Tortona

Baci di dama, meaning lady's kisses, are traditional hazelnut butter cookies with a layer of chocolate-hazelnut spread sandwiched between them. They originated in pastry shops in Tortona, Piedmont (famous for its hazelnuts), in the second half of the 19th century. The name of these cooki... Read more

Fragola di Tortona is an Italian strawberry variety originating from Tortona, hence the name. These strawberries are not much larger than raspberries in size. They are highly perfumed and fragrant, with a delicate and sweet flavor. The strawberries are grown on the hills surrounding Tortona, and ... Read more

Krumiri are typical Piemontese cookies dating back to 1870, when they were invented by a confectioner named Domenico Rossi. These handmade cookies are made with a combination of fresh eggs, flour, sugar, butter, and vanilla. When the texture becomes just right, the combination is left to breathe ... Read more

Often regarded as a French dish, chicken Marengo is believed to have been created in honor of Napoleon's victory at the battle of Marengo, Italy in June 1800. According to one of the legends, after the battle, in one of the local country taverns in Marengo, Napoleon was served chicken with mushro... Read more

This simple, rustic Italian cake hails from Monferrato, the hilly area near Asti. It's usually made with apples, pumpkin, sugar, chocolate, rum, eggs, amaretti, and dried figs, although there are numerous recipes for this cake. Due to the fact that it contains no flour, once baked, the cake is so... Read more

Corzetti is a variety of Italian pasta prepared in the shape of a disc, consisting of flour, egg yolks, white wine, and water. The pasta is usually stamped with decorative patterns and symbols which help in holding the sauces. In the past, corzetti were stamped with Genovese family crest... Read more

This prized Italian wine is produced exclusively from the Cortese grape variety in the Province of Alessandria. The unique climate conditions and mineral-rich soil where the grapes are grown contribute to the exceptional quality of Cortese di Gavi wines. The best examples are fr... Read more

Timorasso is a native grape from Piedmont that is nowadays mostly planted in Alessandria. The grape was on the verge of extinction, but now it makes some of the most exciting Italian wines. The wines produced from Timorasso are full-bodied, high in acidity, and have good aging potential.... Read more

Marocchino, which is occasionally known as vetrino, is an Italian coffee variety that originated in Piedmont. It consists of a shot of espresso that is sprinkled with cocoa and then topped with frothed milk. Usually, the milk is then also dusted with cocoa powder. The origin of ... Read more

Brachetto d’Acqui is an Italian appellation located in Piedmont, in the provinces of Asti and Alessandria. All the wines are produced with the local Brachetto grape, and they come in several styles, including still red wine that can be lightly fizzy, as well as sparkling spuman... Read more

Asti Spumante is a fully sparkling wine produced under Asti DOCG appellation. It is made from Moscato Bianco grapes and most commonly by Charmat method, in which fermentation takes place in pressurized tanks. If it is made using the traditional method, where the wine undergoes a second f... Read more

This ruby red wine is produced in the provinces of Asti and Alessandria in Piedmont. The wine must be made with a minimum of 85% of Barbera grapes, while the rest may be made up with Freisa, Grignolino, and Dolcetto. Barbera del Monferrato is typically medium-bodied and comes as a dry, s... Read more

Ovada is an Italian appellation located in Alessandria that produces complex and concentrated red wines exclusively from Dolcetto, a variety that is locally known as Uva di Ovada (the Ovada grape). The appellation was once a part of the DOC appellation, but it was established as a separa... Read more

These sparkling wines fall under the larger Brachetto d’Acqui appellation—a wine region located in Piedmont (provinces of Asti and Alessandria) that produces wine with the local Brachetto grape. Sparkling Brachetto wines are produced with a Charmat method in which the second ... Read more

Produced in the provinces of Asti and Alessandria in Piedmont, these raisin wines belong to a larger Brachetto d’Acqui appellation. They are made with Brachetto grapes and with the passito method—in which the grapes are dried before they are made into wine. The proce... Read more