Piemonte

I wasn’t expecting to be posting about Piemonte… Judah and I were going to ski Chamonix and Courmayour for his winter break. And then he busted up his toe so we had to pivot. But when life gives you limoni you make limonata.

My biggest take away from Piemonte is that they proudly yet quietly vie for not only the top food region in Italy, but perhaps the top lifestyle region in Italy. Let me explain.

A handful of dishes mark Piemontese cuisine, including: agnolotti, tajarin, brasato, grissini, white truffles of alba, and everything hazelnut - including Nutella. That alone is a world-class menu, but add in wines (Barolo, Asti, Barbaresco, Barbera), plus amazing cheeses, coffee (Espresso machine was invented in Turin + Lavazza is there) and Bra, home to the Slow Food Movement, and it’s hard to imagine a more culinarily significant place.

So, let’s get into it. Emilia-Romagna typically comes to mind and is often cited as the food capital of Italy. For good reason. I mean, Parmigiano and prosciutto alone give Parma an edge over anywhere else. Add in tortellini, tagliatelle, culatello, mortadella, bolognese, and lasagna and you’ve just climbed the Mt. Everest of Italian cuisine. But… ER doesn’t quite have the wine or dolci credentials to give you a complete meal. If you’re looking at the entire experience, while I would admit ER takes the individual titles, I think I’d give the culinary all-around to Piemonte.

But why compete? The provinces are only a short distance apart. You CAN have both.

I mentioned that Piemonte could be the top region in Italy for lifestyle. I live in San Francisco because it affords access. We have Lake Tahoe, Big Sur, Napa, Sonoma and countless other natural wonders within a short drive. Well, in Piemonte, you have the Alps, the Italian Riviera, wine country and big cities plus countless intriguing villages, all an easy drive. Spain and France are also within a few hours.

To me, Piemonte is the perfect slice of Italian life. The only thing that keeps me from moving there right now is that I don’t do cold weather (unless skiing). So, perhaps a warm-season retirement community? Who’s with me?