Epic Culinary Adventure in Northern Italy September 13-22, 2026
It's almost impossible to get into the wineries and restaurants we will visit on this incredible culinary adventure. We've arranged private tastings at iconic wineries in Barolo. We'll dine at Cultivare and the much sought after local gastronomic temples in Cherasco.
Join us in Piemonte, Italy for the world’s biggest international cheese event where we will eat, drink and immerse ourselves in white truffles, cheese, wine, charcuterie, bread and pasta. We will embark on a culinary adventure into the heart of Northern Italy's famed food and wine. The lovely medieval town of Bra, in the Piemonte countryside, is home to the Cheese Festival every other year. The pristine streets of this ancient town are the setting where cheese takes center stage and it's all about the cheese! The cuisine here focuses on local, natural and heritage ingredients to produce the best products in the world.
We’ll start in Torino, a hidden gem of Northern Italy, that feels elegant, intimate, and historical with amazing food, art and architecture. We'll focus on the finest pasta, vermouth cocktails, chocolate, notable piazzas, palaces, and elaborate buildings. The stunning setting is accentuated by vistas of the magnificent Alps rising to the northwest of the city. Stately baroque buildings and old cafes line Torino's boulevards and grand squares such as Piazza Castello and Piazza San Carlo. The town is filled with stunning gallerias, museums, a grand palace and art-filled arcades.
Days 1-3
First we experience 3 nights in Torino exploring the food scene and elegance that makes this small city an amazing start to our adventure. We discover the vermouth and aperitivo culture, cozy coffee cafes, historic bars and restaurants housed in gorgeous 17th-19thcentury buildings. Our private guides will take us on an expedition to get intimate with the best food, wine, vermouth, and monuments over our 3 days in Torino.
Day 1
Arrivals day. Check in at Grand Sitea Hotel begins at 3:00 PM. Welcome cocktails and dinner begins at 6:00 PM in the American Bar at the hotel with dinner following at the Bistro. This will be a relaxed evening ending early so that everyone can be ready for the great adventure to follow for the next 8 days.
Grand Sitea 5* Hotel for 3 nights. Includes breakfast daily.
Day 2
After breakfast we will have a private tour of Torino to discover the unique coffee culture, stunning piazzas, gallerias, art, architecture and food scene. We’ll explore the history of Torino as we transverse the streets of the old town.
We’ll dine for lunch on the local cuisine at an historic cafe and taste the delicious pastas that originated here in Piemonte along with wines that were created to go along with the food. Evening and dinner on your own.
Day 3
After breakfast, our guide will take us to the most important museums and monuments while we taste the street food along the way.
Later, we will be immersed in vermouth with a private session with one of the foremost vermouth experts in Italy.
Tonight, we dine at a Michelin rated restaurant for our last night in Torino.
Day 4-9
A quick drive through picturesque Piemonte takes us to the heart of the Langhe, a UNESCO World Heritage Wine Region, We overnight in the Piemonte hills in the heart of the Langhe region for the next 5 nights.
Our hotel, the sumptuous palace of the Monastery of Cherasco, was built in the early 1700s and in the1800s headquarters of the order of the Somascan Fathers. After careful restoration work that lasted more than six years, the property emerged as a luxury hotel returned to its former glory.
Waking up surrounded by the Alps, in an ancient Piedmont village next to the Langhe at Monastero di Cherasco affords a very special time here! Located in a perfect position we are just a few steps away from the UNESCO area of Langhe, Barolo, Roero and Monferrato; the premier wine regions of the world.
5 nights at Hotel Somaschi, including breakfast.
Day 4
After we arrive and settle into our historic hotel, you can relax at the pool, have lunch or wander the town of Cherasco. Later in the afternoon we’ll taste wine at one of the iconic wineries of the area with the winemaker and owner, who will impart their history and share their wine with us.
Dinner will be at a classic Michelin restaurant just steps from our hotel. Here we will taste the typical cuisine of this particular area.
Day 5
Following breakfast at our hotel, we encounter our first full day at the biennial 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 Italy and the world, dedicated to making the finest quality and best tasting cheeses. We will be led through the festival by a guide from the University of Gastronomy, who will tell us about the producers and production methods behind each product we encounter. We will literally be eating our way through the festival!
Dinner at local restaurant.
Day 6
After breakfast, we arrive at our second encounter with the Cheese! Today will be a day to wander around following your love of cheese and other delicious food. In the afternoon, we will have a special opportunity to visit Casa Beppino Occelli's private village at the festival. Here we will taste the best mountain, cave-aged cheeses and artisanal butters in the world made using only Alpine cow’s milk. Beppino Occelli's butter and cheeses are the result of the continuous quest for quality in raw materials, deeply linked to the territory.
Day 7
Once again we enjoy breakfast at our hotel. Today we start the day with a truffle hunt and then a cooking class to learn to make tajarin and agnolotti garnished with local butter, cheese and truffles. Afternoon bring us to the vineyards of Barolo for a tour and tasting of premier wines paired with local cheese and charcuterie. The region’s pursuit of excellence shows in every part of the magnificent wines and vineyards that produce world-renowned crus.
We finish the day with an evening at Boccondivino, the birthplace of the Slow Food movement in Bra, where Carlo Petrini would meet with all the artisan producers to promote hyper-local, heritage and sustainable food production and to fight the battle against fast food chains in Italy.
Day 8
Morning begins with breakfast at our hotel and then a trip to the local Saturday market to discover hyper-local cheese, sausages, fruits, vegetables, spices and flowers. There will be free time to shop and explore the town or have lunch at a café on the piazza.
Tonight will be our farewell at one of the many amazing restaurants in Cherasco.
Day 9
Our final breakfast at the hotel and we head out toward Torino. Once we reach Torino, our adventure ends. Safe travels wherever you are headed!
What Is Included:
- 5 nights accommodations in Piemonte in the iconic Barolo region overlooking historic vineyards in a 17th century palace
- 3 nights accommodations in historic Torino at a 5* hotel
- Discover the culinary secrets of Northern Italy in Torino
- Savor negronis, aperitivos, chocolates and pasta in the historically beautiful piazzas and cafes in Torino
- Visit the important palaces and monuments in Torino
- Get intimate with the wines of Barolo at the best wineries in the area
- Enjoy 2 days exploring the International Cheese festival to taste the hundreds of cheeses, charcuterie, wine, honey and breads
- Private cheese tastings and tour at the festival
- Dinners at Michelin rated restaurants
- Authentic farm-to-table cuisine at unique family-owned restaurants
- Barolo wine tasting at iconic wineries in the birthplace of Barolo
- Truffle hunting in Barolo
- Cooking class in a Michelin restaurant
- Visit to Beppino Occelli's private village, a butter and cheese producer and affineur steeped in the tradition of stewardship of the land and animals.
- All local transportation in Mercedes sprinter
- Most meals
- Maximum of 12 guests
From $7990 per person plus air $1800 single supplement
This is a complete package with transportation 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
Please note that some activities may change or be rescheduled due to circumstances beyond our control. Another activity of equal enjoyment will be added. If you choose not to join any activity, we unfortunately cannot provide any refunds to you.
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