Italy 2026 - Day 6, Alba, Barbaresco, Piedmont
Day 6 | 10 September 2026
Weather: A noticeably cooler day, with plenty of clouds and the occasional patch of blue sky. Quite a welcome change after several hot summer days.
Day 6 was a slower one, centred around Alba, a town that already felt a little more personal to us. This is where Simone and Michelle studied, and also where Yvette comes for her regular marketing, so instead of feeling like we were simply visiting another Piedmont town, we were seeing a small part of their everyday life.
We started with breakfast at FuocoFarina. The pastries were excellent, but what interested me even more was the bread. The chef mills and prepares his own flour, and you could taste the difference. Good bread has become something of a recurring theme on this trip, and I am definitely not complaining.
From there, we wandered through Alba’s market and old town. Cobbled streets, colourful flags, small shops and cafés made it very easy to stroll without any particular agenda. Sometimes those are the best mornings on holiday.
Lunch was at Osteria Taste. The food was enjoyable, but the real star was the view. Sitting there looking across the vineyards and rolling hills of Piedmont, it was one of those moments when you suddenly stop talking and simply stare. Wine country does that to you.
At 3pm, we joined a guided tour and Spumante tasting at Bosca in nearby Canelli. The historic underground cellars were genuinely impressive, with their brick vaults and long passages lined with bottles. The atmosphere underground was almost theatrical. The tasting itself, however, felt rather commercial to us compared with the more personal winery experiences we had enjoyed so far. Still, it was interesting to see another side of Piedmont’s wine industry.
By late afternoon, we were very happy to head back to Tenuta dei Fiori, put our feet up and recharge before dinner. After several days of driving, tasting, eating and talking, even professional holidaymakers occasionally need a rest.
