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How to Plan a Wine Tour in Piedmont – Tips and Advice

If you're like us, your first thoughts when it comes to booking a wine tour in Piedmont is all about Barolo. Arguably one of the most famous wines in the world, and the most acclaimed Nebbiolo on the planet, Barolo has lifted Piedmont's reputation as a fine wine producing region to the likes of Burgundy and Napa in recent decades.

But Piedmont wineries offer far more than fine, ageable Barolo and produce numerous grapes, styles of wine, and in many regions spread throughout Piedmont as a whole.

So in this Piedmont wine region guide we wanted to take a look at the wine region overall, the grapes and wines produced, give tips for planning a visit, share highly rated wineries you may want to visit, and more!

If you're planning a trip to Piedmont to go wine tasting, this guide is for you!

When we booked our trip to northern Italy to go wine tasting, we knew we wanted to check out a great cross-section of wineries in Piedmont.

Naturally, our first thought went heavy into checking out Barolo wineries to find out why the region is so acclaimed for Nebbiolo. But as Piedmont is more than just Barolo, we also set our sights on trying out other grape varieties like Barbera, Dolcetto (in Dogliani, specifically), Moscato (in Asti), traditional method sparkling wine, and other styles of Nebbiolo like Barbaresco and Langhe Nebbiolo to name a few.

As such, we hit an array of styles of Piedmont wineries and wanted to share a bit about each that we personally visited in this one!

Note: Most wineries in Piedmont require advance reservation when visiting. Wineries that appeared to allow walk-in tastings are noted, but please confirm this prior to visiting as tasting rules and booking requirements change regularly. To check out our full guide to planning a wine tour in Piedmont, click the previous link!

If you are considering visiting Piedmont on an upcoming trip to go wine tasting, the odds are good you may be wondering where to stay.

Not only are there several great wine regions to explore, Barolo, Barbaresco, Dogliani, Asti, and more, but there are also several villages within each you may want to consider as a possible base.

While we cannot tell you what wine region is the best to stay in as that may depend heavily on your ideal itinerary (we were Barolo heavy ourselves), we can give some broad thoughts on where to stay in Piedmont in several categories based on your interests.

Who doesn't love a good Barolo? Intensely aromatic, powerful flavors, and pairs perfectly with some of the richest dishes on the planet.

We realized it had been years since we had opened a Barolo, so we decided to crack open an A&G Fantino Cascina Dardi Barolo Riserva DOCG from our cellar and see how it was developing despite being a rather young wine at approximately eight years old.

If you are into lesser-known grapes the way we are, odds are good Turbiana may be new to you. This is because the grape, grown on the shores of Lake Garda in northern Italy, was only recognized as a unique mutation a few years ago and in the past was considered to be Verdicchio.

But Ca dei Frati Brolettino Lugana was unlike any Verdicchio we've ever had, and this Turbiana was one of those bottles we still talk about well after the bottle has been enjoyed to its very last drop.

We have a fondness for Montepulciano d'Abruzzo for often being an intense and well-balanced Italian red wine.

So when we received a sample bottle of Masciarelli's Villa Gemma Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva, we were rather excited to try it out. Intense flavors, a bit of age, and a lovely complexity is all we need to be happy with this one!

When Masciarelli Vineyards sent us a few sample bottles to try out, there was one we were rather excited to try out as quickly as possible- their Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo white blend.

Part of this was because it as a unique blend of three lesser-enjoyed grapes- Trebbiano, Pecorino, and Cococciola. The other part is that we simply have not found too many white wines from Italy that we are big fans of.

This bottle offered a rather complex flavor profile that we quite enjoyed and definitely has us rethinking our approach to Italian white wines!

You likely know that Montepulciano is an intense red wine from Italy. But have you ever had it made in rose style?

We were able to give this unique preparation a try with a sample bottle from Masciarelli's Villa Gemma Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo and have to admit it is a rather unique way to enjoy this grape!

As far as bubbles are concerned, I've never really been that fond of Prosecco. The cheaper bottles I've had access to have been rather simple, and more often than not are used as a base for mimosas more than anything.

So when I saw Tenuta di Collalbrigo Prosecco DOCG in the store, I knew I had to pick it up to help study for my WSET D4 sparkling wine exam.

If any bottle can help convert me to Prosecco, it has to be one from a DOCG region, right? As it turns out, it did!

For as much as we study wine, every so often we have a bottle that surprises us.

Sometimes this is because what is in the glass is completely different from what we expected. Other times is because we simply picked the wrong bottle for our meal and really didn't know what we were getting ourselves into.

Le Fraghe Rondinella from Italy is one such bottle that hit all those marks. We opened it thinking we were having a somewhat intense Italian red and it turns out this one was characteristically more like a lighter rose.

Naturally, we were in for a surprise- one that was not necessarily what we wanted.

How to Plan a Wine Tour in Piedmont – Tips and Advice

11 Wineries in Piedmont to Check Out When Visiting

Where to Stay in the Piedmont Wine Region for a Tasting Trip

A & G Fantino Cascina Dardi Barolo Riserva DOCG 2015 Review

Ca dei Frati Brolettino Lugana 2020 Review – Impressive Find

Masciarelli Villa Gemma Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva 2015 Review

Masciarelli Villa Gemma Colline Teatine IGT Bianco 2021 Review

Masciarelli Villa Gemma Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo 2021 Review

Tenuta di Collalbrigo Prosecco Superiore DOCG NV – Sippable Bubbles

Le Fraghe Chelidon Rondinella 2018 Review – A Rose-Esque Wine