Best wine restaurants in Piedmont Italy

Piedmont region in Italy is food and wine lovers’ paradise, known for traditional Italian dishes like Tajarin and Vitello tonnato, top wines from Barolo and Barbaresco, and truffles! I recently spent a few days in the region and had the best time drinking lots of delicious wines and ordering Vitella Tonnato for every meal. I always look for the combination of good food AND a good wine list.

Here are all the places you need to go if you love wine and food. A lot of these places also get bonus points for an amazing view of the vineyards!

La Morra

  • Osteria Veglio: Located on the hill on the way to La Morra, beautiful view. They do amazing pastas, shrimp bisque pasta I had was filled with flavors! We went with the 2019 Conterno Cerretta

  • Osteria More e Macine: Unassuming causal place in the middle of the town with amazing food and wine list. Their tiramisu was one of the bests too! .

Castiglione Falletto (small town next to La Morra)

  • Le torri: Probably one of my favorite meals during the trip. It helped that we were staying at the same hotel, but everything was perfect from the view, food, wine list, hospitality, and dessert. Got to see their huge wine cellar and it was filled with Champagnes and all the best regional Barolos and Barbarescos. Loved the rare grower Champagne we got Jules Brochet, and 2014 Roagna Albesani Barbaresco.

  • Bar la Terrazza da Renza: Technically more of a snack bar but their wine list is too good to pass. Great Barolos, Burgundy, and Champagne. Tried 2018 Burlotto Monvigliero (this was my favorite wine from the trip!!) and 2019 Rivella Serafino Barbaresco.

Alba and near by cities

  • La Ciau del Tornavento: Another one of my favorite meals! They have the second largest wine cellar in Italy and it’s simply amazing. Have a few different tasting menu options and they are flexible with substitution so it was easy to enjoy everything from the meal! We had a bottle of Ulysse Collins Les Maillon and 2012 Pavlo Scavino Bric del Fiasc

  • Hostaria dai Musi, Ventuno.1, Osteria Lalibera are all located in the town center and have great food and wine selection

Turin

  • Ristorante Consorzio: Known for their natural wine selection, overall had great list of French and Italian wines. Had one of the best sweetbread dishes here!

  • Condividere: If you get tired of all the traditional dishes, perfect spot with a lot creative fusion dishes! Had a delicious 2008 Champagne and Jura wine and loved both.




Where to stay in Lake Como: Bellagio or Varenna?

Picking a hotel and town to stay can be critical to your trip as it determines accessibility to major attractions you are interested in and influence how you want to schedule your days. This is especially true in Lake Como where lots of small towns are accessible only via ferries.

We did a 2 day trip and if you are planning a short trip as well, you are most likely looking at either Bellagio or Varenna as they are the two most popular cities in Lake Como. Here are a few things to consider when deciding where to stay.

Which is better? Bellagio vs. Varenna

  • Accessibility from the central train station/Miilan: Varenna. Direct train to and from Milan is located in Varenna. This is helpful when you arrive in the morning and want to store your luggage and makes your trip back a lot shorter because you don’t have to consider both ferry AND the train schedule

  • Accessibility to other Lake Como towns : Bellagio. Most ferries to other Lake Como towns leave from Bellagio. If you stay in Verenna, ferry will most likely stop by Bellagio and there are more ferry options from Bellagio

  • Hotel and restaurant options: Bellagio. Verenna is just a smaller town compared to Bellagio. if you have a specific criteria for hotels (walkability, view, price range etc etc), it’s much easier to find options in Bellagio. Most options that I liked were already sold out for Varenna when I tried to book a few months in advance.

  • Prettier town: More of a personal preference, really can’t go wrong. Varenna is a bit smaller and has an adorable vibe while Bellagio is a bit larger. Personally liked the lake view from Varenna and thought Bellagio had adorable small streets everywhere!

Hotels and Airbnbs to stay in

I chose where to stay based on

  • being close to the ferry or train station and restaurants

  • view of the lake

  • good quality to price ration. I didn’t want to to pay a ton of premium for a luxury accommodation at an expensive town!

