VINUM 2015: Your Guide to Piemonte's Biggest Springtime Wine Event

The main event of Vinum is a wine tasting of Langhe, Roero, and Monferrato wines held in the Palazzo Mostre e Congressi building in Alba. But during the five days of this festival, don’t miss out on workshops, delicious street food, other wine tastings throughout the piazzas and in restaurants and bars in the historical city center.

Let’s take a closer look at the events. Click on each one to jump to the article section.

Wine tastings
Workshops
Waiting for Collisioni
Street Food
“Made in Langa:” Art and Culture

Wine tastings

Where: Depending on the wine you want to taste, the appointments are located in Palazzo Mostre e Congressi (the heart of the event) as well as throughout the historic city center in piazzas.
When: Every day from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm
Cost: Complete tasting “carnet” – 15 tastings – € 20 (click here to see which tastings are available, i.e. 6 "Great Reds," 2 Barbera d'Asti, etc.)
Tasting coupon – 4 tastings – € 10
Second round of tastings – 5 tastings – € 7
Buy your tickets: Online (pick up your tickets in Palazzo Mostre e Congressi) | Piazza Risorgimento | Cortile della Maddalena | Piazza Savona

Every day of VINUM in different piazzas and areas of Alba, wine tastings featuring the great wines of the Langhe, Roero, and Monferrato will be held for any and all to take part (provided you buy the tickets, of course!). These wines stand out worldwide not just for their high quality, but for their ability to express terroir. The soil and climate from one territory to the next and even from one hill to the next confer unique characteristics to these wines, all of which are native to the region.

The Great Reds of the Langhe (I Grandi Rossi delle Langhe) – Palazzo Mostre e Congressi; free entrance

The heart of Vinum, this tasting includes Barolo DOCG, Barbaresco DOCG, Barbera d'Alba DOC, Langhe DOC, Nebbiolo d'Alba DOC, and Verduno Pelaverga DOC served by AIS (Association of Italian Sommeliers) professionals.

Barbera d’Asti and Wines of the Monferrato (La Barbera d’Asti ed I Vini del Monferrato) – Piazza Garibaldi

In addition to tastings of Barbera d'Asti and other wines of the Monferrato, Piazza Garibaldi will be the stage for an “island of cheese.” What pairing is more classic than cheese and wine? ONAF (National Organization of Cheese Tasters – yes, such a profession exists!) will have tastings of some of Piemonte’s most famous cheeses. Think blue-veined gorgonzola, crumbly and sharp Castelmagno, soft Roccaverano goat’s cheese, dozens of variations of Toma – and many more.

Roero Arneis DOCG and Roero DOCG – Piazza Garibaldi

In collaboration with the new Consortium for the Safeguard of Roero Wines

The Roero is famous for its aromatic white wine Roero Arneis, and for its production of the 100% Nebbiolo Roero DOCG wine, an elegant expression of this grape.

Whites of the Langhe (Bianchi delle Langhe) – Piazza Risorgimento

The Langhe is internationally famous for its reds, but its white wine production is stunning, as well. This tasting includes all the whites of the Langhe and Roero territory, such as Favorita, Nascetta, and Chardonnay.

Dolcetto – Cortile della Maddalena

The Bottega del Vino di Dogliani, the Cantina Comunale i Sörì di Diano, and Producers of the City of Alba guide you through wine tastings of Dolcetto, one of Piemonte’s most popular grapes and wines.

Asti Spumante DOCG and Moscato d’Asti DOCG – Piazza Savona

In collaboration with the Consortium for the Safeguard of Asti Wines and the Confraternity of the Tonda Gentile Hazelnut of the Langhe.

Piazza Savona is dedicated to Asti Hour aperitivo with Asti Spumante DOCG and Moscato d’Asti DOCG, as well as the Piemonte Hazelnut IGP .

Alta Langa Aperitivo 

In addition to the wine tastings, in various locales of Alba there will be aperitivo with Alta Langa metodo classico DOCG and tasty finger food pairings:

- Burgheria Italiana: Corso Torino, 6 - tel. 0173 290590
- Caffè Calissano: Piazza Risorgimento, 3 - Tel. 0173 592055
- Caffè - Il Mondo del Caffè: Piazza Savona, 3/c - Tel. 0173 361126
- Caffè Porta Garibaldi: Piazza Garibaldi 3/a - Tel. 0173 34599
- Caffè Savona: Piazza Savona, 2/a - Tel. 0173 441497
- Enoclub: Piazza Savona, 4 - Tel. 0173 33994
- Hemingway Cocktail Restaurant: Via Mandelli, 3/b - Tel. 0173 366096
- I Love Ba: Via Don Alberione 1/D - Tel. 327 3276081
- La Brasilera: Piazza Savona - Tel. 0173 442740
- Risiè Tasting Shop & Bar: Piazza Savona 5 – Tel. 335 7482663
- Vincafè: Via Vittorio Emanuele, 12 - Tel. 0173 364603
- Voglia di Vino: Via E. Pertinace 7/a - Tel. 0173 593090

Workshops

The guided workshops below provide visitors a chance to delve deeper into the wine and gastronomy of Piemonte. Held in the Palazzo Mostre e Congressi every day unless otherwise stated.

