For “Experienced” wine lovers

A week-end for an approach to the wine-world…..expert teaches and a gastronomy guide will accompany you in the discover of this precious nectar.

1st Day: arrival scheduled for late in the afternoon/evening. Settle in the room and meet the other members of the group.  Dinner in the hotel

2nd Day: morning introduction to the world of wine: historic origin, analysis of taste and smell. Other than the general and organoleptic properties of wine, the course will teach how to manage a bottle of wine correctly, from purchasing it to serving it at table, as well as recognising defects and their possible causes. In the afternoon you will go to Novara and the surrounding areas with the gastronomy guide, to visit two wine-cellars, Anzivino (visit to the wine cellar and wine and local food tasting session) and Castello Conti (vertical tasting of Boca wine). Return to the hotel for dinner.

3rd Day: travel to Val Formazza in the morning. In Oira you will meet one of the producers of Prunent (one of the few traditional wines of this area) – visit to the wine-cellar followed by a walk in the small town, reaching the Vecchia Latteria Turnaria dairy farm, to visit the old dairy. Brief tasting session (local products) and return to the lake early in the afternoon.
 In the afternoon motorboats will take you to visit the islands: Isola Bella (“Beautiful Island”) with its famous Palace, Isola Madre (“Mother Island”), with its garden and Villa and Isola Pescatori (“Fishermen’s Isle”) with the traditional village. Here you will have a fish dinner in a typical local restaurant.

4th Day: second meeting with a teacher. 
The following subjects will be discussed:

• tasting wine: sight, smell and taste
• product complexity and clearing up myths: sommeliers are not magicians
• brief hints about combining food and wine
  

In the early afternoon you will go to Novara and the surrounding areas to visit two wine-cellars, Mirù and Francoli (distillery). Both visits will end with a wine and grappa-tasting session.
Return to the hotel for dinner, followed by a short wine-tasting course (2 red wines and 2 white wines).

5th Day: travel to the region of Biella: visit to the “Pastoris” wine cellars (by the Viverone Lake), to taste Erbaluce wines (including ‘passito’ wine, i.e. raisiny wine), followed by a visit to the “Cella Grande” wine-making agricultural enterprise, to taste spumante wines (sparkly wines) made according to the classic Erbaluce method.
A guided tour of the famous “Ricetto di Candelo”, one of the better-preserved medieval towns in northern Italy, is scheduled for the afternoon. Return to the hotel for dinner.

6th Day: travel to the eastern coast of the lake and visit the “Angera” wine-making agricultural enterprise. After tasting some of the wines the trip will continue to Luino for a visit to a dairy farm. The famous Violino di Capra and Formaggelle Lumesi cheeses are made here.  Guided tour and explanation of the secrets of the trade. Return to the hotel is scheduled for early in the afternoon, followed by a last theory lesson. The incredible production of local Piedmont wines (one of the most important characteristics of the wine made in this region) will be discussed.  An explanation of the unique climate and the ampelography of the various production areas of Piedmont and of Nebbiolo, the vine associated with the quality of traditional Piedmont wines, will be given. Dinner in the hotel, followed by a wine-tasting session (red DOCG Piedmont wine, white wine and “spumante”).

7th Day: breakfast before returning home.

Listed below are the wines tasted in the cellars:

Ghemme DOCG 2000 – Nebbiolo 2003 – Bianco Colline Novaresi 2008 (Mirù) (white)
Maulet VDT Bianco 2008 (white) – Nemesi VDT  rosso (red), Bramaterra DOCG 2004 – Gattinara DOCG 2003 (Anzivino)
Boca  DOC , made in 2000 – 1998 – 1991 – 1989 – 1987 (Castello Conti)
Fara DOC 2003 – Nebbiolo Spanna 2005 – Spumante di Erbaluce (Dessilani)
Various kind of old grappa , Ghemme DOCG 2005  ( Francoli)
Prunent and other typical wines (Garrone)
Erbaluce di Caluso DOC, Passito di Erbaluce di Caluso DOC, Canadese rosso 2005 ( Pastoris)
Erbaluce di Caluso DOC, Spumante metodo classico/champenois invecchiato o millesimato min. 3 years old disciplinare ( Cella Grande)
Grappa with chocolate and Nebbiolo  6 years old, Amaro d’Angera ( Rossi di Angera)

SERVICES INCLUDED:

• 6 HB in a good, 3-star hotel by the lake
• Transfer by minibus to all the wine-cellars
• All the visits and tasting-sessions included in the programme 
• Entry ticket for Isola Bella + Madre 
• Dinner on Isola Pescatori (motorboat transfer to the island included)
• 3 HD theory lessons held by an experienced teacher
• 2 food and wine-tasting sessions and day visits with a gastronomy guide and translator.