I debated between Varenna and Bellagio up until the very last minute and ended up going with the Hotel Bellagio. Other options I looked were

Varenna

Bellagio


You can find the full 2 day Lake Como itinerary in this post.

If you end up booking one of the hotels recommended in this post, I may get a small commission at no additional cost to you. It helps support posts like this to bring more travel tips to you!

Luxury wine experiences in Napa and Sonoma

Napa and Sonoma wine experiences can vary anywhere from casual bar tastings to upscale sit-down tasting with food pairing. While I love looking for high quality experiences at a good price, luxury Napa experiences are one of the best ways to celebrate special occasions or treat yourself to a nice trip! Here are list of wineries that offer more private and luxury tasting experiences for $100-200.

Theorem

Started by a couple from Texas, the property is a combination of modern architecture and historical structures. So many unique design elements throughout and the wines are amazing, with Thomas Rivers Brown as their consulting wine maker. Great Sauvignon Blanc and various reds like Cab, Syrah, and Bordeaux style blends

Lokoya

Tasting experience here is luxurious, fun, educational and delicious! They produce Cabernet from 4 distinct mountain appellations in Napa and you get to do a side by side tasting. Property and the view is amazing, not to mention the house made snack pairing!

Promontory

Driving and walking in to the property feels like a museum! From the gate to the welcome area with the view of Harlan vineyards where they serve Dom Perignon as a welcome Champagne. You get to do barrel tasting then sit down for a tasting flight of their Cabernet Sauvignons.

Repris

This one might be a bit hidden on the mountain of Sonoma but it’s well worth the drive! The view from the Sonoma side is amazing and they take you on a ATV ride to taste wines looking at the vineyards. After the ride, you sit down with an amazing Charcuterie board to taste through their Bordeaux style red wines.


I personally have not been but have heard great things about

Best rooftop bars in Milan with a Duomo view

Rooftop bars are always one of my favorite activities when I’m traveling. You always get a nice view of the city and what’s better than a glass of your favorite drink?! Especially if you are traveling in a city like Milan with an iconic Duomo. I visited as many rooftop bars in Milan with a Duomo view and here’s my honest opinion of all of them!


𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 (IMHO) – Terrazza Aperol: Lots of creative spritz options, can’t go wrong! We got lucky with the table but note that there was a line to get in by the time we left so expect the place to get busy

𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 – Signorvino: This is actually a wine shop chain, where you can purchase any bottle and open it there. Fair prices on Italian wines and Champagnes. They also have a variety wines available by the glass. Rear view of the Duomo, could be a bit covered depending on your table.

𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘇𝗮 – Pino in Duomo: Located right on the plaza. Primarily a restaurant and requires food purchase. Enjoyed the spicy seafood pasta!

𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘂𝗽 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 – La Rinascente Rooftop is a good option if you want a close up view from the rooftop. Top of the Duomo is right next to you. Located on top of the shopping mall, a bit hectic but there are a few different restaurant/bar sections to choose from.

𝗕𝗼𝗻𝘂𝘀: View of the central station with AMAZING creative cocktails @excelsiorhotelgallia rooftop bar



Best places to eat and drink in Florence

Florence is a super fun city, I feel like it’s just the right size that’s small enough to walk everywhere but also big enough to have lots of things to see, eat, and drink. Here are some places I’ve enjoyed during my last trip.


Where to drink

  • Enoteca Pitti Gola e Cantina - Located right in front of Palazzo Pitti with a nice view outside. Great wine selection and fun wine flights with various older vintages. Food was great too!

  • Signorvino Firenze - Wine shop/bar with a great view of the Ponte Vecchio. Make sure to reserve in advance for the patio table. Long lists of wines by the glass.

  • Rasputin - Fun speakeasy with creative and delicious cocktails

  • View on Art Rooftop Cocktail Bar - Rooftop bar with the view of duomo

Best restaurants

  • Osteria dell'Enoteca - Affiliated with Enoteca Pitti Gola e Cantina so great wine selection. No official wine menu but you work with the Somm to pick a bottle from their selection! Known for steak.