Wine Tasting Experience – May 1-3 at 2:30 pm in English (and continued dates after Vinum, as well)

The Wine Tasting Experience® goes beyond traditional wine tasting in a single producer’s cellar, a common experience for all wine tourists, and gives the opportunity to compare labels from different producers in a single appointment. Territory experts who guide tasters include sommeliers, oenologists, and skilled producers. These are the English appointments:

May 1: “The taste of the hills:” Arneis, Dolcetto, Barbera, Nebbiolo
May 2: “The Crus of Barolo:” 3 different single-vineyard Barolos
May 3: “The taste of the hills:” Arneis, Dolcetto, Barbera, Nebbiolo

The event goes beyond these few days at Vinum, so make sure you don’t miss it: Read our article for more information, including extended dates and times: Wine Tasting Experience®: the 2015 season begins with Vinum!

Each tasting lasts one hour; reservations required.
Cost per tasting: 20 €
Wine Tasting Experience® is an initiative of Strada del Barolo and Grandi Vini di Langa.

Guided wine tastings to discover the UNESCO landscapes of Langhe-Roero and Monferrato – 6:00 pm (only in Italian).

These guided wine tastings explore the “big” names in Piemonte wine as well as lesser-known varieties. From Barbaresco, Barbera d'Asti (Nizza), and Asti Spumante to Langhe Chardonnay, Malvasia di Casorzo and Ruchè – and even more – there is a wine for everybody in these tastings. Please note that it is only offered in Italy (but wine speaks everyone’s language, doesn’t it?).

Each tasting lasts 30 minutes; reservations required.
Simple UNESCO tasting: € 10
Info and reservations: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. – 0173 361051

See the appointments here: www.vinumalba.com

Cheese and wine tasting – 11:45 (only in Italian)

These workshops, held in collaboration with ONAF, offer Piemonte DOP cheese tastings paired with their ideal wines from the territory: fresh and creamy cheeses to old and hardened treasures with Roero Arneis, Dolcetto d’Alba, Barolo, and a lovely Passito. Again, offered only in Italian.

Cost of tasting: € 10

See the appointments here: www.vinumalba.com

Waiting for Collisioni

You’ve never heard of Collisioni? It’s only the most popular and entertaining event of the summer season in Piemonte! Collision is an open-air concert and literature fest in Barolo that features Italian and international writers and musicians; it draws visitors from around the world. Four days in mid-July surrounded by UNESCO-crowned vineyard landscapes, sampling local food and excellent wine, while listening to music until late into the night – now that sounds like a summertime party.

In anticipation of Collision, there will be several appointments (free entry) with the stars of the summer. Journalist Ernest Assante will interview Nek Thursday, April 23 at 9 in Chiesa San Domenico – one of Italy’s most beloved music stars; and Francesco Renga Thursday, April 30 at 9:00 pm in Chiesa San Domenico about her songs, her latest tour, and upcoming concerts this summer. On April 24, Ian d’Agata, Collisioni’s creative wine director, and Carlo Cracco, star of the popular show MasterChef, will hold a discussion on food and wine in Chiesa San Domenico at 6:30 pm. Finally, on May 3 at 4:00 in Sala Beppe Fenoglio, Ale & Franz on will be giving a preview of their entertaining, comic theatrical show.

Street Food

Where there is wine, let there be food. Throughout the historical center of Alba, stands offering tastes of the territory will have bite-sized portions of delicious street food, allowing visitors to enjoy the entire gamma of gastronomic delights of Piemonte, glass of wine in hand. The foods are all cooked in the inspiration of a traditional Piemontese recipe. Food and locale descriptions will soon be online.

“Made in Langa:” Art and Culture

Take a break from the pressing crowds of eager wine tasters for a refreshing walk through art and culture.

Multisensorial Installation “La Vigna” (The Vineyard) – April 18-May 3, open all day – Cortile della Maddalena, free entrance

Artifice and nature collaborate in synergy, taking form in this open space installation in the center of Alba.

Spontaneous Design in Culture in Wine Country (“Design spontaneo nella cultura dei paesaggi del vino") – April 18-May 3, open 2:30-7:00 pm – Chiesa di San Giuseppe

Inspired by the concept "da nui es campa via mai niente" (with us, nothing is wasted), a sentence uttered by many grandparents in the Langhe and Roero, this display is a sort of aesthetic study on upcycling, morphing original forms of objects into something else entirely.

INFO

More detailed information on any aspect of Vinum can be found on their official homepage: www.vinumalba.com