Ah, Italy.

Ah, Italy.  The very word always conjures memories for me of good food, delectable wine, rich history, beautiful scenery, and fun times.

Two weekends ago, we drove down to the Piedmont region of Italy to spend the weekend in wine country - it takes around 4 hours to drive to this area from Geneva and the scenery along the drive is gorgeous.  The highways meander next to the snowy Alps and one part goes directly under Mont Blanc through a 10 mile long tunnel.

The Piedmont area is a wine region that is also known for the international truffle festival that it hosts every fall in the town of Alba.  The best way I can think of describing this region is a lesser touristy version of Tuscany with the added bonus of being in truffle heaven.  Having visited the Piedmont region already last year, we booked various wine tastings and dinner reservations ahead of time for the weekend (which I would highly recommend if you visit this area).

We spent the weekend wandering from wine tasting to wine tasting, enjoying leisurely lunches and dinners, catching up with our visiting friends, and exploring the surrounding scenery and historic towns.  Since a photo is worth a thousand words and we took many, I'll let the photos do the talking….

I love the patchwork quilt-like views over the vineyards, especially in the fall as each of the grape varieties take on a different and distinct color

Cheese (and wine)!

Visiting the beautiful wine cellars of Elio Grasso

Just a few bottles of Barolo wine

Time to taste the wine

Lunch at Trattoria nelle Vigne. This amazing lunch was 10+ courses and lasted for 5 hours for EUR25 per person, I kid you not.

Fried dough balls with bacon/lard on top = yes please

The star of the show, the white truffle.  You purchase the truffle by weight and then the waiter shaves it onto your dish(es) of choice

Shaved truffle on pasta with butter is my jam

Checking out the official truffle festival in Alba

Vendors selling their truffles at the festival 

The tent where the festival is located also houses many other local vendors, who sell many kinds of truffle seasoned products (sausages, cheeses, oils)

The beautiful town of Barolo

In keeping with my trend of providing recommendations for each trip we go on (in the context of "eat, stay, and play"), here are my recommendations for the Piedmont area:

EAT: Trattoria nelle Vigne (don't miss this place, seriously!)
STAY: Casetta San Giovanni, a clean and large apartment located in the vineyards close to Barolo
PLAY: We love visiting the wine cellars of Paolo Manzone and Elio Grasso, both are extremely friendly and welcoming and have beautiful properties and wonderful wines. Of course also check out the Alba truffle festival and wander around the small towns and castles in the area.

For those of you who have been to Italy, what did you love most about it? I would love to hear about your experiences in this wonderful country!