October 21 to October 28, 2011

Join Donato on a 7-Day Culinary Tour Featuring Truffle Hunting and Wine Tasting

Chef Donato Scotti and Global Epicurean are happy to introduce the first ever “Wine and Truffles with Chef Donato” trip, a culinary tour of the Italian North discovering the flavors of the bustling region of Lombardia and the delights of white truffles in nearby Piemonte. We will start our trip in Milan, where the Italian rite of aperitivo was born, before heading to Alba, in Piedmont. There we will experience a truffle hunt, explore the famed “Fiera del Tartufo”, and enjoy the wines of Langhe and Roero while stopping at some of Italy’s most renowned wineries. The next stop will be in Franciacorta, the heart of Italy’s sparkling wines production, where we will enjoy dinner at a three-Michelin stars restaurant before heading to Donato’s hometown, Bergamo, and Valtellina, Lombardia’s farmland where we will make pizzoccheri and learn how bresaola is made.

This 7-day trip features:

• Stays at 4-stars hotels in Milan, Alba and Franciacorta, and a rustic family lodge in Valtellina
• Three cooking demonstrations involving typical dishes of Lombardia and Piedmont’s rich culinary tradition
• A truffle-hunting trip with an expert “trifolao” in Langhe, the world’s top producer of white truffles
• All meals, including dinners at some the region’s best restaurants and at a 3 Michelin-star restaurant, except for lunch at Alba’s truffle expo
• Guided tours of the flavors of Piedmont, Bergamo and Milan
• Excursions to top producers of cheese, wines, cured meats and local factories.

About Lombardia and Piedmont

The heart of Italian economy, Lombardia is a bustling region not only for its factories and industries, but also from the food perspective. Hearty dishes of beef and pork characterize the offering of Lombardia, where polenta and risotto surpass pasta in popularity and where olive oil is just recently being used as a substitute for butter and cream in recipes. Lombardia’s culinary heritage is one of abundance; among its top dishes you can find casonsei (a top offering of Donato’s kitchen!), polenta and osei (polenta with little birds braised whole in tomato sauce), pumpkin ravioli and ossobuco, braised veal shank, not to mention the famous Risotto alla Milanese with saffron. Its wine offerings showcase the sparkling offering of Franciacorta and the DOC production in Valtellina.

Piemonte, or Piedmont, has a lot to offer, especially when it comes to food and gastronomic experiences. Foodies know that the Slow Food movement was born in Italy, but few are aware that its International headquarters are in Bra, in the heart of Piemonte. Langhe, the wine region between Cuneo and Asti, has nothing to envy to the Tuscan Chianti hills: wonderful castles are within a mile of each other in a hilly landscape that has made of its wine cultivations and its farming heritage a staple of its economy. Barolo, Asti, Nebbiolo, Barbera, Barbaresco are a few of the wines that originate in Langhe, not to mention a long lasting grappa tradition. Remarkable local products like white truffles and Castelmagno cheese need no introductions to foodies, but many more are just as intriguing to learn about. While the wine production is in full swing in the Fall, the main reason to head to Piemonte in October remains the white truffle, and the world-famous Fiera del Tartufo di Alba.