Piemonte experiences

 

During the year many foodie events take place in Piemonte; especially in summer time, which is considered  the season of the sagras: manifestations to honor the many types of traditional foods, dishes and wines.

 

It may be the Barbera wine, the Fat Ox National Fair of Carrù, the Tonda Gentile hazelnut from Alta Langa, or the famous Agnolotti del Plin pasta; numerous products are subject of this honor.It is the royal gem of the typical Piemontese cuisine.

 

The most famous, the International White Truffle Festival of Alba, is celebrated during the months of October and November. There are also smaller white truffle festivals in Montiglio Monferrato, Moncalvo, Montechiaro d’Asti, Canelli, Vezza d’Alba and many others.

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Piemonte has plenty of different other delicacies such as the typical Bagna Caöda, a hot dish made from garlic and anchovies, originating during the 16th century. The dish is served and consumed in a manner similar to fondue sometimes as an appetizer, with raw or cooked vegetables typically used to dip into. Its main celebration takes place in the small municipality of Faule, in the province of Cuneo, every year on the second weekend of October. 

 

 

Other regional food and wine festivals not to be missed:​​

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March:

Alba Music Festival – A series of spring concerts, running from early March to the end of May.

 

April:

Vinum – Food and wine festival with a series of events in the streets and piazzas of historic Alba, held at the end of April / beginning of May.

 

May:

Barbaresco a Tavola – 3 consecutive Fridays in May.  Around a dozen local restaurants in Barbaresco and Alba provide an opportunity to taste the new Barbaresco vintage with fixed price menus: around 20 wines are presented blind each evening.

Festa della Barbera – Castagnole delle Lanze opens its lovely old courtyards for a huge celebration of Barbera with local wine producers, food stalls and lots of music.

 

June:

Alba Jazz Festival – Usually a long weekend of Jazz around the city of Alba.

Collisioni – Not to be missed music festival running from mid-June to mid-July with international headline bands – past performers include Eddie Vedder, Elton John, Mark Knopfler, Sting, Jamiroquai, Deep Purple and Bob Dylan.

 

July:

Monforte Jazz Festival – Open Jazz Festival in historic Barolo village of Monforte d’Alba, which runs from early July until late August.

 

September:

Palio di Asti – Historic horse race in Asti that predates Siena’s famous version.

Douja d’Or – Annual festival of food, wine, art and other cultural events held in Asti.

Slow Cheese – Every other year – on odd years – Bra closes its streets and opens its doors for a massive cheese festival.  The event has grown over the years so that there is now everything available – artisan beers and spirits, all manner of foodstuffs, workshops and so on.  Check out the link, and use the search to find out more.

 

October:

Alba International White Truffle Fair – 2022 marks the 92nd International White Truffle Fair in Alba, which now runs from early October into December, celebrating the famous Alba White Truffle and other exceptional local produce.  The first Sunday of the fair sees Alba run its own Palio – using donkeys: the reason why is quite amusing…

Salone del Gusto – Held in even years when there is no Slow Cheese festival, this is a wonderful opportunity to try all manner of things from all over the world, and to attend masterclasses, workshops and other activities to learn more.  Again, use the search function on the page linked to find out more.

Piacere Barbaresco – Series of tastings spread over a number of weekends in October and November with different producers each weekend showcasing their new releases.

Cantina Communale di La Morra – Each Saturday in October, La Morra offers a chance to taste Barolos from around a dozen local producers – all from the village of La Morra.  This is a local tasting for local people, they’ll be no trouble here…

Coazzolo Cougnà Festival – Street celebration of typical local produce with lots of stalls, food, wine, music and entertainment.  Strictly for those who love not only garlic, but anchovies, too…!

Neive Vino e……. – A full weekend in early October celebrating the wines of Neive. There is wine tasting, local food, arts and crafts, live music and so on, all in the beautiful historic hilltop village.

 

November:

Costigliole d’Asti – Barbera, I Gusto del Territorio – 4 day Barbera Tasting Festival in early November.  The largest Barbera tasting festival in the world, it usually features at least 100 producers and over 200 wines.  50 per day should be about manageable…

 

WEEKLY MARKETS 
(These generally run from 7 or 8 am thru 1 or 2 pm.)

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• Monday – Monforte d’Alba, La Morra, Mango

• Tuesday – Dogliani, Canale d’Alba, Canelli

• Wednesday – Neive, Santo Stefano Belbo

• Thursday – Castagnole delle Lanze, Alba – this is a smaller one than the main one on Saturday

• Friday – Bra, Cortemilia, Murazzano

• Saturday – Alba, Asti

• Sunday – Costigliole d’Asti

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