One of our local Italian guides helped me create our first itinerary in Piedmont and convinced me that we should start from a lesser known, undiscovered part of Piedmont. She said we would have the roads to ourselves and that, although it had lots of wine appellations, it also had rural scenery that was beautiful.
Perhaps her best idea was to start our Luxe trip from Villa Sparina, a 200-acre estate that includes a hotel (Ostellerie), winery, cellars, and a fine restaurant, La Gallina. I joined the first trip that included a group of 10 women from Whistler, BC who loved the idea of being pioneers here. We have run many trips since, but this recent tour was an opportunity to return with a convivial group of keen road cyclists.
Day 1
Our trip starts from that aforementioned hotel, Ostelliere, a 4-star luxurious property. Although Piedmont is more known for its famous red wines like Barolo and Barbaresco made from Nebbiolo grape, the area around the estate is known for the white wines of Gavi. We met in the morning and fit bikes before having an introduction to the day’s plan. Everyone was keen to get cycling so, off we went through the Borbera Valley. We made it to our lunch location in Castel de Ratti where the delightful restaurant, Il Fiorile, provided the first of many delicious meals. Piedmont is especially known for its food and is where the Slow Food Movement started. We followed the Borbera River to Arquata Scrivia to Gavi with its medieval fortress castle before a final climb up through vineyards to our hotel. We enjoyed drinks over a welcome reception and then headed out to dinner at a local trattoria. On some of the evenings we order ‘family-style’ with share plates which enables us to sample the many great dishes offered and on others we order a la carte.
Day 2
Next day, over a sizable breakfast buffet, we talked about the day’s options. We would ride through the charming village of Novi Ligure, stopping at the Champion’s Cycling Museum (the largest in Europe) with an interesting assortment of bikes and cycling memorabilia. We then proceeded to a local chocolate maker – Bodrato – and then to a cool coffee shop for morning cappuccinos, macchiatos, and espressos – it’s not all about riding. From here we made our way to Paderna and then out to Castellania to visit celebrated Italian cyclist Fausto Coppi’s former house, now a museum, for a pre-arranged tour we set up with the mayor of the town (he is the keeper of the keys for the private museum). Fausto won both the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France in each of 1949 and 1952. This museum, about his life and the races he competed in is fascinating, especially with our knowledgeable guide who knew much about his life. We ate lunch afterwards and then made our way back to Monterotondo and our hotel. On this night, we enjoyed dinner in the amazing restaurant at the hotel.
Day 3
On the third day, we rode west to Tagliolo to visit the castle which has been in the noble Pinelli Gentile family for seven generations. The current Marquis himself gave us a tour of the castle and its labyrinth of rooms. He also makes wine here and we finished the visit with a wine tasting. Then on to Ovada where we had lunch on the piazza. The ride from Ovada to Acqui Terme is beautiful and we arrived to our hotel, a short stroll from the historic center. Some in the group got massages and others enjoyed the new spa and hot tub on the top floor of the hotel. On this night we dined at an atmospheric restaurant in town.
Day 4
Today, we continued west through the wine region that has made this area famous. There are two climbs on this day and the first is up to Terzo and the charming village of Montabone, where the commune has recently created a cyclist’s rest stop with bike stand, picnic tables on a terrace with outstanding views over the valley. One of our guides had snacks and drinks all laid out for us and it made for a great stop. We then enjoyed a glorious descent to Rocchetta Palafea and Canelli, where we stopped for coffee. Famous wine makers Gancia and Contessa are both based here and there are lunch options, but we continued to a superb restaurant further along our route that is one of the best of the trip. In Santo Stefano Belbo, the second climb of the day starts but it’s not long before we crested the top and descended into Neive. Everyone loved the hotel here, Villa Lauri with its swimming pool and glorious views from rooms over the vineyards. We strolled to dinner at Degusto Neive, an atmospheric restaurant with excellent options.
Day 5
Today we awoke to blue skies and the Italian Alps, beckoning from the horizon (I counted 24 peaks, the highest of which, Monviso is 3,841 m). This is the day we ride to Barbaresco (population 650). There is a castle and ancient tower here and lots of wine makers and enotecas. We visited at the Enoteca Regionale del Barbaresco with a woman who is an avid cyclist, and she was quite excited to welcome us for a tour. We then continued to Alba, perhaps the most popular of the larger wine towns in Piedmont (population 30,000). Here we visited a truffle shop where the president of the local truffle association gave us a tour and tasting along with a vast quantity of truffle-infused snacks. Then, lunch at a casual restaurant with terrace and some of the group stopped to browse and shop. From here, we continued to La Morra, a smaller village but no less charming. We arrived to our hotel, Corte Gondina, my idea of a perfect hotel, with friendly and attentive staff, a new swimming pool, lovely bar and lounges, and an inviting vibe. We dined out at More y Macine, one of my favourite restaurants here, again a short stroll from the hotel. We also prefer hotels on the edge of, or in, historic centers and this one is perfectly located.
Day 6
For our final day of riding (perhaps the best?) we rode a loop to Serralunga d’Alba and then to Montforte d’Alba for a tour and tasting at a wine maker that is a highlight of our week. One of our guests, quite knowledgeable about wine himself said afterwards that he learned more in our time there than he has in years. We enjoyed lunch at Grappolo d’Oro which was superb. From here, we continued to Barolo, perhaps the most famous wine village in the region and home to many famous wine makers. There is a Wine and Corkscrew Museum here and other attractions. The route from Barolo to La Morra was one of the most beautiful rides I have done this year – wow! But that describes many of the rides this week, spectacularly beautiful on quiet roads winding through and around esteemed vineyards dotted with charming villages.
Day 7
We finished the trip with a final night reception and enjoyed bottles from our winemaker friend. Then we walked up to our restaurant, the Bel Sit with a spectacular view over the valley, through floor-to-ceiling windows. The food matched the view, and we celebrated with wines from vineyards we had cycled past. Back at our hotel, we stayed up recounting favourite moments from the trip and toasted the joy of meeting like-minded active folks on this adventure. As I stepped back, I overheard them debating which trip to take with us next year, which typically happens. How could you travel any other way?
Straight Talk
Piedmont is similar to Tuscany and Umbria in that it is spectacularly beautiful (and somewhat hilly). We designed our routes to thread the valleys and follow the spines of the landscape but expect at least a couple of climbs with 5% grades over several km long each day (you’ll like riding down these). The roads to the east are not all butterscotch smooth – there are some cracks and potholes in the road here and there. The roads to the west are in much better condition. For our Luxe trip, the hotels in Gavi and La Morra compare with any Luxe hotels we use in Europe. In Acqui Terme and Neive, where we stay one night each, the hotels are more modest but still wonderful, charming, family run, and close to the historic centers – ideal. The Villa Laurie has views from each of the rooms overlooking the Italian Alps and a swimming pool.
If You Go
Great Explorations offers 7-day Classic and Luxe trips in Piedmont. The best months to travel here are May, June, September, and October.
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