Go Back  Fodor's Travel Talk Forums > Destinations > Europe
Reload this Page >

Piemonte Region, Italy

Search

Piemonte Region, Italy

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Oct 6th, 2005, 05:41 PM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Piemonte Region, Italy

Need help w/trip to Piemonte region in 2006....want to participate in grape crush, hunt for truffles w/locals and have 1 or 2 days cooking instruction. Can anyone recommend a person or company who can arrange this program including recommendation for best towns to do this and hotels. Thanks for any and all help.
travelnaia is offline  
Old Oct 7th, 2005, 02:21 PM
  #2  
rex
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 13,194
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
topping...
rex is offline  
Old Oct 7th, 2005, 03:45 PM
  #3  
rex
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 13,194
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Note to travelnaia - - you needn't write to me to ask an additional question; there are no questions that are "out of line" to ask here, in follow-up.

to better understand "topping"...

see http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34688828
rex is offline  
Old Oct 8th, 2005, 04:05 PM
  #4  
rex
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 13,194
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
another new registrant, whose question didn't merit attention yesterday...
rex is offline  
Old Oct 8th, 2005, 05:16 PM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 45,322
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
hello travelnaia, I really can't answer your questions except to say that I believe the people that go out looking for truffles do not wish to share there knowledge with anyone else. At least that is what my friends in Italy have always told me. Sort of like a "state secret".

Grape crush, well with so many very large wineries I don't think (but maybe I am wrong) that they want tourist involved. Wine making is a big business in Italy as it is elsewhere. If there are a few places that allow tourist to be involved with the crushing of grapes I imagine you can find that information on Google but I don't personally think you will. Cooking classes should be easy to find. I suggest that you go onto Google, that will no doubt lead you to some good information. Mangia!
LoveItaly is offline  
Old Oct 8th, 2005, 05:20 PM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 45,322
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hello rex, what exactly do you mean by "another new registrant, whose question didn't merit attention yesterday..."

I was on Fodor's yesterday. I sure didn't see travelnaia thread. Maybe because Fodor's has not been working properly as of late?

I would like to mention since it seems that some people on Fodor's are emailing you direct and this is a problem for you that you can have your email removed from Fodors. That will take care of the problem.
LoveItaly is offline  
Old Oct 8th, 2005, 05:47 PM
  #7  
rex
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 13,194
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
<<...since it seems that some people on Fodor's are emailing you direct and this is a problem for you that you can have your email removed from Fodors...>>

I never consider it a problem for <u>me</u> to get a private e-mail <i>off</i> the forum. I consider it a problem for the forum... private answers to private questions help one person. PUBLIC answers to PUBLICly asked questions help many. That's how the forum works.

travelnaia e-mailed me to ask what &quot;topping&quot; means. I answered her here, and e-mailed her back and directed her to the URL of this thread.

Thanks for your interest... and for re-topping this thread.

Now... if someone could just help get her some answers! It doesn't seem to be &quot;Urgent&quot; enough. There was a question recently about festivals revolving around truffles. I'll see if I can find it (travelnaia will wonder why not simply &quot;search&quot; for it - - that simply doesn't function at all, for anything posted in the past six months).

rex is offline  
Old Oct 8th, 2005, 06:05 PM
  #8  
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 45,322
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
OK Rex, I got the impression that personal emails to you were a problem for you. Evidently they are not. I agree completely, when people want to email privately it does take away from the &quot;sharing&quot; of information which is what Fodor's is all about. Unless the messages are of a personal nature it is best to post travel information on this Board.

Regarding Truffle hunting. I only know what my friends in Italy have told me. But I just went onto Google and typed in &quot;Truffle Hunting in Piedmont, Italy&quot; There are some websites. The first one was written by a person who was priviledged to particapate in this activity. It was stated that the truffle hunting in Piedmont is a secret and sacred activity. Just exactly what I have been told. So I doubt that an average traveller to Italy would be able to participate without knowing some insider.

I do know even in Veneto that &quot;mushroom hunting&quot; is rather a secret adventure which I have been blessed to be part of. Italians know where to find fantastic mushrooms but do not want to share their knowledge with everyone, or to put it more bluntly with anyone except close family members of very close friends.

I don't quite understand what you mean by &quot;urgent&quot; enough but I sure understand what you mean regarding the Fodor's search engine not working properly. Take care.

LoveItaly is offline  
Old Oct 8th, 2005, 09:05 PM
  #9  
rex
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 13,194
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Okay, my last post, and then tomorrow is another day (and likely, a busy one)...

Here is that recent truffles thread...

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34685186
rex is offline  
Old Oct 9th, 2005, 08:26 AM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,577
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hi - getting this back to the top for you. I have no personal recommendations but I also did some searches on google for cooking schools and got many hits.

Maybe you found this site already:
http://www.regione.piemonte.it/lingue/english/index.htm

cls2paris is offline  
Old Oct 9th, 2005, 10:32 AM
  #11  
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,203
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
One of the foremost Italian wine purveyors in the US is in NYC, Italian Wine Merchants www.italianwinemerchant.com. I know the guys there and I'm reasonably sure that if you call them, they could hook you up to a spectacular wine tour.
buongiorno is offline  
Old Oct 9th, 2005, 10:39 AM
  #12  
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 45,322
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hello travelnaia, I thought of you this morning when I read an article about attending and participitating in a grape crush in Portugal.

Go to the SF Chronical's website which is: www.sfgate.com. Upper left hand corner of screen click on &quot;Todays Chronical. Then scroll down and click on &quot;Travel&quot;. There is a great article there which you will no doubt enjoy, it should give you a chuckle or two.
LoveItaly is offline  
Old Oct 9th, 2005, 10:53 AM
  #13  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,087
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
It will be very difficult to convine a commercial &quot;live&quot; wineproducer to offer tourists active participation during one of the busiest times in the winemaking process.

Having been personal guests by some producers in the Piedmont region, it is obvious that these people take their livelihood very seriously and most are so overly passionate about their craft that having tourists milling around as they conduct some of the most physical aspect of their business becomes bothersome.

Perhaps I've overstated my point, but when you asked to participate in grape crush, did you mean stomping on the grapes with your feet?
bill_boy is offline  
Old Oct 10th, 2005, 03:45 PM
  #14  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks so much for your responses. I will contact all recommendations, and, I have read the SFO Chronicle article on stomping grapes in Portugal. In fact, we visited a winery in Porto, just after the crush, and got a tour of their &quot;cement squares&quot; where grapes are crushed - and yes, I would love to do that, if allowed. I was hoping there would be an &quot;event&quot; where I could harvest the grapes and then participate in the &quot;festa&quot; afterwards....maybe even help to cook for the &quot;festa&quot; (as tho I were part of the &quot;famiglia&quot - that's what I'm trying to accomplish on this trip. Is this do-able?
travelnaia is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
kmadsen
Europe
24
Oct 9th, 2007 06:05 AM
cherylforeurope
Europe
25
Mar 11th, 2006 05:55 AM
Sprig
Europe
12
Jun 17th, 2005 05:27 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On



Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -