Piedmont welcomes quietly. It’s a place where tradition runs deep, where winemakers and cooks let their craft speak for them. A region built on patience – on aging barrels, slow meals, and quiet pride. The more you taste, the more you understand.
You don’t just visit, you settle in, pay attention, and little by little, it reveals what matters.

More than Just Barolo

Barolo may be what brings you here, but it won’t be the memory that lingers. What remains is a late morning tasting in a small cantina where the winemaker’s mother brings warm hazelnut cake just because. Or the way Nebbiolo shifts character from village to village structured in Monforte d’Alba, elegant in Barbaresco, and rawly honest in Alto Piemonte.

You’ll uncover that Barbera, once dismissed as every day wine, shines when crafted with care. Dolcetto, unfiltered and juicy, is the perfect match for grilled sausages after a market morning.
 Then there’s Timorasso – an ancient white grape nearly lost but restored in Monleale in the 1980’s, and now celebrated for its unique style.

Truffle Season: A Scent You’ll Never Forget

The first time you smell white truffle shaved over pasta, it catches you off guard. It’s not just earthy – it’s sharp, almost electric. Walking through the woods before dawn with a truffle hunter, or trifulau, and their dog feels like entering a secret world. When the dog stops and paws at the ground, you know you may have found a rare treasure.
Later, in the farmhouse kitchen, the mood shifts. Truffles are shaved over a warm dish of eggs or pasta – not for show, just for the pleasure of sharing something honest and unforgettable.

Where Slow Food Was Born—and Still Breathes

In Bra, where the Slow Food movement was founded, its values shape everyday life, the local atmosphere, and the rhythm of the region. The philosophy is simple: food should be good, nutritious, clean, and fair to those who produce it and to those who enjoy it. You see it in the way local producers honor tradition, grow with the seasons, and protect the ingredients that give this land its distinctive flavor.

Sit down to lunch at a neighborhood osteria and you’ll taste what it means: ingredients grown with care, cooked simply, and served with quiet pride. Start with Fassona tartare, made from a unique local breed of beef, thinly sliced and seasoned with nothing but salt and high quality Piedmontese olive oil – the flavor is unlike anything you’ve had before. Try the region’s signature pasta, tajarin, made almost entirely with egg yolks and served with butter or freshly shaved truffle. Don’t miss Castelmagno cheese – aged, sharp, deeply aromatic, and just crumbly enough. And of course, the toasted hazelnuts Piedmont is so proud of, they’re unforgettable.

Tuscany is not just a destination – it is a story. A layered story, full of sunlight and depth, told through vineyard rows and weathered hands, written in Sangiovese and sealed with a cork.
For wine lovers, it is not just a region but a kind of pilgrimage. Here, wine is part of every conversation, every breeze drifting through the hills, and every bite of crusty bread dipped in golden olive oil.

If you are ready to go beyond the postcard and into the heart of Tuscany’s wine culture – welcome.
This is your guide to its soul.

The Secret Cellars of Monteriggioni
While many travelers head to the famous estates, Monteriggioni offers something more personal. In this tiny walled town, you can visit historic cellars where winemaking has been passed down through families for generations. Taste limited production Sangiovese alongside homemade pecorino and fresh pressed olive oil, while hearing stories that span decades. This is wine tasting with history you can feel.

When to Plan Your Tuscan Wine Trip
From spring through early fall, Tuscany is at its most beautiful. But September holds something special – it is vendemmia, the grape harvest. The air fills with energy as tractors roll through the vines at sunrise, families share meals after long mornings of picking, and the smell of fermenting grapes lingers in the air.
Join a local “sagra”, one of the seasonal food and wine festivals that celebrate not only the grapes, but the work, community, and quiet traditions behind every bottle. In places like Impruneta or Greve in Chianti, you will find parades, tastings, music, and living traditions that stretch across generations.

At Vinspiration, we believe that one of the best ways to truly connect with a place is through its food. Flavors, scents, colors and ingredients all tell the story of a region’s terroir, climate, and cultural history. We asked our guides to share a culinary experience that left a lasting impression — a dish and a moment they’ll never forget. The kind you dream of recreating, or returning to.

Agnolotti del Plin in Piedmont
By Eviatar Baram

Though I’m a die-hard Francophile, Vinspiration somehow turned me into a full-on Italy guy — and I have no complaints. I’m especially obsessed with one corner of the country: Piedmont, a wine region like no other, where the food and the wine are so intertwined it feels almost surgical. The bold, structured reds of Barolo and Barbaresco demand dishes that can match their depth, acidity, and power — without sacrificing elegance.