  • Osteria Tripperia Il Magazzino - Fun tripe dishes if you are up for it! Tripe ragu pasta and tripe in tomato sauce were both delicious.

  • La Buchetta Food & Wine Restaurant - We skipped the more famous Osteria Dall'Oste and went here instead for steak. Felt cozier and the steak did not disappoint especially with a bottle of Brunello di Montalcino.

  • ANTICA FRIGGITORIA DELL'ALBERO - Napoli style pizza to-go spot for under 10 euro! Recommend if you are in the area

Others

Todo Modo - had this book store/wine shop bookmarked but never made it

Wine windows

See the full detailed post about best wine windows in Florence here.


See more wine travel on Instagram

Love being surrounded by all the greenery in Napa this time of the year 💚 Small but adorable and friendly tasting room in St Helena! Part of the Schramsberg fam so you get to taste reds and sparklings Bonus point for being so close to Azteca, the
Wineries that allow picnics (of offer food) are so clutch when you are trying to fill the day with more wineries🤣 This was a 3rd winery during my latest trip to Sebastopol and was possible because we got to bring food 🤗🙌 (from @pascaline.patisse
Have you gone tasting in Sebastopol? Great area to visit and find small family owned wineries that are laid back and so friendly! This tasting room had an adorable garden and a unique lineup of great wines. Think Italian varietals, red & white
This place makes you feel like you are transported to a small rural wine region 💫 Away from the main road, you will find this boutique family owned winery with a line up of unique varietals. (Have you heard of Picpoul Blanc?!!) Tasting started wit
Found a little gem in Healdsburg 🥰 Was delighted by this adorable setting, and then found out tastings come with wood fired pizza on weekends! I mean…😍 and every single wine we tasted were so good! Added another winery to our membership lis
I’ve been lazy about making weekend plans and Sonoma square is becoming my go-to for last minute weekend activity 😆 Was able to get a same day reservation at Sosie and so glad I did. Small new winery! Felt unique when we saw sparkling red, C
Brought this amazing bottle to enjoy with this view 🥰 From a new boutique winery in Paso founded by a wine loving couple! Small line up as wines tend to sell out but got to taste three of their amazing wines. 📍: @topwinery 🍷: tasted Grenache, G
I’ve been trying to better understand my preferences for sparkling wines so added Roederer to the list for my trip to Mendocino Tasting flight includes a side by side of the same blend in a regular bottle vs. Magnum and it was SO FUN to taste
🌟Save this place for your next trip to Northern CA🌟 Did you know there’s another Twomey tasting room in Anderson Valley? Twomey’s been on my list and when I saw they have another location on the way to the Mendocino coast, it was a mus
Super chill and inviting tasting room! Bonus points for this view and a great #cabfranc 😍😆 Heard Cab Francs are getting sold out everywhere in Napa, go get them before they are gone! Or don’t… so I can get them 🤣 📍: @reverie_wine



Best wineries to visit in Hemel-en-Aarde, Hermanus

Hemel-en-Aarde is slightly further from Stellenbosch or Franschhoek from Cape Town but well worth the visit especially if you like Pinot Noir and Chardonnays. Here’s the list of producers and wineries worth visiting in Hemel-en-Aarde:

Hamilton Russell Vineyards

Historical estate and winery that basically pioneered the wine industry in the area. Adorable tasting cottage area where you can taste their Burgundy inspired Chardonnay and Pinot Noirs. They only make 1 bottling of each (vs. multiple vineyard bottling), wines have a good balance of fruit, dark, and spicy elements.

Bouchard Finlayson

Another historical winery where Peter Bouchard from Burgundy partnered with Peter Finlayson. Their wines reflect old world style in a new world soil and it was a treat to taste through their Chardonnays and Pinots. Overall felt like their wines were the most similar to Burgundy style wines.

Ataraxia Wines

Such a cute spot on top of the hill, in an old white chapel. Super fun “black” Chardonnays and different Chardonnays and Pinots made from whole cluster and de-stemmed methods.

