Bagni di Lucca and Beyond

While in Piedmonte my son and I visited several wineries. Two stood out from the rest.

There is little to suggest the delights inside from the simple front door of Cantina del Glicine.

The tasting room is like being in someone’s home, complete with several cats.

Before our tasting we were taken to visit the tiny winery and cellar below the ground.

With 2 couples from Milan we entered a door with the date 1582 written above it, the beginning of the winery.

The first room looked like a regular winery with steel tanks.

We were led into the next room.

Then came the real treat, down the slippery slope to the cave like area.

 

The walls glistened with moisture.

There were even tiny mushrooms growing on the floor.

Then it was back into the light and into the tasting room.

The wines were very good and the 2 ladies who showed us the wines were delightful…a few bottles came home with us. This place is special, you need to visit.

Cantina del Glicine

Via Giulio Cesere 1

Neive

http://www.cantinadelglicine.com

 

The second winery that impressed us was Vietti in Castiglione Falletto. It was a bit difficult to find as there was no signage. Here is the front gate.

The winery is on the edge the tiny town. Part of the winery is dug into the side of the hill. We arrived early in the morning. The misty views from the terrace were gorgeous. Castiglione Falletto is in the heart of the Barolo zone in the Langhe hills.

Our guide was great. She was charming and very knowledgeable about the history of the winery and the wines. Vietti was begun by Carlo Vietti in the late 1800s.

The winery is modern and stainless steel, but the barrel rooms are old and dug under the building and the one next door.

The old cellars are fabulous. One of the walls is part of the fortification wall of the town.

There are caves where wine and other valuables were stored in times of trouble.

We returned to the ultra modern tasting room above to sample some of the best wines of the area.

Once again, several bottles came home with us.

The mist had cleared to offer a different view.

Vietti

Piazza Vittorio Veneto 5

Castiglione Falletto

http://www.vietti.com

 

We wandered through town in search of coffee.

These 2 completely different balconies appealed to us.

There is an impressive fortress with towers.

We found the perfect place for coffee and a slice of delicious hazelnut cake. (hazelnuts are another famous product from Piemonte)

These were the gorgeous views from the terrace.

This was our farewell from Piemonte…a fitting end.