Travel Italy: Vacation Packages, Tips, Tours of Italy

Turin offers visitors tours allowing the public to experience first-hand the making of exclusive objects.

This special series of tours, named “Thrill of Luxury“, offers visitors the chance to see, for example, scents being bottled, yachts being built and dresses being designed.

Top manufacturing companies open their doors to the public for the event.

The Thrill of Luxury tour series, held only on selected Fridays and Saturdays, is ending next week-end. Info can be found at Turin Tourist Board Website or contacting contact@turismotorino.org .

The “Palio di Asti” is more than just a famous historic race.
It’s a historic festival offering visitors also the chance to enjoy excellent wines and food in one of the most important wine-making areas in Italy.

Asti is a center as famous for its wines as it is for its fine food.
It is located in one of the most important areas for the white truffle hunting. So a trip there is the occasion for tasting truffle-based recipes and many other specialties that go hand in hand with centuries of history. A fine example is the “bagna caôda”, a rich sauce with anchovies, garlic and oil.

In the days preceding the race visitors may enjoy the historic district of Asti with visits to museums, medieval palaces, and antique shops as well as the many collateral and preparatory events such like the Palio of the Flag-wavers, the flea-market, the trials of owner-jockeys on the field.

One of the most fascinating part of the festival is the historic procession, taking place on Sunday a couple of hours prior to the race, with over twelve hundred characters wearing medieval costumes parading through the alleys of the town.

where: Asti (Piedmont)
when: September 18-20 (annual, third week-end of Sep.)
Festival’s details and programme at http://www.palio.asti.it .

The “International White Truffle Fair of Alba” , held in Alba, Piedmont, kicked off October 4, enters the last week.
Some major events are scheduled for the last days.

Saturday November 8, is a day for wine and truffle-related produce exhibitions. “Langhe and Roero on show” (10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.) held in the historical centre of Alba and “AlbaQualità” (9.00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.) at “Palatartufo Giacomo Morra” — within of the “Alba White Truffle World Market“, are exhibitions of gourmet food and wine from Piedmont.

The “Alba White Truffle World Market” — week-ends from Oct 4 till Nov 9, brings together selected truffle hunters, truffle hounds, and traders. A Commission responsible for checking the truffles (“Commissione di controllo”) is actively present on the market to protect consumers about the quality of Tuber Magnatum Pico sold at the fair. The truffles examined and guaranteed by the National Centre for Truffle Studies upon purchase are wrapped and put in numbered bags that allow the truffle vendor to be uniquely identified.

A truffle auction — 10th Alba White Truffle World Auction, is scheduled Sunday November 9, at Grinzane Cavour Castle.

In November and December, Alba offer also seminars on “How to become a truffle taster”, the Truffle sensory analysis, a 4-hour course with interpreter, for max. 20 participants (for more info, Ph. +39.0173.362562 or visit www.fieradeltartufo.org).

For chocolate lovers who are visiting Piedmont this week, CioccolaTO’ is an event to not be missed.

From Friday, February 22 through Sunday, March 2, this annual chocolate festival held in Turin will feature endless tastings, laboratories with master pastry chefs of international renown, visits to chocolate factories, shows and also even chocolate classes.

CioccolaTÒ 2008 is not only a celebration of the palate, it is also many other activities, including design (Turin is World Design Capital for 2008), music, literature and theatrical presentations, all based on the theme of cocoa. Details of the event at http://www.cioccola-to.com/english/.
When: from February 22 to Sunday, March 2;
Where: Turin.

Among the many grape and wine festivals taking place in the wine-growing regions of Italy, in this late September, we suggest the followings (listed by region).

– Tuscany
“Festa dell’Uva” (grape feast) in Impruneta (Sept 30).

– Piedmont
“Festa del Vino e del Monferrato” (wine feast) in Casale Monferrato (Sept 21-23).
Wine Feast in Nichelino, surroundings of Turin, (Sept 19 through 23);

– Veneto and Friuli
“Festa dell’Uva” (“Grape Feast”) in Conegliano (September 23).
Gambellara Wine Festival, in Gambellara (September 21-23; info ph/fax: 0444/444183, stradadelrecioto@libero.it)

– Liguria
“Festa dell’uva e del vino” in Vezzano Ligure (September 22-23).
Sagra dell’Uva in Vernazza (Cinque Terre) (September 30)

– Aosta Valley
‘Feta di Resen’ in Chambave (September 23-30). Major event for tasting of mountain wines. (Details)

– Emilia-Romagna
Wine Feast in Castello di Gropparello (September 23 and 30). (Details)
“Sagra Provinciale dell’Uva” in Riolo Terme (September 20 through 23)