IMPORTANT NEWS FOR THOSE VISITING PIEDMONT IN THE COMING MONTHS

Important news for those visiting Piedmont this the coming months

Before we get to the heart of the problem and how the traveler in Piedmont can apply the solution just a quick story of what is going on NOW.

Since May 22, 2025, I have been traveling through all the wine regions of Piemonte, especially a lot of Alto Piemonte but also the Langhe. Just in that Langhe there is a mega problem going on.

Yesterday I was at Panetteria Cravero in Belgium to buy Grissini's for our tastings. The manager told me that the crowd from when I was still living in Piedmont (from 2012 to 2018) was a crowd that spent well, visited the restaurants, in other words terraces full. Last Sunday, mega numbers of tourists bought a sandwich and coke from him to eat on a bench. This while many seats were still free in the restaurants. Even more many restaurants are closing for evening service, said from the mouth of the owner of Panetteria Cravero. Along the way these days, by the way, I did not see a single Dutch or Belgian license plate.

In Alba, 40 wine producers were present for a tasting on the main streets, event organized by GoWine. I learned through Diego of Molinetto Winery that they sold almost nothing, because simply the public was not there. Neither were the Italians themselves. Most were all in Castagnole delle Lanze with a free tasting instead of the paying ones in Alba with Go Wine.

The current problem in terms of tourists has to do with completely the wrong strategy of the tourism office in Alba. For years they have been focusing their budget only on the period of the White Truffle which goes on from^2nd week of October to^1st week of December 2025.However, after the All Saints holiday no Belgians or Dutch people come to Alba. Roughly speaking, you can say that the public that does consume heavily only has a period of slightly less than two months. Between the end of the first week of November and Pentecost, tourism is very low.

Alba Tourism Office also invested in Cycling tourism. However, those who go on cycling do not drink wine or do not visit restaurants. According to sources also not at night.

But were all the restaurants quasi empty?

This has to do with the new legislation since September 2025 where the conditions at an alcohol control are different. Anyone at 0.80 will have their driver's license taken away, as well as the car in front of the revoked license. Just try to find a cab in Langhe around midnight that you pay double as a result of night. The rates cab in Alba are extremely high.

The restaurants do have a communication with each other when a control is nearby. I noticed this myself when I was March 14, 2025 in restaurant Autentico in Cherasco with a control barely 3 km in Bra. Then the restaurant owner already told me that he barely had 40% of his total capacity and that his colleagues from La Morra, Barolo and Monforte d'Alba also have the same problem. Of course restaurant and hotel owners in Langhe are going to keep their lips tight about the problem.

Yesterday I found in a gas station special testers of alcohol that you pay 4 euros each, single use. So already partly another solution.

Taking into account my experience as a former resident of Cherasco and yet present every three months to test menus, I recommend Monastero Cherasco in downtown Cherasco. Through the facebook page Piemonte Travel, our other small business, you can see photos, among other things. Just a 5 minute walk away there are 3 very nice restaurants notably Trentatre, Autentico and Osteria della Torre. We have agreed with all of them that as an end customer you don't pay more than you would book yourself. So at Monastero Cherasco, Trentatre, Autentico and Osteria della Torre, so you go to the table with peace of mind, you can enjoy the wine à volonté and you don't have to be afraid of a check that, according to insiders, goes on only in the evening.

More info? Email me at sales@piemontetravel.eu or check out the website www.piemontetravel.eu

However today, last day of my tour, I can't handle any emails.

Photo accompanying article: interior of restaurant Trentatre in Cherasco