Posted 11.30.13 / Regional Menus

New Regional Menu – Piemonte

Bordered by Switzerland and France, the region of Piemonte is located in the northwestern corner of Italy. The region often falls off the radar to foreign tourists who prefer classic spots like Venice, Rome and Florence. But Piemonte, home to the Slow Food’s University of Gastronomic Sciences, is a progressive region that has taken a stand against GMOs all the while honouring tradition and locally produced fare. From the revered white truffle of Alba to its wide array of antipasti, Piemonte offers a treasure trove of flavours when it comes to setting the stage for a meal.

Some traditional antipasti include bagna cauda (raw vegetables served with a heated sauce of garlic and anchiovies, olive oil and butter for dipping), fonduta

(Piemontese version of cheese fondue), vitello tonnato (veal with tuna sauce), tonno di conglio (marinated rabbit cooked until it’s tender as tuna) and insalata di carne cruda (minced raw meat similar to a tartare)

With its rolling hills dotted by vineyards, Piemonte is a wine lover’s paradise producing Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbara and Dolcetto wines.

The Nebbiolo grape grows exceptionally well in the Langhe hills around Alba. Each Barolo or Barbaresco made here is named after a village within its production zone. These famous full-bodied reds aren’t everyday wines though. At the dinner table you’ll find Dolcetto, which is often compared to Beaujolais although it’s drier and more tannic than the French wine.

While most wines of Piemonte are reds, there are a few whites: Gavi, a very dry wine made from the Cortese grape and what is called “white Nebbiolo” or “liquid gold” Arneis, a dry to medium dry wine made from the ancient Arneis grape.