Culinary Tour to Piedmont, Italy

May 18 - May 26, 2013

Join us in May 2013 as we tour the Piedmont region nestled in the northwestern corner of Italy! Piedmont borders France and Switzerland, as well as the Italian regions of Lombardy and Liguria. In the north, Piedmont rises up to the Alps - hence the name 'pied monte' literally meaning 'at the foot of the mountains'. The region features great ski resorts and a vibrant outdoor culture of climbing and hiking in the beautiful countryside. The French influence is evident in the local cuisine, with its rich sauces and use of butter instead of olive oil. In fact, French was the native language here before the turn of the 20th century.

Piedmont has one of Europe's most elegant old cities in the shape of Turin, a monument to cafe society. It has marvellous local wines, big reds such as Barolo and it has the pungent truffles so prized by gourmets. It has good sparkling white wines from around Alba and Asti.

This is a cuisine with flavours of France as much as Mediterranean Italy. Fondue is featured on many menus, especially bagna caoda, with its sauce of anchovies, garlic, butter and cream. Pastas and risottos are often flavoured with delicate shavings of truffle, and saffron is another popular risotto ingredient.

Our tour includes private bus transportation, luxury 4-star hotel stays, tours of Piedmont, gourmet meals and the chance to experience the cuisine of this unique Italian region and go behind the scenes to see and taste the foods of Piedmont at the source.

Tour Highlights:

• Guided tour of Turin
• Tour and tasting at artisan chocolate producer
• Visit a rice producer near the town of Vercelli, the European capital of rice
• Visit and tasting at a grappa distillery
• Truffle hunting and tasting!
• Lunch and tasting at a local winery
• Visit a torrone maker founded in 1883
• A day at the local market choosing ingredients for our cooking class
• Visit and tasting with a maker of Alpine goat cheeses
• Enjoy Piedmont cuisine with lunches and dinners in the finest local restaurants
• Guided tours of architecture, ancient historic villages, local markets
• Four-star accomodations
• Private bus transfers and bilingual tour guides
• Breakfast every morning
• Free times for exploring, shopping and, most importantly, eating!

Price is $5500 and space is limited to 15, so make your reservation soon to be included in this fabulous trip. 50% deposit is due by February 19, 2013.