Long one of my favorite winer makers in Italy, I jumped at the opportunity to tour while on…read morevacation in Alba. Reservations were simple to make online. €25 per person for a classic tasting plus full tour of production. The property is nestled atop Castiglione Falletto in the Piazza Vittorio Veneto. Absolutely stunning views from the courtyard peering directly at Diano d'Alba across the valley. The afternoon sun provides the best lighting for pictures you'll treasure forever. They offer four tours daily. I recommend later afternoon just for the lightning. Our tour guide Lucia was an absolute professional with extensive knowledge of history, geography, and Vietti family background. We lucked out as others in the group canceled and we ended up with a private tour. After an hour tour of the property, tasting begins. There are many varieties in the lineup and they will tailor to your pallet. My wife likes whites and I prefer bold reds and we both left happy. There is not the option of buying and shipping wine from here. For that, rely on one of the well established community Enotecas. This was my first onsite tour of a winery in Piedmont and I couldn't be happier with the experience. Highly recommend.

First Review....woot woot!…read more If I could give this place more stars I would. Luca Curado is one of the living legend winemakers of our time. His family has been making wine in this region for generations. His wines are some of my favorite, not only to drink but to sell. He makes many single vineyard wines and blends from Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto. HIs father was the man who brought Arneis back to life after almost being extinct. The view from his winery look directly down on the scarrone vineyard planted by his father. Behind it lies a breathtaking view of Barolo. All the women in our group were fawning over Luca as he exudes the typical charm only possessed by older Italian men. He is as gracious as a lamb and passionate beyond belief. Touring his facility was a dream come true. These wines are some of the finest IN THE WORLD. One should do everything in their power to put as much of this wine into their body before one dies!

"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.

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.

Great place to do wine tasting! Make sure to e-mail Manuela first to check if they have time for a…read morevisit, and book your tour. Including a very nice and personal wine tasting, the tour of the Moscato vineyard is 20 EUR per person. But if you purchase wine for 50 EUR or more, it's all included. We drove a long extra way to get to La Spinetta and it was well worth it. Tip: if you're from Sweden, make sure to check what wines are available at home cause La Spinetta deliver to Systembolaget.

We dined here on our final night in Genoa and everything was outstanding. It was a busy night -…read morejust at the end of the Christmas holiday season, so a lot of restaurants were either closed or full. Luckily we were able to secure a table without a reservation, in a cosy back room. Service was a little slow at first but our server was apologetic, and once we ordered everything went smoothly after that. We asked for a wine recommendation, given this is an enoteca, and were able to enjoy an excellent red variety (Altavia) I never would have known about or chosen otherwise. Smooth yet strong, it went perfectly with the hearty meal to follow. I started with the raw beef with shaved artichoke salad while the sweetie had the fried zucchini. Both were delicious - I especially enjoyed the unique take on a tartare. For a pasta course I had to get the wide noodles in meat ragu - I believe it was wild boar - and it was delicious. Sweetie had the linguine in pesto, which had become his obsession throughout our travels in Genoa. It was another winning dish. Smartly we had only ordered one meat entree to share - the beef steak in a rich gorgonzola sauce. A perfect dish for winter, the beef was perfectly cooked and the pungent cheese sauce was decadent in the best way possible. Somehow we found a little room for a shared dessert of apple cake, espresso and grappa before rolling out the door back to our hotel. I'd definitely recommend this restaurant to other travelers looking to sample and enjoy hearty Genovese cuisine paired with an outstanding wine selection.

During our various travels, Gayle and I usually try to have a bottle of wine (or 2) at the Hotel…read moreRoom. We like coming back to our room, kicking back and enjoying a glass together. During our recent short stay in Genoa, we found Enoteca G. Migone nearby. It's apparently the oldest wine shop in Genoa (1925) and has a very distinct interior. The shop is located in the heart of the city, near Piazza de Ferrari, and just in front of the distinctive church of St. Matthew (San Matteo), founded in 1125. From the store Ristorante San Matteo is close by (see separate review), which specializes in traditional dishes of Genoa and Liguria. The Enoteca has a wide selection of wines and price points. I bought a bottle of local white wine for 5 Euros and it was just what we wanted. Service was friendly and the expertise is there for anyone wanting to make more sophisticated wine choice.