If I had to pick just one dish to represent Piedmontese cuisine, it would be agnolotti del plin. The name comes from the local dialect for “pinch” — the way the pasta parcels are sealed. I first encountered them as a waiter in a restaurant in Jerusalem, where they were described to me as “like ravioli, only better.” There, they were filled with ricotta and bryndza cheese, served on spinach cream with dried black olives. The dish was wildly popular.

Years later, on my first wine trip to Piedmont, my partner took me to the source. At a traditional osteria in Alba, we ordered agnolotti filled with a rich ragù of veal, rabbit, and pork, topped with sage brown butter and a generous shaving of fresh white truffle. We ate them every single day for six days straight, but the version we had at Osteria dell’Arco was simply unforgettable. Rustic, intense, and unapologetically true to the region — this dish still wins by a landslide.

Welcome to Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean and one of the most talked-about wine regions in Italy over the past two decades. While Sicily is anything but a “new” wine region—archaeological evidence of winemaking here dates back to 4000 BCE—it has undergone a remarkable renaissance, particularly in the volcanic soils of Mount Etna, where some of Italy’s most exciting wines are being produced today.

Sicily is a world of its own. It has its own history, cuisine, climate, and grape varieties—shaped by a long and layered past of invasions and trade. From the Greeks and Romans to the Arabs and Normans, countless empires left their mark, bringing with them spices, ingredients, and agricultural techniques that still define the island’s character. Take Pasta con le Sarde for example—an iconic Sicilian dish combining sardines, saffron, fennel, and raisins, an unusual blend for Italian cuisine, and a perfect reflection of Sicily’s multicultural heritage.

The island’s climate is ideal for agriculture. It’s dry and sunny for much of the year, which makes it especially favorable for organic grape growing. In fact, many vineyards in Sicily are organic simply by default. Ironically, this same ideal climate nearly destroyed Sicilian winemaking in the late 20th century, when government subsidies encouraged mass production over quality. Ancient low-yielding vines were uprooted to make way for higher-yield, lower-quality grapes meant for bulk wine. The result was a flood of forgettable wines, causing consumers to lose trust in Sicilian labels.

But then came Etna. Around the early 2000s, a new generation of producers began to rediscover the island’s unique terroirs. Old vines were reclaimed. Indigenous grape varieties were celebrated. And Etna, with its dramatic slopes and black volcanic soil, took center stage.

A personalized wine and culinary trip is one of the most enjoyable ways to experience the world. From Portugal, with its diverse wine styles and flavors of the sea, to the refined gastronomy and legendary labels of France, the breathtaking landscapes of South Africa, and the charm of Italy, Greece, and beyond, each destination offers its own blend of sights, aromas, and unforgettable moments.

For lovers of wine, food, and meaningful travel, a wine-focused journey is a dream come true. Sometimes it marks a celebration—a birthday, a family gathering, a professional achievement—or sometimes, it’s simply about celebrating life itself. No matter the reason, thoughtful planning is essential to ensure a relaxing, enriching, and delicious experience.

To help you get started, we’ve gathered our best tips for shaping your next unforgettable trip:

What if you were a grape… which one would you choose?
For me, Tempranillo rules the vine kingdom with confidence and poise, just like a celebrity on the red carpet. Known as Spain’s “noble grape,” Tempranillo ripens early (hence the name), adapts to diverse climates and soils, and dominates almost every vineyard in the country—especially in Ribera del Duero and Rioja. 

Introducing Tempranillo
Tempranillo is celebrated across Spain under many names—Tinta del País, Tinto Fino, Cencibel, Aragonez—but in Ribera del Duero, it truly shines. This region, officially recognized in 1982, has turned Tempranillo into its rock star grape.

Dual Personalities: Ribera del Duero vs. Rioja
Travel two and a half hours from Madrid, and you embark on a journey through Ribera del Duero’s terraced vineyards—across Burgos, Valladolid, Segovia, and Soria—shaped by the Duero River as it flows to Portugal and the Atlantic. Ribera del Duero wines are typically 90–100% Tempranillo, with small additions of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Malbec allowed, and up to 5% of Garnacha or Albillo.

