Friday 7 November 2025

Today we set off for a fortnight’s research for David’s new writing project, The Wines of Northern Piemonte: Annual Report Spring 2026 sponsored in part by Nebbia e Luce. It begins at Taste Alto Piemonte, an annual event this year held in Stresa on Lago Maggiore, 80 km north of Milan.

The 09.06 conveyed us to Gatwick, via Clapham, by 10.50, for a 13.15 departure, which to our amazement left on time, and arrived at Milan Malpensa by 16.00. Extraordinary! Passports took quarter of an hour, but our luggage was arriving even as we reached the Baggage Hall, and by 16.30 we were in a taxi heading for Gallarate to catch the 17.02 Domodossola train from Milan to reach Stresa by 17.35. We walked half a mile to the Primavera Hotel, one block from the lakeside, arriving by 18.00. This was perhaps the least busy or stressful journey to Italy ever! 

Supper was in the Osteria Mercato which David had already researched, whose menu included some unusually creative options, and a good wine list, if randomly organised. The chef owner was meeting, greeting and serving at table, aided by only one other person, so as the evening drew on, and more patrons arrived, service slowed noticeably. Nonetheless, their coffee was excellent. 

Saturday 8 November

Firstly we walked in search of the car hire (Budget, spinoff of Avis) and eventually tracked it down despite Google’s misinformation, and a charming woman confirmed a car’s availability for first thing Tuesday morning when we will drive to Gattinara for a mid morning first appointment in the consorzio’s enoteca.

Officially the season has ended here (gardens and villas have closed for the winter) though as the weekend forecast is for sunshine, and a marathon is scheduled along the lakeside on Sunday, the town will be busy, and the promenade closed. This may present problems for the producers and attendees of the Taste Alto Piemonte event scheduled for both Sunday and Monday. But this Saturday morning the old part of the town (where the restaurants, cafes, enotece and bars as well as our hotel can be found) was bustling with both tourists and locals.

We enjoyed the bright sunshine and clear skies as we walked along the promenade towards the location of tomorrow’s tastings, the Grand Hotel des Iles Borromeés in search of a good cup of coffee. My caffe latte was entirely satisfactory; an overly hasty waitress didn’t wait to hear David’s exact order, resulting in a weak, watery and too long Americano. 

The hotel is a relic of the Glory Days when the Orient Express travelled through the newly created Sempion tunnels bringing the wealthy of Northern Europe to the lake’s shores and onto Milan. Its interior is astonishing as the photos show, and we spent a couple of hours in the lounge and familiarising ourselves with the tastings’ layout, and meeting Elisabetta from the consorzio. 

Lunch was in the Enoteca Torino. We had spotted a set lunch offering (including a salad starter and the chef’s choice of pasta – delicious – with noci) on the board outside, which didn’t appear on the menu inside, but for which we successfully asked. It was probably the cheapest meal we have recently eaten, and worked well. 

We walked once more along the sunny promenade to the next settlement on the sentiero panaramico, close to the isole Borromee watching the various boats weaving across the neck of the gulf, in and out of the islands. There is a complex interconnecting set of transport systems around the lake, and onto Switzerland;  boats, chair and ski lifts, trains and of course cars. In summer it must be heaving! 

Supper was in the hotel, serving food from its own restaurant next door. We hope it will be better than breakfast. (It was, though the service was unpredictable, but I was hungry, so not impartial!)

Sunday 9 November

We woke late, ate another modest breakfast, and walked once again along the promenade,  temporarily closed to cars while the frontrunners of the Maggiore Marathon shot past, reaching the Grand Hotel des Iles Borromeés once again where the tasting team and producers were setting up. We bumped into Elena of Castello Conti, and of all people the enterprising Simona, our informative hostess at La Pitta in Gattinara (who has already warned us about traffic issues caused by the Festa di San Martino)

The tasting team of Julia and Elisabetta made us feel welcome, and Lorella of Antoniolo organised a sandwich lunch for us; I spotted a bar type table in the corner of the room for David to use as a standing desk, and as the morning wore on, I inveigled a young waiter to find me a chair; he was glad to be useful, as I kept a close eye on David’s laptop as he dodged between producers, and a very small child joining in with her parents. She has all the kit!

The beautiful, large room was soon awash with a very different type of people than the hotel’s usual clientele, and the contrast was striking, as the photos show. 

I broke up the day with an expedition to our hotel while David ate his lunch; the cars once again lining the road now the Marathon is over, and despite the sunshine the view was less clear as mist slowly settled above the lake.

Tonight we eat in the Grand Hotel as guests of the consorzio…. This was a grand affair, and I was glad to have returned to our hotel to change before the 21.00 start. Perhaps 80 people seated at nine round tables. We were fortunate to be seated with Damiano and Angelica (who is from Poland, and working with Easyjet) with whom we had spent a very pleasant evening last year in their newly created tasting room in Daniele’s family’s cascina in Ghemme, as the sun set and their pet donkey brayed.

Two older Italian producers joined in with reminiscences of Stonehenge; we selected and tasted their wines to match the fine food (beef served twice and a gorgonzola risotto); it was a happy enough occasion. The disco accompanied desserts and coffee in the bowels of the hotel called Purgatory; the deafening sound was more Inferno-like to my ears…

Monday 10 November 

We felt more relaxed on the second day of the tasting at which David still has dozens to producers to speak to and wines to taste. There are 53 wineries represented here. However, David has also invited the producers of Gattinara, Lessona, Bramaterra, Ghemme, Boca, Sizzano and Fara who opted not to come to Taste Alto Piemonte to meet him from Tuesday in Gattinara where we will be based til Friday. And of course some won’t engage at all, and some we will need to chase.

To break up the day, I enrolled for the Masterclass at 11.00. Delivered in Italian by Ennio Camperi, I followed only parts of it, but enjoyed

Tuesday 11 November 

At 08.30 we collect the car from Budget half a mile away, and drive to Gattinara, to meet Massimo keeper of the key to the enoteca regionale at 10.30 in the Villa Paolotti, close to the Caffe Fiorenze, before David’s first appointment at 11.15. Today’s challenge will be finding parking; the town has revived its Festa di San Martino, and the narrow streets will be closed to traffic and packed with people. We stay at La Pita, a small set of rooms just of the main street, around the courtyard of the restaurant of the same name, also run by Simona. Never dull!

Postscript: getting the car to move at all was actually the first challenge! We did, eventually. The second challenge – after this delayed start – was reaching Gattinara to find road blocks. The Polizia pounced at the very moment we were swapping the driver to allow David to reach the Enoteca Regione on time, while I searched for a space for the car, and we lost another 15 minutes while they checked our papers. David made it with minutes to spare. I found a space behind the bus station. Phew!