Slow Food's Chef Michael Howell - Barolo & Beyond: A Luxurious Piedmont Food and Wine Experience with Michael Howell: Piemonte 2026

Overnight travel to Italy.  International airfare is not included. 

Welcome to Turin!

Independent arrivals to Turin Caselle Airport or Porta Nuova Train Station.  Private transfers can be arranged by request.

Your host Chef Michael Howell will meet you in the late afternoon at the grand Turin Palace Hotel.   Michael is the former co-chair of Slow Food Canada and a chef of 30 years with a passion for Italy and all things Slow.  

After checking in and a little rest and refresh, we will gather and head out into the old city for our welcome dinner of traditional Piemonte favourites at Ristorante Marchese.

After dinner, the group will enjoy a stroll through the charming streets of Turin and then make our way back to the hotel.

The remainder of the evening is yours to enjoy at leisure.

Overnight Turin. 

Breakfast at the hotel.

Head out to the World renowned Egypt Museum for a private, skip the line guided tour to revel in some of the most renowned Egyptian artifacts in existence.  After our approximately 1.5 hour visit, we continue on a leisurely guided walking tour of Turin, through the Old City, the Main square including the Palazzo Madama, the Palatine Gate then to the Mercato Centrale for a browse around this iconic market.

There will be free time to enjoy lunch at your leisure.  Our guide will suggest some stalls for the most authentic and tasty Torinese treats. 

After lunch we continue our gentle stroll to the Palazzo Reale and the iconic Mole Antonelliana. At the conclusion you rejoin your host Michael when you meet at the glorious Piazza Vittorio Veneto and be treated to an aperitivo and snack at one of Michael's favourite cafes.

Later in the afternoon, return to the hotel to rest for a bit, change and then head out to a famous pizzeria thought by most Torinese to be one of the best in town – Pizzium.

After dinner, the remainder of the evening is yours to enjoy at leisure.

Overnight Turin.

Breakfast at the hotel followed by check-out.

This morning we bid Turin goodbye, but not before we enjoy one more stop at the original Eataly to pick up some for provisions for the road trip ahead. Eataly was created by Slow Food to be a mecca for Italian artisanal products.  There will be some free time to browse at your leisure while Michael does some provisioning for the week.

We will then make the 1 hour trip in our private luxury bus to Villa San Lorenzo in the heart of the Langhe hills where will stay for the next 7 nights.

Upon arrival and check-in, there will be some free time to settle in and familiarize yourself with the spectacular surroundings; you can enjoy a dip in the pool, take some time to read a book, or just go for a walk on the gorgeous grounds.

In the late afternoon, we will gather to enjoy a meal in the villa prepared by our host. 

The remainder of the evening is yours to enjoy at leisure.

Overnight Cerretto Langhe. 

Breakfast at the villa.

Today is Truffle Education Day! We will gather for an early breakfast and then make our way to Roddi where we meet our dear friend Gianni, the owner of the University for Truffle Hunting Dogs.  We will head out into the woods on what we hope will be a successful truffle hunt.

After the truffle hunt, we will experience some robust and truly Italian bartering for the treasures, and then head out to visit his family truffle museum to learn more about truffles and truffle hunting before we enjoy some tastes of Truffles in all its forms. 

We then return to the villa to enjoy the remainder of the afternoon at leisure.

In the evening, we will gather to enjoy a traditional truffle dinner of tajarin with truffles, veal tartare with truffles and some exceptional local red wines!

The remainder of the evening is yours to enjoy at leisure.

Overnight Cerretto Langhe.

Breakfast at the villa.

Today will surely be an adventure of a lifetime as we head out on a truly exceptional Wine and Cheese Quest Road Trip.  We will drive through the bucolic Piemontese hills to Caseificio Roccaverano where they produce one of Michael's favorite cheeses in the world, Robbaiolo di Roccaverano.

Then we head to a lovely lunch at Madonna delle Neve and enjoy agnolotti del plin and the fascinating WWII history behind this pasta served on a linen napkin. Then, after a brief stop in Cessole to look at where life may have taken chef Michael, we make our way to Loazzolo for a late afternoon tasting of spectacular wines from boutique family run winery Forteto Della Luja.

We make our way back to the villa where we will have a light late supper.

Overnight Cerretto Langhe.

Breakfast at the villa.

This morning we will enjoy an immersive, hands-on pasta cooking class with our host Clay.  Clay will walk us through each of the steps to make some spectacular pastas.  We will then prepare the pasta and enjoy your own creations over a sumptuous lunch.

Following lunch, the afternoon is yours to enjoy at leisure on the grounds of the beautiful Villa San Lorenzo.  You can take a walk on the grounds or through the nearby pastoral landscape. Enjoy the afternoon painting, photographing or drawing the stunning landscape, or take a dip in the pool, or just relax and enjoy this spectacular setting. 

In the evening, the group will gather and Michael will prepare another exceptional dinner  - Osso Buco with Risotto Milanese!

The remainder of the evening is yours to enjoy at leisure.

Overnight Cerretto Langhe. 

Breakfast at the villa.

Today you will head to Alba and take a gentle stroll through this lovely small city, the white truffle capital of the world. Maybe we will even find some!

There will be some free time to enjoy lunch on your own in this exceptional town.

Mid afternoon we make our way to The Slow Food University in Pollenzo and the Banca Del Vino for a tour and tasting of some exceptional wines. This repository of the best wines in Italy was created by Slow Food to ensure that the more that 1300 varieties of wines grown in Italy are not lost to the sands of time. Michael was the president of Slow Food Canada for a number of years and has insight into the ethos behind the “Ark of Taste” We will purchase some to enjoy at dinner that night back at the villa prepared by Michael .

After dinner at the Villa, enjoy the remainder of the evening at leisure.

Overnight Cerretto Langhe. 

Breakfast at the villa.

Today you will enjoy a special VIP tour and tasting at Pecchinino, one of the most prestigious wineries in the region that specializes in what is to me the most underrated wine in Italy, Dolcetto.

We also visit the town of Barolo to visit the castle and the corkscrew museum, and if we are lucky, find some local porcini mushrooms.   Then we head WAY WAY up to the magical town of La Morra for a view across the Barolo region and an early evening pizza at Per Bacco - a famous VPN pizza restaurant.

We drive back to the villa for some gelato and cordials to wind up a full day.

Overnight Cerretto Langhe.

Early morning departure from the hotel.

Hot air balloon ride day! We head out very early for the 40 minute drive to Mondovi where we prepare for a spectacular sunrise hot-air balloon ride across the Piemonte countryside.  Afterward, enjoy a spectacular picnic breakfast after you land.

Later in the morning, then continue on to Mondovi where your host Michael will usher you around to view the glorious Sanctuario di Vicoforte a stunning and visually arresting triumph of architecture. 

After the visit we will enjoy a light lunch on your own overlooking the basilica - there are several restaurants immediately adjacent to the Sanctuario.

We then head back to the villa and enjoy a closing night group dinner prepared by Michael and evening of relaxation and discussion of the trip highlights and memories to share forever.

Overnight Cerretto Langhe. 

Breakfast at the villa followed by check-out.

Depart for Turin and your return flights or further adventures.  Prices for private airport transfers are available by request.