Piedmont: 'I visited the stunning Italian region that could save your Valentine's Day'

Bluff your way out of this embarrassing situation, by saying that you are working on the most fabulous trip for the two of you.

That trip should take place in sometime between October and December, so there is plenty of time to plan flights, hotels and final itinerary, and the place to take your loved one to is Piedmont.

That trip should take place in sometime between October and December, so there is plenty of time to plan flights, hotels and final itinerary, and the place to take your loved one to is Piedmont.

This is in the hills of north east Italy, between Turin and the French border and it is famous for its food and wine.

Centred in Alba, you have the fabulous wine regions of Barolo and Barbaresco within easy reach, as well as a relatively new wine region, Alta Langa.

Alba is a joy to visit. When you stroll around the old town you might think it smells like York on those heady days when chocolate aromas wafted over the city from Rowntree’s KitKat line.

Alba is home to Ferrero, makers of Nutella, who were established in 1946 to make use of the hazelnuts that thrive on the surrounding hills.

You can’t visit this home of the famous chocolate and hazelnut spread but plenty of cafés and restaurants are proud to incorporate the product in some of their dishes.

The real attraction in Alba is truffles and at the end of each year they hold a truffle festival when shops and market stalls display trays of these fabulous fungi at astonishing prices.

Last November the highly aromatic white truffles were selling for 4600 euros per kilo, while black truffles were substantially cheaper, but still way beyond my budget.

The real treat is that Alba is bustling with small, quality restaurants and they use truffles liberally in their dishes. A simple plate of pasta is transformed in taste and price with generous shavings of truffle.

My real interest in this region on this trip was Alta Langa, a region I confess I knew very little about before I set off.

It seems that local wine merchants are also pretty much in the dark about Alta Langa since I haven’t been able to find any available on Yorkshire’s shelves.

But this is the original quality sparkling wine of Italy. In the mid 19th century local winemaker Carlo Gancia set off for Reims to study how champagne was made.

He came back with enough information to set up his own sparkling wine production and traditional-method sparkling wine has been made in the region since then.

The real opportunity has come in recent years, driven perhaps by climate change which has opened up previously unusable land for vines.

Production has doubled in the last ten years, although to give some idea of comparison, it still lags behind our own English Sparkling wine.

The key to Alta Langa wine is that the grapes must grow above 250 metres altitude, where the air is cooler and flavours stay fresh.

Now, as summers warm up with climate change, grapes can ripen at even higher levels, so vines are being planted on land that was just wasteland before.

“30 years ago, those vineyards were just grazing land,” said Carlo Galliano, who now makes seriously good wines at Borgo Maragliano.

Legislation insists that only Chardonnay and Pinot Noir can be used, with a 10 per cent allowance for other local grapes, and the wine must be aged on its lees, in bottle, for a minimum of 30 months.

All wines must be from a single vintage, and they are designated as DOCG, which means they are the highest quality standard. This makes it an expensive production, but the quality is there in the wine.

With top quality Barolo DOCG and Barbaresco DOCG red wines already produced in the region, an aged, traditionally fermented sparkling wine adds another sheen of excellence to this gastronomic area.

Part of my visit to the region included a blind tasting of over 70 wines, all bottled, aged and ready for market.

Blind tasting is always a good experience, to evaluate the wines without the influence of labels and I have selected my stand out examples. It would be good to see some of these appear on the shelves of our excellent independent wine merchants.

If you decide to head off to Piedmont, especially in truffle time, then make sure you book a table at the Ristorante Madonna della Neve in Cessole. Chef Piermassimo produces exceptional local dishes.

Alta Langa Brut, 2021, DOCG, Araldica, The Wine Society, £16: Araldica is a co-operative bringing together 230 famers with 690 hectares of vines. They make a wide range of wines, and just a little Alta Langa sparkling.

This has ripe rounded, red apple fruit, with pink grapefruit notes and a light biscuity finish. A bargain introduction to the region.

Banfi Cuvée Aurora Rosé 2021, Extra Brut, Alta Langa DOCG, around £32.90: Family-owned Banfi make wine in various parts of Italy, in particular, excellent quality Chianti Classico, and this is a small venture of just 50 hectares in Alta Langa.

Made from 100% Pinot Noir this has a gentle pink colour, with fresh raspberry fruit, a touch of mandarin zest and a long, complex finish. Bon Coeur deal with Banfi, so should be able to get this wine.

Alta Langa Rosé 2021, Brut, DOCG, Cascina Pastori Colombo, www.xtrawine.com, £25: This is a small producer founded by cardiologist Antonio Colombo and run by his son Andrea.

They have just 13 hectares of vines and work out of a converted cow barn, which has been spruced up to shine with new stainless steel and top-quality oak.

The quality of their wines is exceptional which is probably not a surprise since they have esteemed enologist Riccardo Cottarelli working with them.

This rounded, elegant rosé is made from 100% Pinot Noir, and is a delicate, summer pink colour, with redcurrant and raspberry fruit, and an edge of minerality. It would be fabulous to see this wine on Yorkshire shelves.

Borgo Maragliano Alta Langa Rosé 2021, www.xtrawine.co. £24: At 400 metres this extensive property is well above the legal requirement for Alta Langa wines.

“And we can go higher if we need to,” said Carlo Galliano. This rosé wine is brighter in colour than most, with a positive red fruit flavour, edged with a twist of peppercorn spice.