This year I’m trying to plan a trip to Italy in late August and early September, and would like to spend 4-5 days in Piedmont to get more familiar with the wine of the region. Ideally I would like to go at a different time of year, but in my industry the last week in August is by far the “safest” week to be out of the office, so late August it is. I’ve never been to Piedmont before, am relatively unfamiliar with Barolo/Barbaresco/Langhe wines, and the purpose of this leg of the trip would be to really dive in to touring the region and tasting wines (2-3 a day, I’d think?). I’ve gone through a lot of the previous threads on this forum but still had a few questions you guys might be able to help with…
1) Getting Around: I’ve found traveling to a region, seeing the topography, walking the vineyards, eating and sleeping there, etc. gives me a great feel and appreciation for the place that helps “put a face to” my knowledge of the wine. So historically I’ve hired a guide/driver for the trip who knows where to go, can provide insight along the way, and (importantly) allows me to indulge a bit and have fun when tasting without having to worry about driving myself . Does anyone have guide recommendations? It seems like in most of the prior threads, folks drove themselves around or walked, so maybe another question is whether it’s a bad idea to get a guide in Piedmont to begin with?
2) Accommodation: Two places have been recommended to me in the region, although by friends who were not on wine-tasting trips - Relais San Maurizio southeast of Barbaresco and Castello di Sinio east of Barolo. I didn’t see either referenced in prior threads, but does anyone have experience with those properties?
3) Winery Recs: Of course I should also ask for can’t-miss wineries to visit. In late August, I figure some owners may be away on vacation before the harvest, but I want to try to hit the high notes. The only producer whose wine I know well at all is Roagna, and then of course (but mainly by reputation) Gaja, but that’s pretty much it.
4) Shipping Wine: On all my other trips the wineries (or guide’s companies) have waited until the fall and shipped wine for me, albeit not always at bargain prices. In previous threads I didn’t see a ton of discussion about shipping, so I just want to make sure I’m not walking in with the wrong assumption that if I buy some wine it can be shipped back to the US. I’ll be leaving Piedmont for the Italian lakes and then on to Asia before returning home so lugging wine with me is unfortunately not a very convenient option.
Thanks in advance for the advice and help!