ENJOY A TASTE OF ITALY -HUNT FOR TRUFFLES & SAVOUR REGIONAL RECIPES

Take a tablespoon of local knowledge, add a dash of undiscovered gastronomic destinations, stir in the only food and wine tour exclusive to the region of Piedmont, and what do you get? A unique food and wine experience that will satisfy all five senses and take groups to locations other operators don’t go to. Page & Moy (0800 043 0234, www.pageandmoy.com) offer four dynamic and diverse gastronomic trips taking in the best of Italy. Groups can choose from mouth-watering itineraries to Tuscany, Piedmont and Northern Italy which all include sampling and wine-tasting sessions, plus fabulous excursions around each region.

Jo Shield, Italy Product Specialist at Page & Moy said: “Page & Moy take groups on a true gastronomic experience, which not only involves sampling the local food of a region, but also visiting the local farmers and producers. For example, Amaretti biscuits and hazelnuts are a speciality of the Piedmont region – our 8-day trip takes groups to visit the local producers. We also showcase the best wines of a region, enjoy numerous wine tastings and trips to local vineyards - all while soaking up the best sights and basking in the glorious Italian sunshine. ”

PIEDMONT – GASTRONOMIC KING OF ITALY: EIGHT DAYS FROM £799

Page & Moy is the only UK tour operator offering food and wine tours of Piedmont. This undiscovered jewel in Italy’s crown is home to some of the country’s great red wines and the celebrated Slow Food Movement – an organisation that promotes a return to traditional methods of cooking and food production. The tour features visits to the wine producing villages of Barbaresco, Serralunga and Monfort with tastings in the castle at Barolo and prestigious Contratto Cantina. Groups will also make visits to small local producers responsible for specialities such as Amaretti biscuits, hazelnuts, cheeses and Cavalotti red wine. Highlights include a hunt for the black and rare white truffle, plus a day at the founding estate in Pollenzo learning about the Slow Food Movement.

The 8-day tour of Piedmont costs from £799 per person and includes 7-nights accommodation on a half-board basis at the delightful 4-star hotel Tenuta la Romana near the historic town of Nizza Monferrato, dinner on two evenings in a local restaurant, return British Airways flights from Gatwick to Turin, transfers, several excursions and the services of an experienced Page & Moy food expert. Departures in September and October.

Ingredients

• 1/2 litre of milk,
• 200 grams of dry 'amaretti' biscuits
• 50 grams of bitter chocolate
• 200 grams of fine sugar
• 5 eggs

Making it

• Warm the milk and melt the biscuits in the liquid.
• In a separate bowl, combine the chocolate, sugar and eggs.
• Add the two mixtures together and place in the oven at 200°c for about 40 minutes.
• Serve with a sprinkling of 'amaretti' crumbs left over and enjoy!

A TASTE OF TUSCANY: EIGHT DAYS FROM £799

Brought to groups in association with Laithwaite’s, the UK’s leading home delivery wine merchant, the 8-day ‘Taste of Tuscany’ tour is designed for lovers of great vintages. Each visit to a winery or vineyard is designed to expose groups to the best bottles of wine Tuscany has to offer and will include visits to vineyards in Montacino, Pienza and Montepulciano. The tour also includes excursions to Florence and Siena where groups will have the opportunity to taste local dishes and specialities at some of Tuscany’s finest restaurants. Accommodation is in the quaint town of San Quirico d’Orcia, renowned for the quality of its country-style cuisine, which is sure to leave groups hungering for more.

The 8-day ‘Taste of Tuscany’ tour costs from £799 per person and includes 7-nights accommodation on a half-board basis at the charming 3-star Hotel Casanova, return British Airways flights from Gatwick to Pisa, transfers, numerous excursions and the services of an experienced Page & Moy food expert. Departures in September and October.

INGREDIENTS:

• 400 grams of Fusilli shaped pasta
• one clove of garlic
• a large handful of basil
• 150 grams of fresh Tuscan Pecorino cheese cut into small cubes
• one tin of tomatoes
• grated salty Ricotta
• olive oil
• butter
• salt
• pepper

HOW TO MAKE IT:

• Finely chop the garlic together with the basil before frying it with the oil and butter in a pan on a low heat. Don’t overcook.
• Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste, and cook for a very brief time to allow the tomatoes to retain their flavour.
• Boil the pasta in salty water.
• When just the other side of 'al dente', drain and throw into the pan with the tomato sauce.
• Add the Pecorino cheese.
• Toss and turn the pasta and sprinkle with the Ricotta
• Add the remaining basil leaves for a final touch. Delicious!

A TASTE OF NORTHERN ITALY: EIGHT DAYS FROM £799

One thing groups definitely need to learn when travelling through Northern Italy is the toast ‘Mandi’, which is the traditional toast before each meal in the region of Friuli. Groups will be toasting often on this 8-day tour that begins in the historic town of Bassano del Grappa, home to the famous ‘digestivo’ of the same name. From here, groups can wander through the scenic splendour of Padua where the 18th-century Villa Sceriman hosts groups for a wine tasting accompanied by local specialties such as salami and cheese. Groups will voyage down the White Wine Road, a scenic route that meanders along the foothills of the Dolomites passing vineyards famed for their production of the local sparkling white wine, Prosecco. Friuli is up next where stops include a wine tasting at a stunning villa and opportunities to sample the dried porcini mushrooms of the region.

The 6-day ‘Taste of Northern Italy’ tour costs from £799 per person and includes 2-nights accommodation on a half-board basis and 5-nights on a bed and breakfast basis, plus one lunch at the 4-star Hotel Belvedere or 4-star Hotel Palladio, return British Airways flights from Gatwick to Venice, transfers, numerous excursions and wine tastings and the services of an experienced Page & Moy food expert. Departures in September and October.

INGREDIENTS:

• Ten slices of tender smoked ‘nostrano’ salami
• One large onion finely chopped
• Two spoonfuls of white wine vinegar
• Olive oil
• Polenta

HOW TO MAKE IT:

• Fry the onion gently in the olive oil.
• When the onion has turned a fine gold colour, add the salami slices and cook on the same heat for a further few minutes
• Add the white wine vinegar and cook until the vinegar has evaporated.
• Serve hot with a plate of steaming polenta

For further information contact…

Andrea Mason, Page & Moy. 01858 410 018, amason@pageandmoy.com