Storm Wines

I didn’t get to actually visit but had a couple different bottles of their wines at restaurants and enjoyed them! Would have loved to visit to taste their full lineup

Creation Wines

Casual spot where you can have breakfast or lunch along with wine tasting. You can actually pick a taster pour for any wines on their list so it’s all personalized for your taste. Nice view of the vineyards!

Hermanus, which is the main town near Hemel-en-Aarde wine region was the most adorable town to stay in. Highly recommend the trip from Cape Town! Read more about wine country trip from Cape Town here or see my Instagram highlights here.

Best wineries to visit in Franschhoek

Franschhoek is a lovely “French Corner” in the Cape Winelands with ~50 different wineries. Here are some of the best and recommended wineries depending on what you are looking for.

Unique wine experience

  • Grande Provence: wine Blending experience

  • Wine tram: Not exactly a single winery but you can hop on and off at several wineries in the area

Great Wines

  • Lynx: Refreshing whites and rosés

  • Anthonij Rupert: Good Bordeaux blends and sparkling

  • Leeu Estates: Good Bordeaux blend

Wineries for lunch

  • Grande Provence: Oyster station!

  • La motte: Lovely patio and food

  • Haute Cabrière: Personally haven’t been but was told to have great views and food

Most Instagramable Wineries

  • La motte: As the name suggests, lovely ground that feels like part of a castle.

  • Le Lude: White interior of the dining room is unique and fun

  • Leeu Estates: The ground with artwork, interior, and the view is amazing

See more wineries and wine travel tips @fine.vining

Wine travel guide to Cape Town, South Africa - Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Hermanus

I recently traveled to a beautiful wine region near South Africa, Cape Town. Often referred as Cape Winelands, there are several wine regions within 1-2 hours drive from Cape Town. This was my second visit to the area and while Franscchoek and Stellenbosch are the most well-known area, my favorite part of the trip was Hermanus. I recommend spending at least 2-3 nights in each town to visit wineries in the area, relax at the pool with vineyard views, and check out a few different restaurants.

Stellenbosch and Franschhoek are only ~30minutes away by car so you can technically pick one and do day trips. We opted to stay in both for change in scenery: staying walking distance to the main street in Franschhoek while doing a more resort style vineyard stay in Stellenbosch. Here are quick notes about each region:

Franschhoek

Franschhoek means “French corner” and it is such a cute wine town. You can even see lavender fields while driving around! You can typically find various red blends, whites like Chenin Blancs, and traditional method sparkling wines here.

  • Try the famous wine tram that stops by a number of wineries in the area.

  • Try more remote wineries that are not on the wine tram route. They tend to be more quite and small vs. large wineries on the tram route. Ubers are readily available in the area.

  • Walk around the cute main town. The main street and town is very walkable and you can find cute restaurants, shops, and wine bars.


Stellenbosch

Certain areas in Stellenbosch is high in elevation with visible mountain ranges around the town. You can find similar wine varietals as Franschhoek. If Franschhoek is like a little French town, you can feel more Dutch influence in this town.

  • Stay at a vineyard hotel. We had beautiful view of the mountain and vineyards with infinity pool.

  • Lots of wineries in the area have amazing view due to the mountain range!

  • It’s a college town and there are more restaurant options in the main town compared to Franschhoek.


Hermanus (Hemel-en-Aarde)

Hermanus is a coastal town and considered a cooler region, producing varietals like Pinot Noir and Chardonnays.

  • Take a day trip to Hemel-an-Aarde, wine region famous for Pinots and Chardonnays.

  • Go whale watching. During the season (early JUNE to end of NOVEMBER), Hermanus is considered the best place to watch whales from the land!

  • Hermanus town is artsy and super cute. I loved taking morning walks around the town exploring small alleys.

  • Enjoy amazing seafood at any of the restaurants with a view. Most of the town is surrounded by the coast and there are many restaurants with a direct view of the ocean!

Follow @fine.vining on Instagram and stay tuned for more detailed guide on where to eat, drink, and stay!