight at the Piemonte hills
September 16
After breakfast, we enter our second encounter with the Cheese! With more than 35 tasting workshops, we will get to discover and taste chesses from around the world. We will attend a number of special events today that might take us from pizza making, to raw milk goat cheese, to wine pairings. Dinner at a Michelin restaurant. Overnight in Piemonte.
September 17
Once again, we enjoy breakfast at our hotel. Today will be a half day at the Cheese Festival then we will travel a short distance to cook lunch with a chef at a local farm. We continue to Beppino Occelli to sample the best mountain, cave-aged cheeses and artisanal butters in the world. Beppino Occelli's passion for local dairy traditions combined with his great creativity has produced a wide variety of cheeses (fresh, semi-seasoned, seasoned, truffle, Blue, Grand Reserve and D.O.P). We finish the day with an evening at the birthplace of the Slow Food movement in Bra at experience the Cheese at night. Dinner at Osteria del Boccondivino where we will dine on the freshest local food.
September 18
Morning begins with breakfast at our hotel and then a truffle hunt in preparation for our afternoon of cooking in a farmhouse. Our chef will teach us the traditions of Piedmontese cuisine, and every course is paired with a different glass of wine carefully selected to complementthe dishes. We will dine on our dishes we have prepared in our cooking class.
September 19
Today we will relax the pace a bit and visit nearby Barolo for a private tasting at a vineyard estate with the owner after breakfast. We’ll wander the picturesque town for a couple of hours and then. The regions quest for excellence shows in every part of the magnificent wines and vineyards that produces world-renowned crus. Our next stop will be Alba, the white truffle capital of the world. Wander the intimate old town and grab a light lunch if you’re hungry. Tonight, we dine at a special Michelin restaurant so save room!
September 20
Our final breakfast at the hotel and we head out toward Milan. We’ll make a lunch stop at a special restaurant on the way. Once we reach Milan, our adventure ends and many guests decide to spend a few extra days discovering this foodie haven. You can explore the old Brera district to visit and taste the most typical Milanese food. Try the local specialties like Milanese meatballs, charcuterie, pastries and of course gelati.
What Is Included:
● 2 nights accommodations at the Grand Hotel et de Milan-A Leading Hotels of the World 5* Property
● 6 nights accommodations in Piemonte in the iconic Barolo region overlooking historic vineyards at the Hotel Case Dei Conti Mirafiore in the Fontanafredda Villiage right in the heart of Borolo surrounded by vineyards and a working winery.
● 2 days and one evening at the festival to explore the hundreds of cheeses, charcuterie, wine, honey and breads at the Slow Food International Cheese Festival
● Private cheese tasting at the festival
● Private visit to Luigi Guffanti, a formaggier since 1876, with cave tour and cheese tasting● Dinner at 2 Michelin rated restaurants
● Authentic farm-to-table cuisine at unique family-owned restaurants ● Barolo wine tasting at a family winery in the birthplace of Barolo
● Truffle hunting, fresh truffle tasting with typical products of the region
● 2-3 cooking classes
● Visit to Beppino Occelli, a butter and cheese producer and affineur steeped in the tradition of stewardship of the land and animals.
● All local transportation in Mercedes sprinter
● 8 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 4 dinners
From $6990 per person plus air $1800 single supplement
Additional Information
Things of Note
This is a complete package with transportation via Mercedes Sprinter with a private driver, deluxe hotels, most meals, wine, cheese events, private caves, cooking classes and more.
Not included:
- Airfare
- Gratuities
- Personal travel insurance
- Expenses of personal nature such as telephone calls, cigarettes, gifts
- Anything not indicated in the itinerary
- Transfers to and from the airport as everyone will arrive at different times
Additional Terms:
- $1000 deposit due withing 3 days of reservation with final payment due January 10, 2023. Cancellations received 120 days before departure will receive a full refund minus $100 service fee.
- This adventure will sell out quickly
- All dates and activities subject to change and notification of any change will be sent out as soon as received by the Slow Food Cheese Festival
- All dietary restrictions must be conveyed to the local service provider on this culinary tour.
- We recommend that airline tickets and all other pre/post travel arrangements be made once all of the dates are confirmed.
- Travel insurance is required to participate
Call us at 925 785 2902 or email us at hello@envtravel.com to reserve.
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