Join Dolce Debbie and Barry Frangipane on this fan trip to Piemonte! Oct 5-12, 2010
Come experience the magic of Piemonte (Piedmont), the home of the rare white truffles and the most important wines in Italy. Stay at the same villa with Dolce Debbie and Barry Frangipane as they vacation in one of their favorite parts of Europe - Piemonte.
For one week chef and TV celebrity Dolce Debbie slows down to spend her vacation with her fans in the Monferatto hills of Piemonte, joined by Savory Adventures host and travel writer Barry Frangipane. This is your chance to get to meet Debbie in person, while enjoying one of the most picturesque regions of her favorite country.
Piedmont is the home of the Slow Food movement and is renowned for the quality of its food and its gourmet cuisine. Everywhere you will find local artisan producers of cheese, salami, chocolate.... The area has the highest concentration of gourmet chefs in Italy and there is food to satisfy every palette. The region is also rich in history, pageantry and breathtaking scenery. Our villa is in the golden triangle of wine production and is ideally based for 'gourmeting' and sightseeing for all of the major activities and events in Piedmont.
Come stay with us in a newly renovated 400 year-old palazzo near the famous wine town of Asti. Many rooms have terraces and a 360 degree view of the surrounding vineyards. The entire palazzo will be exclusively ours, complete with a professional kitchen with plenty of room for those eager to learn. In 2007 our villa was awarded the Traveler's Award for top 10 Hotel Gems in Europe. Tripadvisor.com has rated the villa as high as the third best hotel in Italy, and the villa was recently featured on BBC's Luxury Travel Channel.
There are landscaped gardens with a large covered pergola, a lounge bar, wine tasting room, game room and sun terraces, and a superb swimming pool, a small gym, and courtyard with views along the valley. Dining "alfresco" with a view of the surrounding vineyards is a magnificent experience. To see more photos of the villa, click here.
All of the bedrooms have en suite bathrooms, mini-bars and tea and coffee machines. There is also a mix of styles throughout the villa, from the exotic Moroccan room to the refined French Quarter and the rustic Italian style rooms with their lustrous woods and wrought iron furnishings.
The Piedmont area is known throughout the world for its exquisite truffles - especially the white truffle. During the truffle months, this region goes mad for this upscale relative of the mushroom. There are fairs every weekend - the main ones are in Alba and Asti - and the restaurants are filled with that distinctive, earthy aroma. This is a great opportunity to spend time with Debbie and Barry while visiting the World White Truffle Fair in Alba, selecting your own prized white truffle and aromatic cheeses during this internationally renowned event.
For many, part of the pleasure is in the hunting. Our villa is within walking distance of one of the most prolific regions for truffles in the area. You may decide to join our local expert who has been pulling truffles from the ground for at least 3 decades. He and his very accomplished dog, Rocky, will 'sniff out' the most likely places to find our own 'white gold'. They have now been mentioned on the Letterman show; appeared on the BBC and are in Francesco's Italy and Vanity Fair! Amongst his finds was a fist-sized one which fetched 150 euros.
Once we have mastered cooking with truffles we will move on to the indescribable pleasures of digestion. Italians have, out of necessity due to their love of dining, perfected the art of completing the dining experience with the perfect digestivo. In order to properly understand this integral part of the dining experience, we will visit the local grappa distillery and museum located within 5 minutes from our villa.
See how Italians make this “liquid gold” (also known as Italian moonshine) in their own homes, while tasting a variety of grappa enabling us to better pair the perfect grappa to complement our meals. Discover which grappa is better suited for your taste buds! Perhaps you will like the cherry infused grappa, or maybe you will be swayed by the divine grappa made with baby strawberries.
Debbie and Barry will be visiting the historic bakery of Moriondo Carlo, the home of Amaretti Biscotti since 1798. Join them, and dip your fingers in the batter before experiencing the sinful dolci made with these local treats.
Silvia, a local producer of delicious cheeses has invited us on an optional excursion to visit her farm to see how she and her friends craft these artisan cheeses. Of course, no cheese tasting would be complete without wine!
Also available nearby is a private chocolate tasting. Giacomo, a second generation chocolatier, has developed a passion for chocolate that is almost an art. This artisan chocolate maker imports cocoa from around the world to make his own select blends of chocolate. Giacomo applies his craftsmanship to Piemonte specialties from chocolate salami to Amaretti Marengo to Gianduja, a hazelnut chocolate unlike any other.
His liqueur-filled Mandridrugnin, and his chospice (a dark chocolate with spices) are a real triumph of confectionery artistry and skill.
Come join us on this adventure in the home of Barolo, Barbera, Barbaresco, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo and Asti wines.
Our host Barry Frangipane will be teaching us how to make authentic Tiramisu. Since his mother was raised in Treviso , a bustling town in the Veneto where Tiramisu was created, Barry feels it is important to pass down the proper technique for making this delicious dessert.
Contact La Villa Hotel directly to join chef Dolce Debbie on this trip to Piemonte! They are consistently rated one of the finest destinations in Italy, but have rates during this time period from EU1120 per room for all 7 nights (roughly US$1565)! Check out La Villa's rates here.
Wine Tasting and Lunch at Noceto Michelotti (optional)
Berta Grappa Tour & Tasting (optional)
Private Chocolate Tasting with Giacomo (optional)
Food and Wine Pairings by Piemonte Wine Producers (optional)
Amaretti tour at Moriondo Carlo (optional)
Visit to Cheese Factory with Demonstration Cooking Class (optional)
White Truffle Hunt (optional)
Barbaresco Tasting at Marchesi di Gresy (optional)
La Spinetta Wine and Food Pairing Feast (optional)
Note: This trip is not sponsored by Savory Adventures, and is hosted by La Villa Hotel, as an opportunity for Dolce Debbie's fans to join her in experiencing the magic of Piemonte. As such, all bookings, refund policies, amenities, etc are under the control of La Villa Hotel. Please contact La Villa Hotel directly for details on pricing and transportation. We look forward to seeing you in Piemonte!
Piedmont is the home of the Slow Food movement and is renowned for the quality of its food and its gourmet cuisine. Everywhere you will find local artisan producers of cheese, salami, chocolate.... The area has the highest concentration of gourmet chefs in Italy and there is food to satisfy every palette. The region is also rich in history, pageantry and breathtaking scenery. Our villa is in the golden triangle of wine production and is ideally based for 'gourmeting' and sightseeing for all of the major activities and events in Piedmont. 
Once we have mastered cooking with truffles we will move on to the indescribable pleasures of digestion. Italians have, out of necessity due to their love of dining, perfected the art of completing the dining experience with the perfect digestivo. In order to properly understand this integral part of the dining experience, we will visit the local grappa distillery and museum located within 5 minutes from our villa. 