Over the past eight years, Portugal has broken its own record for incoming tourists, year after year.
And it’s not hard to see why: beyond the affordable travel and living costs (especially compared to the rest of Europe), Portugal captivates with its charm—its warm, welcoming people and a rich cultural heritage that reflects centuries-old traditions: breathtaking castles and palaces, ancient villages that feel like time capsules, and a bounty of small, family-run producers still honoring the legacy of generations past.

“If nature had a human personality,” my partner mused on our latest trip there,
“Portugal would be the drama queen of the bunch.” And honestly? She nailed it. Towering waves crash along the coast, endless cork oak forests stretch to the horizon, and vine-covered valleys roll on for miles. Everything is big, bold, and beautiful. And me? As I walked through the vineyard rows, the gentle sound of a nearby stream in the background, I knew I’d be back. Back to this wild and dramatic nature, this time with a group of people who, like me, get emotional about wine. Because wine, more than anything, is Portugal’s way of telling its story.

At Quinta das Bágeiras, Mario—the fourth generation of winemakers in his family—welcomed us with a smile and invited us on a tour of the estate. As we wandered through towers of aging bottles, he told me about the local grape varieties, the traditional winemaking methods of the region, and his personal mission: to craft wines that stay true to his family’s heritage, while still meeting the needs of today’s global market.

As the days went on, a whole world of Portuguese wineries unfolded before me — Grand, modern wineries equipped with cutting edge technology alongside humble, traditional ones, where grapes are still pressed by foot.

For over 3,000 years, wine has been Athens’s social glue – from ancient symposium debates to modern bohemian nights. Today, a new generation of wine bars is redefining the city’s wine culture.
These hotspots mix low intervention Greek vintages, hip neighborhood vibes and global design influences making every glass a story.

Here are four of our handpicked favorites that capture the essence of this vibrant, contemporary Athenian scene.

1. Heteroclito Wine Bar & Bistro

A beloved local cornerstone in Syntagma, Heteroclito helped spark Athens’s natural wine renaissance. Tucked into a bustling alley, it offers a rotating list of 25–30 by the glass labels featuring rare Greek varietals like Assyrtiko, Robola, and amber wines. Intimate seating inside or sidewalk facing pairs perfectly with cheese, cold cuts, and thoughtful conversation.

Fokionos 2, Athens 105 63

2. Warehouse

Set in a former warehouse in a colorful, youthful neighborhood, Warehouse blends industrial-chic design with a dynamic wine list that spans Greek and international picks . Ideal for exploring new varietals, it also dazzles with Italian inspired dishes: think fresh pasta and small plates, that rival the wine in both creativity and flavor.

Valtetsiou 21, Athens 106 8

Florentines are proud people. And really—how could they not be?
When you’re born in Florence, the city of Dante Alighieri, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Niccolò Machiavelli, Galileo Galilei, and so many other artists and thinkers who shaped the world, you can’t help but carry a certain pride. But if there’s one thing the locals are just as proud of, it’s Tuscan cuisine.
One of the most wonderful experiences when visiting Florence, after you’ve wandered through breathtaking works of art, marveled at the architecture and soaked up the city’s rich history, and of course sipped and sampled your way through its flavors is getting out of the city and into the countryside.
A visit to a winery or an olive grove isn’t just a break from the bustle, it’s a true anthropological journey. It’s here that the real connection between the Renaissance capital and its deep-rooted food and wine traditions comes alive.

So what’s more dramatic and intriguing—the breathtaking views of the Douro Valley, or Alvaro (Alvaro Martinho Lopez), known for his playful spirit and one-of-a-kind approach? As our tour booklet put it: “Alvaro has been a viticulturist in the Douro for 25 years, a winemaker for 10, and a passionate philosopher his whole life.” This mischievous genius planted 37 different grape varieties(!) in a single plot.
Go ahead—try pitching that to a winery in the US, Europe, or… wherever you like. And what ends up in your glass? Well, for example: the Mafarrico Tinto (“Cheeky Red”) blend, made from just 5 of those grape varieties—Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão, Touriga Franca, Tinta Amarela, and Tinta Barroca—was bottled by Alvaro without a second thought. Two professional tasters gave it 85 points. What does that mean to him? Absolutely nothing.
He makes his wine—period. To most of the world, that would mean a good entry-level wine. 
So yes—maybe the peak of mischief we encountered on this tour casually delivered medium quality right to our lips. But of course, that’s not the whole story.