5 minute read

SENSATIONALLY SUSTAINABLE

BY LIZ HUMPHREYS

Piedmont, one of Italy’s most renowned culinary regions, builds a more eco-friendly future one sip and one bite at a time.

I have been to Piedmont - the land of fabled wines Barolo and Barbaresco in Italy's northwest - before. I attented the International Alba White Truffle Fair, where the elusive (and insanely expensive) tuber is celebrated every fall. But I'm visiting in August for a different purpose - to findthe sustainable side of its luxury offerinfs. Increasing numbers of wineries and restaurants are focusing on minimizing their impact on the environment, creating a unique blend of luxe experiences with gentle-to-the-earth practives and hyper--local ingredients. In other words, pleasure with a purpose.

Langhe wine district of Piedmont, Italy

My first stop is La Raia Estate, a 180-hectare property in Piedmont’s Gavi region with a biodynamic winery and farm, plus a restaurant with fabulous vineyard views. La Raia started organic farming in 2002 and gradually converted to biodynamics, a philosophy based on the balance between the living things on the farm and the resources of the surrounding land. It has committed to biodiversity by planting fields of ancient grains, raising free-grazing Fassona cows and cultivating chestnut and acacia trees. Its Fondazione La Raia has also commissioned sitespecific artist projects to reflect the landscape. The latest, Oak Barrel Baroque by German artist Michael Beutler, repurposes old oak staves from barrels for fermentation and turns them into a structure reminiscent of a small theatre, unexpectedly perched on the edge of the vineyards.

Wine tasting with a view © La Raia Estate

It all makes for a gorgeous landscape, and La Raia’s products – ranging from wines including the rich, floral Gavi DOCG selections, produced from the Cortese grape characteristic to this region, and wildflower honey to pasta made from their spelt grains, are equally enchanting. These ingredients, along with fruits and vegetables from the estate’s own organic gardens, find their way into dishes at the delightful Locanda La Raia restaurant, where I eat while watching the sun set over the rolling hills planted with vines.

Wandering in vineyards and natural landscape © Casa di Langa

The next morning, I drive about 10 minutes northeast to Cascina Degli Ulivi, started by one of the fathers of Italy’s biodynamic wine movement, Stefano Bellotti. Though he passed away in 2018, his commitment to producing excellent wines while respecting the earth continues. I hear many languages other than Italian, like English, Spanish and French, as budding viticulturists come from all over the world to train in the renowned vineyard. Though our lunch here is simple – fresh goat cheese, garden vegetable salad and artichoke ravioli – it’s all fresh and tasty, using ingredients produced or grown on the farm.

Experience the finest expression of regional cuisine at Faula Ristorante © Casa di Langa

After lunch, I head back down the twisty streets on my drive over to the other side of Piedmont, the one you’ve probably heard of: the Langhe, a hilly, UNESCOdesignated World Heritage Site south of Alba where the Nebbiolo grape is the star and the white truffle reigns supreme. The views are breathtaking with hill after hill of vines as far as I can see.

Bottle of Barolo Bricco delle Viole wine © G.D. Vajra

One of the highest hills in sight houses the G.D. Vajra winery, where the Vaira family has farmed since the 1880s. Son Aldo Vaira pivoted the winery in an organic direction in 1971. Today, they make one of the most renowned Barolo wines as well as unique vintages made from Freisa, a native grape related to Nebbiolo.

Grandson Isidoro takes me on a tour of the winery, pointing out the rooms lined with beautiful stained glass designed by Father Costantino Ruggeri, who created many windows for churches throughout Italy. But the pièce de résistance is their phenomenal wine, especially the justly celebrated Barolo Bricco delle Viole (translated as “Hill of Violets”), produced with grapes from the highest vineyard closest to the Alps. Made from 100 per cent Nebbiolo, the wine has notes of raspberries and flowers. It’s rather difficult to stop tasting, but it’s time to track down some food.

Waking up surrounded by Piedmont’s rolling hills and breathtaking views © Casa di Langa

I head to the restaurant Fàula, which means “tale” in the Langhe dialect. It’s a tribute to friends and family sharing stories. It’s housed inside a repurposed building constructed of local materials and overlooks 42 hectares of organic vines. Here, the chef creates seasonal dishes using ingredients grown in its own organic garden.

Tortelli with white truffle cream sauce

I dine on hazelnuts, porcini mushrooms and truffle (just the black version, as it’s too early in the season for the famed white one), oysters, kefir and pine, and tortelli pasta filled with pigeon, a regional specialty. The sommelier chooses inspired wine pairings, many natural, and I try some wonders new to me, like the organic arneis made by Tibaldi, two sisters in Roero, north of Alba. As I savour the final sip, I reflect on just how satisfying the sustainable life can be.

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