The first producer I stopped to visit was Graglia in the town of Castelnuovo Don Bosco. I had met this producer at the "MiWine" in Milano.

He was very busy and at the same time he did not want to miss the opportunity to talk with a "foreign" wine lover and potential customer. Since it was almost lunch time, he invited me to go eat at a local trattoria and have lunch there at his expense! Really nice of him! I enjoyed a full typical Italian lunch for the first time since when I arrived. I was seated from 12.30 to 2 pm and had a 5 courses feast!

Here it is:

1) Antipasto: a plate of cured meat served with salt and lemon. A typical recipe of Piemonte. (in the picture)

2) Agnolotti al sugo. Agnolotti is also a Piemonte dish. Similar to tortellini but flat. Almost like a smaller raviolo.

3) Faraona alla cacciatora with zucchine. Faraona is a type of chicken.

4) Gelato and caffe' to wrap up.

Wine: Freisa d'Asti fermo. Literally the word "fermo" means "immobile", "not moving". In fact, when used for wines, it identifies the non sparkling version.

The place is very "rustic", yet, clean and full of locals. The bread is served by the owner who goes around the room and puts it right on the tables (tables have a nice table cloth, though....). Moreover, the owner tells jokes and calls everybody with a nick name....imagine... when I got in, he called me "blonde".... Those ones of you readers, who know me in person, are probably smiling right now...!

An entertaining 2 hours, great food, great atmosphere, real Italian style!

Then I went back to Graglia Estate where the owner Ezio was waiting for me with his car for a tour of the vineyards. Here we go: I entered the sacred world of Freisa, Barbera and Malvasia,the most common grapes in this area. Ezio took the time to show me every difference in the typical local grapes and showed me the different shape of the leafs. Then he drove me up to the highest point of Monferrato dominating the surrounding hills. What a view!

It was very hot. Temperature was about 35 degrees Celsius. So, we returned to the cool cellars and had a tour there.

Since I wanted to arrive to Vignale Monferrato before evening, we had no time for the tasting. Ezio treated me again with a nice gift box with 6 bottles of his production to taste quietly at home!

1) ParlaPa Freisa d'Asti DOC

2) Barbera d'Asti Superiore 2001 13%. Aged one year in oak casks.

3) Barbera d'Asti Bric d'la Buta 2000 13.5%. Obtained with grapes cultivated on the Bric d'la Buta hillside. Ages several months in French oak casks.

4) Grignolino

I arrived at Vignale Monferrato around 5 pm.

Even if I visited only one producer, the day was intense and full of new things I learnt. So I directed my car to a B&B in Vignale, which is also a wine producer: Tenuta Colonna.

I had dinner in a town at 10 km drive, which Alessandra, the owner of Tenuta Colonna had suggested to me. And the drive was fully worth it!!! The town's name is "Lu" the shortest town's name in Italy!

Here is my note on that dinner:

La Commedia della pentola. A "dome" of good food and wine. A little pain to find it, but an immense satisfaction to have found it. A lady prepares gourmet dishes and presents them beautifully on the plate. A work of art. I tried a bit of everything in the so called "menu degustazione" way. A parade of dishes and matching wines.

1) Beef tongue in green sauce

2) Millefoglie of eggplant with buffalo's mozzarella and plum tomatoes.
Matched with Malvasia aromatica. This match worked better with the next dish.

3) Zucchine pie with radicchio

4) Spinach mousse with aromatic herbs, quail egg and truffle
Matched with Freisa Monferrato DOC 2001 Cascina Coppa-Lu Monferrato

5) Agnolotti with leper's ragout

6) Ravioli with spinach

Finally the dessert. They would have kept going with another pasta dish and with a "carrellata" of "secondi"... I stopped the party... I am REALLY full!

7) Cherries with Barbera gelato matched with "Il Piolo" from Cascina Coppa. A red dessert wine made with a blend of Freisa and Malvasia.

All of this for 30 Euro!