By Sadie Darby

With one panoramic sweep, your gaze flits across the snow-covered Alps
of Northern Italy and Switzerland, to ancient walled villages perched atop
vine-covered hills, and in the foreground, fields of rice flanking the
many rivers of the Po Valley. And so our gastronomic tour of
the wine country of Piedmont and Turin begins!

On the flatlands of the valley, the Po River and her tributaries run west to cast across Northern Italy. Corn, sugar beet, a myriad of vegetables, flowers, and fruit and nut trees line the rivers and roadways. Arborio and carnarole rice, the prerequisitc ingredient in risotto, is cultivated by the riverbanks. Hazelnut of POG status (the food appellation equivalent of DOC for wine) find their way into locally produced chocolate, nougat, spread and desserts. In the 19th century, the Turin artisan Michel Prochet combined hazelnut flour and chocolate to produce the meltingly smooth gianduja found in so many Piedmontese confections. Lime, chestnut, acacia, sunflower, dandelion, lavender and millefiori honeys are mixed with toasted hazelnuts and chestnuts - delicious drizzled over gelati as well as your morning toast. A stroll down the narrow streets of Asti, Alba, Bra or any of the picturesque towns of northern Italy offers a multitude of small shops dedicated to cheese, truffles, vinegars (an aged balsarnico which cost $250 in Canada was $100 in Asti), olive oils, dry and fresh pastas, gelati and chocolates.

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The most famous of Piedmont's contributions to the world of gastronomy is the fabled truffle. Both black and white truffles grown underground and are hunted with the aid of highly trained truffle hounds. Long reputed to be an aphrodisiac, truffles have been found to contain steroid compounds similar to sex hormones, with the white variety have the greater concentration.

The lumpy surfaced black truffle is available year-round. Sold both fresh and preserved, it is readily available in restaurants and for sale in specialty shops. Restaurateurs of the area have devised many exciting and delicious ways to enjoy this delicacy. Very rare, and much more expensive, is the smoother surfaced white truffle. Only in season from October to December and best eaten raw, the white truffle is intensely fragrant. Mushroom, honey, straw, garlic and damp earth are the aromas of a healthy specimen. The exact location of the harvest is known only to the truffle hunters (trifulao). Harvesting is done at night to ensure the secrecy of sites where the tuber has been previously found. There is a synergistic relationship between the mushrooms and the roots of chestnut, lime, oak and various other trees.

Every October the Truffle Fair in Alba celebrates cultural and folk events. When the air becomes heavy with truffle aromas, gastronomes from around the globe gather to enjoy the much anticipated truffle feast. Unfortunately, attempts at truffle cultivation have been unsuccessful. This will almost certainly guarantee the continued mysticism surrounding the harvesting and also the pricing of the delicacy.

If you are looking for a wonderful lunch or dinner in truffle country near Barbaresco, try the internationally famous Ristorante La Contea in Nieve. Request a table by an open window and enjoy the breezes while sipping from the restaurant's cellar.

Amiable chef/owner Tortino's 'Timballo primaverile tartufato', an ethereal, truffled spinach soufflé under a layer of tender custard, napped with a hazelnut cream sauce, is a symphony on the palate. Coda de vitello Piedmontese brasato al Barbaresco is gently braised Piedmont calf tail in a rich barbaresco sauce. A bottle of the same Barbaresco is the perfect accompaniment to this superb dish.

While visiting Nieve, drop into the village enoteca where over 80 area wineries are represented. In fact most of the wine regions have similar enotecas, making the ideal one-stop tasting labs for wine lovers looking to get a fix on regional wine character.

A Sidetrip to Turin
Even if visiting Piedmont primarily for its wine, take a day or two to visit Turin, a fast 70 kilometers to the north-east of Alba. Turin, or Torino, is the first Italian capital after the Unification of 1861 and Piedmont's largest city. Turin's history spans over 2,000 years as a major European city in technology, art, culture, entertainment and gastronomy. An outstanding view of Turin and the Alps to the north can be enjoyed from the viewing platform of the Mole Antonelliana di Torino. The miter-shaped tower of The Mole has been adopted at the emblem of Turin. Originally intended as a synagogue, when the tower's construction costs became too costly, the Jewish community gave the site to the city. Now transformed into the National Museum of Cinema with 3,200 square meters of displays on five levels. the tower is a must-see for everyone interest in film.

The museum has acquired examples of the first moving images up to the most recent films. Having 7,000 film titles in it's library; 9,000 works of art (paintings and old prints), 125,000 photographic documents and much, much more, The Mole is considered to be of world importance in the film arts. Presentations are both interactive and captivating. Don't try to rush through! The cafes of Turin are famous for a piping hot beverage made with coffee, chocolate and cream. The coffee is espresso, the chocolate is thick, rich and smooth, the cream is cool and lightly whipped. This concoction is called 'bicerin' and is best enjoyed in a small historical coffee shop of the same name. A bicerin is the perfect fortifier before a day of shopping at Europe's largest outdoor market, Porta Palazzo. Located in Piazza della.

Republica, the market offers a myriad of fruits, vegetables, flowers, fish, crustaceans, meats, cheese, breads, sweets-any and every comestible one's heart could ever desire. Live chickens, ducks and pigeons are crated beside canaries and budgies. Clothes hang from makeshift racks, cheek to cheek with pots, shoes, dishes, espresso makers, perfume-all for sale amid riotous colours and non-stop bustle. Thankfully, enormous, sturdy shopping bags are also available for only a few dollars.

After a morning of heavy-duty shopping, visit Caffe Baratti in Piazzi Castello for a well deserved lunch. Opened in the late 19th century, Baratti offers traditional regional specialties as well as light lunches. Try a selection of 'tramezzino' - tiny, lighter than-air sandwiches and don't forget the dessert tray.