Piedmont Wine Tour in HASSELT
That’s right—the final tasting, where I’ll pull out all the stops, is scheduled for November 11, 2026, in Hasselt.
All the producers listed on the flyer will be represented.
My focus will be primarily on the five new wineries I’ve added to my selection that have never been distributed in Belgium before.
There are also new additions from producers such as Montalbera and Cascina Gavetta.
But the top wines from Alto Piemonte (DOCs and DOCGs) will also be featured, including Paride Chiovini with Sizzano and Ghemme, Tenute Sella with Lessona and Bramattera, Podere ai Valloni with , among others, Boca and Peperi, Francesco Brigatti with Ghemme and his internationally renowned Nebbiolos—Mötziflon and Mötfrei— Centovigne with Castellengo, Cantina Fontechiara with their vegan wines, and more…
Where is the event taking place, and when exactly?
You’re welcome to stop by between 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM at the IBIS STYLES HOTEL, located at the following address: Thonissenlaan 52, 3500 Hasselt.
I’ll welcome you with open arms and look forward to sharing with you the wine knowledge I’ve gained over the past 20 years, including a three-year program at the most renowned institute in all of Italy—the Associazione Italiana Sommelier (AIS), Turin branch. Choosing AISItalia’s Turin branch was a natural decision, given that I lived in Piedmont for a total of 7 years (Barolo, Barbaresco, and Zoalengo Monferrato).
Just a side note: as of 2.5 years ago, AISITALIA had trained 40,000 sommeliers—active throughout Italy.
Please note: officially, this isn’t the very last tasting, as we’ll be wrapping up at SIER, located at Onze-Lieve-Vrouwestraat 92, 2800 Mechelen, on December 6, 2026—which is a collaboration, meaning it’s a joint effort between two organizations leveraging each other’s networks to potentially reach new and additional audiences.
Tasting times at SIER: 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Compared to Hasselt, a maximum of 12 wines will be featured here—a stark contrast to our tasting in Brussels on October 24, which featured 95 wines at the buffet.
Perhaps an interesting note… How do my collaborations with mywineriescome about… No, not through Grandi Langhe, the largest Piedmontese wine fair with 500 booths, nor through the massive Vinitaly, but simply through contacts that are incredibly “coincidental.”
Example 1:Paola Oberta. I was living in Cherasco among the vineyards, and about half a year ago I was walking through Umberto Fracassi’s vineyards. The vineyards next to them belong to Paola Oberta. I struck up a conversation with her… The rest is history. After a tasting, the wines arrived in Belgium as early as the end of July but are only now being released to the market.
Example 2: Taverna. I was having lunch at Koki Wine Bar in Barbaresco. They brought me red wine instead of Arneis white wine. So I said, “Just bring that wine over here—I want white wine, Arneis…” The man next to me was the owner of Taverna… We struck up a conversation… One thing led to another. Now I import their wines!
Example 3: Tenute Genevrina. Marco Griglio found me on LinkedIn. He asked, “Do you remember me from when I held the same position at Montalbera? I’m now the export manager at Tenute Genevrina.” We tasted the wines together with eight other fellow sommeliers from AISTorino. The wines—including one Gavi, along with Barberas and Grignolinos—are now here in our warehouse…
My wineries certainly don’t come through the usual channels for most people (trade shows in Italy) or masterclasses in Belgium organized by I Vini del Piemonte & Consorzio Barolo
I’m a maverick in everyday life, and I’m one in business, too!
Benvenuti!!!!
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