We had a great wine tasting here! The owners, Eli and Marco, are both incredibly friendly and very…read moreknowledgeable about wine. It's a family winery started by Marco's grandfather, I believe. They make a Barbera, Freisa, Arneis, Grappa, Dolcetto, Rosé - and more. I especially love that they keep naturally-occurring sulfites low, which meant a clear head the day after we enjoyed the bottles we bought there. And at 5 to 10 euros a bottle (direct from them), we were wishing we had rented a bigger car! They speak English almost fluently, and Marco speaks French as well. Such a wonderful experience and an incredible family.

"Passionated high quality winemaker in Barbaresco"…read more I am glad to provide travelers with a review about Azienda Agricola Gigi Bianco since I do believe it represents magnificently the spirit of Italian wine entrepreneurs as well as the identity of the local terroir. Besides being surrounded by fence-free wineyards, Barbaresco is plenty of expert winemakers who enthusiastically open their cellar to visitors. Among them, there is Azienda Agricola Gigi Bianco where I had a unique experience for the following reasons. Firstly, the high quality of the wine. The grapes are very ancient as well as organically treated. Moreover, to offer wine lovers the original flavour of Barbaresco, the wine is aged in big casks which enhance the feature of the terroir without altering it. Secondly, the family's welcoming approach. When inside, indeed, it won't take too long to realise how glorious your testing wine experience will be. Maria Vittoria, Susanna and Salvatore (respectively mother, daughter and boyfriend of the latter) have cruised me through the Barbaresco enology traditions, pouring wine and sharing their business roots. We tested 10 different bottles, from the classic Dolcetto D'Alba to the awarded Barbaresco, and all of them were remarkable (even if the former is not my favourite variety of grapes). Finally, the price which is competitive for the quality you get. Personally, I bought a magnum of Barbaresco Ocello 2012 for 58€. To sum up, visiting wine cellars in Piemonte, especially in Barbaresco, is definitely a "do" and stopping at Azienda Agricola Gigi Bianco would give you a proper bite of passionate Italian winemakers.

We enjoyed a nice lunch at this hillside restaurant located in the Barbaresco wine district on a…read moreFriday in July. We were in the area with a guide tasting some wine and it's was time for lunch. They've got a beautiful Terrace overlooking the Vineyards with a great view. To start we enjoyed a plate of wonderful burrata with delightfully shaved Parma ham. We each chose a pasta for our main course-me the thin spaghetti with rich and flavorful meat sauce and my wife ordered the tiny hand-pinched pasta in butter with a generous shaving of black truffle. Both were delicious. The star of the meal was the setting on a beautiful Terrace overlooking the vineyards. It was very special. Recommended

We had a reservation on Saturday based on a recommendation of a close friend. When we arrived the…read morestaff was very friendly but then it went down hill from that point forward. We order a local wine which we had tasted only an hour earlier. We were a table of five and three of us ordered there three course menu and others order only two courses. The staff could not figure out that they should have kept the menue in the same order for everyone, first the appetisers, followed by thesecond course then main. What happened was they brought the appetiser for three and the second course for others which through off the schedule and appeared to have significantly delayed one main for one of us. In short the main course showed up so late two people had to leave the table because they were being eaten by mosquitoes while two of us had two wait for their main. If the poor serves was not bad enough when a second bottle of the local wine was requested they only then informed us they did not have another bottle. One would have thought that with a table of five guest they would have informed the table when they brought us the first bottle that they did not have any more in stock and that if we planned to have two bottle we may want to make another selection. When I raised my concern with the service, late service of the main for the final two guest with the manager she simply did not want to hear the issues and proceed my credit card with no remorse. We will never return to the restaurant and I will be more than happy to post about the poor attitude of the manager. The other issues would have been forgiven but the managers attitude and lack of apology simple cant be overlooked.

Roagna is at a crossroads between the old and new. From a winery that is over a century old, you…read morehave some tradition to live up to. However, as the current winemaker applies current techniques to further explore what can be obtained from the terroir, you get some interesting new identity of the wine and land. I got to meet thw winemaker at a dinner not too long ago and had their barolo and barbarescos paired with some excellent food. Let's say it goes with game and truffles quite well. Bold strong and rich on the palette. Certainly a wine for festive occasions.