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Follow us on our adventures around La Famulenta, the Monferrato and further afield
There is so much to do and to see around La Famulenta. Not only in the summer. Follow our blog and see what we've been up to. Enjoy!!!

Summer 2024 - it's a wrap

Summer in Piemonte has come to an end, giving way to the vibrant colors and crisp air of autumn. The vineyards are buzzing with the excitement of the wine harvest, a tradition deeply rooted in the region's culture. Alongside, the renowned season for white truffles has begun, drawing gourmets and chefs eager for the prized delicacy. As the hills turn golden and the mornings grow cooler, Piemonte settles into this rich, flavorful season, celebrating its bounty from vine to forest, with both the harvest and truffles marking the true arrival of autumn. La Famulenta is perfectly suited to explore this beautiful and most magnificent time of the year.

2024 Harvest

The harvest is under way and the late ripening Nebbiolo is coming up next. Surrounded by beautiful vineyards La Famulenta is a great base to explore some of the world's best vineyards. Barbaresco for instance is less than 50 minutes away. The appellation of Barbaresco contains 4 villages. Barbaresco itself (which produces roughly 45% of the appellation's wines), Neive, Treiso and San Rocco Seno d'Elvio (an outlying district of Alba).

Visit Torino

Explore Turin, Italy's historic gem, a mere 50 minutes from La Famulenta. Wander beneath the legendary monumental arcades spanning 18 kilometers, making it Europe's largest pedestrian area. Marvel at the majestic Venaria Reale, indulge in shopping delights, and savor culinary treasures. Don't miss the ATP Tennis Finals in November 2024. Turin's rich history, vibrant culture, and unparalleled charm await, promising an unforgettable experience in this enchanting city.

European City of Wine 2024

Upper Piedmont - Gran Monferrato contains an extraordinary heritage of civilization. A territory where the diversification of experience is a value and the unifying element is undoubtedly the wine aspect. For the whole of 2024, the wines and tourist offers of this area will be the absolute protagonists and center of attention throughout Europe, thanks to round tables, tastings, conferences dedicated to general topics or concerning community policies on viticulture. Visit https://www.cittaeuropeadelvino2024.eu for a complete list of activities in the area this year.

Most magical time of the year
6th November 2023

This picture is shot before sunrise out of our bedroom window. Isn't it amazing? We find late October / early November the most mesmerising time of the year. Crisp early morning temperatures combined with the humidity in the valleys create the typical morning fog, or nebbia in Italian, after which the grape variety Nebbiolo has been named. Not to forget of course the white truffles that tend to be best during this time of the year.

Palio di Asti
3rd September 2023

September is a magical month for the Monferrato. It is also the month of the most famous Palio di Asti. For almost 1000 years now in the centre of the city of Asti, on the first Sunday in September the oldest and most historic horse race of Italy is run. Normally the Piazza Alfieri is where we park our car when visiting Asti :-)

Fiera del Bue Grasso di Moncalvo
8 December 2021

The Bue Grasso Show in Moncalvo is the most important event relating to the traditional countryside culture of Monferrato and the finest Piedmontese cattle breed named “Fassone”. Dating back several centuries, the breeders show their prized cattle against the backdrop of the arcades of the ancient village of Moncalvo. Visitors can also enjoy typical food and wine of the area. This year it was very cold, with snow covering the square. A wonderful atmosphere despite the cold.

We renovated!
March 2021

We used the Corona-related "downtime" to renovate and upgrade our apartment. There are so many mercatini in the Monferrato, such as in Moncalvo, Casale Monferrato or Asti, which have such a vast variety of furniture for sale. In between the various lockdowns and switches from rosso to arancione and giallo, we managed to travel to the various markets and found, among other smaller items, a beautiful old kitchen table and two beautiful Chester sofas to give the kitchen and living rooms an even more rustic feel.

White Truffle Season
8th December 2019

This year we were very lucky to visit the house of the Fratelli Natta in Grazzano Badoglio, just around the corner from La Famulenta. Dario is the winemaker and his brother Fulvio doubles up as a 'trifulau' (which in local accent means truffle hunter). Dario checked out the cellar of Fulvio and found a plentiful basket from where we could buy some of the white gold directly from the horse's mouth - so to speak. The truffle were so aromatic (con tanti profumi - as they say here) and guaranteed from the local area. If you need tips where to get the best white truffles, do let us know. We are happy to share some secrets with you.

Grazzano Badoglio
25 September 2018

Beautiful day for harvesting the local grapes around the vineyards of Grazzano Badoglio. We have been wondering around the village with its beautiful views and while standing on the churchyard we could see the tractors ferrying the grapes to the weighing station just below the village wall from where the grapes would go on to the local cooperative. 2018 looks to be a great vintage. We cannot wait to try them next year.

Verduno Pelaverga Festival
3 September 2018

Don't miss out to visit also some of the lesser known appellations within the Barolo area such as Verduno. Each year early September they organise a Wine, Food and Music Festival. There's plenty of Pelaverga to drink, the typical grape variety from Verduno, but also one can encounter quirky food trucks as this one here...

Murisengo Truffle Fair
23 November 2014

During the Murisengo Truffle Fair on 16 and 23 November 2014 we discovered a wonderful new snack from around the region called "Schiciola". Also known as 'Friciola" in Asti, it is made from a dough with semolina, yeast and water, deep-fried briefly until it puffs up, then rolled in rosemary and salt, cut open and filled with cheese and lardo. Eaten while steamy hot... Accompanied by a glass of Grignolino or even better a Vin Brûlée ...

70th Fiammifero at
Distilleria Romano Levi

Few products can truthfully claim to be unique, but Romano Levi grappas are one of those few. Sadly he passed away in 2008. We were fortunate having visited him in the mid-80’s and even having been sold one of these rare bottles. Rumor has it that he denied giving bottles to celebrities like food and wine legend, Luigi Veronelli when they showed up at his door. He didn't do it out of spite but perhaps he just didn't realize how "important" these visitors were. After all...

Moncalvo Truffle Fair
26 October 2014

Today was the second and final Sunday of the Moncalvo Truffle Fair. It was colder than last Sunday, so we were much more in the mood. Again, prizes were given to the best truffle hunters, but we headed straight to the food tent of the "Pro Loco Moncalvo" - equipped with a bottle of Barbera d'Asti, we bought from the stall of Roberto Cabiale. Another lesson learnt from last Sunday was to buy a small truffle, bring your own slicer and 'enrich' your food with a few extra slices of the white gold...