Piacere, Monferrato: experiences to savour

If a painter were asked to paint pleasure while thinking of a landscape, the artist would very probably give us delicate brushstrokes in which we would see gentle sunlit hills taking shape, large trees in whose shade to sit and savour a glass of good wine fresh from the cellar, tasting typical dishes. Seated at a sturdy wooden table, the people depicted in the painting would seem to us the fortunate protagonists of a film set among the long rows of vineyards, among courtyards immersed in a sea of flowers, where life flows along the banks of lively streams of the purest water coming down from the mountains: in short, a sort of earthly paradise.

Our trip took place right inside this beautiful painting, called Monferrato. Tired of metropolitan life, with our friends we decided to treat ourselves to a mini holiday of three days. Our goal was to immerse ourselves in nature without however going too far. So, browsing the Internet, we discovered "Piacere, Monferrato", a new initiative of the Monferrato, Strada del Vino Association. The Association groups within it numerous wineries, farms, agritourisms, from Asti to the Casale area, from Acqui Terme as far as Gavi, across the whole vast territory of Monferrato. A territory that owes its dimensions to Aleramo, a historical figure who received Monferrato as a gift from Otto I of Saxony, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, who had promised him a fief as vast as the region that Aleramo managed to encircle in a three-day ride.

Fortunately for us, Aleramo and his horse did not spare themselves, so today, whoever comes to Monferrato has only the embarrassment of choice: with the new dynamic calendar of the Monferrato Strada del Vino Association, it is possible to choose among numerous proposals of "pleasures". These are experiences lasting a couple of hours each at wineries, agritourisms, in the vineyards of the farms, but also in the distilleries of the area. Two hours that will be remembered for a long time and with pleasure, indeed: guided tastings, farm experiences, narrated stories, cooking courses...

We arrived here on Tuesday, and we thought that if pleasure it had to be, let it be pleasure: here we are therefore catapulted into an afternoon cooking course in Morsasco, a hill town about twelve kilometres from Ovada or Acqui Terme. At an old farmstead immersed in greenery, in two hours we managed to learn several typical recipes of the area, starting with focaccias, then moving on to filled pasta and Monferrato desserts: a full immersion that rewarded us with the pleasure of then being able to taste our own culinary creations, washing them down with the typical wines, also presented through a guided tasting.

To deepen our knowledge of the local wines, the following day we took part in another "pleasure", a guided tasting, this time in Castelletto d'Orba. We visited one of the most important wine companies of the town, located in the Lavagello area. An oenologist explained to us a series of aspects of their work, concerning the storage, the ageing and the bottling of the wines. After these explanations we moved on to the pleasure of practice, attending a mini wine-tasting course accompanied by breadsticks, focaccia, cured meats, cheeses and desserts.

We spent the rest of the day between long walks in the historic centres of Castelletto d'Orba, Silvano d'Orba and Rocca Grimalda, while the next day we delved even more into the pleasure of viticulture, through a real "farm experience". In Tagliolo Monferrato, one of the hill towns bordering Ovada, we reached a farm with an agritourism. Here they explained the phases of winemaking starting from the vineyard, which we were able to visit, and observe how the work between the rows was carried out. We then learned how exactly they arrived at bottling, and to finish in style, this time too the guided tasting of the wines produced on the estate was not lacking, paired with typical products.

Besides the pleasure of the tastings and of having spent three days in contact with nature, in places full of history and immersed in greenery, this trip also enriched us as people. From now on we will see these landscapes reflected in every glass of wine, and we will remember the work and dedication that are necessary to produce it. We will return here again, at the latest in autumn, to attend some farm experiences during the grape harvest, but not only: besides wine, there is also grappa to get to know. Indeed, in Silvano d'Orba and Rocca Grimalda are found some of the oldest distilleries of Piedmont. Returning here, we are sure, will once again be a great pleasure.

Francesca Bertha

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