Alba, Italy
You may have never heard of Alba, a town of 31,000 in Italy’s Piedmont region, but most likely you have heard of Nutella. Indeed, the founder of the company that makes that creamy, chocolaty, hazelnutty spread was born in Alba, and the original factory is still there. And thanks to an abundance of hazelnut trees in the area, numerous proprietors around town continue to make and sell their own delicious versions that are popular with the locals.
Wine aficionados, however, may also be interested in the vineyards and wineries in the Langhe hills
(a UNESCO World Heritage site) surrounding the town, where the Nebbiolo grape is crafted into two of the world’s great wines, Barolo and Barbaresco.
But the area is also ground zero for a certain highly sought-after tuber sniffed out by specially trained dogs, and fetching up to $300 an ounce, making Alba the White Truffle Capital of the World.
Oh, and if that’s not enough, Alba boasts its own Michelin 3 star restaurant. In other words, this small town you may have never heard of sure packs a powerful culinary punch!
Alba is 2 hours by car and 3 1/2 hours by train from Milan’s Malpensa airport, your likely arrival destination. Ideally, you want your apartment to be in Alba’s old city center.
While the town is walkable with plenty to do, we enjoyed having a rental car to take a few side trips into the surrounding countryside.
But There is More to Alba Than Just It's Culinary Charms
Traffic-free streets offer a nice mix of high-end and family-run stores for shopping, and Saturdays feature a huge flea market spread throughout the town.
There are annual music and film festivals, as well as regular events at the Ferrero Foundation Auditorium (the same “Ferrero” family that gives us Ferrero Rocher and Nutella). You can climb one of the remaining city towers that were built for defensive purposes in the 14th century, tour Alba Underground to discover remains from Roman times, and visit Alba’s main cathedral and the historic Church of San Domenico.
Good Food and Good Wine, However, are Abundant in This Area
According to Frances Mayes, author of Under the Tuscan Sun, “All of Piedmont is known for the
pleasure of the table.”
Foodies may know that the Slow Food Movement was born in the nearby town of Bra, with the goal of preserving traditions and informing the food trade throughout the Piedmont region. Ask a local to recommend one or two nice restaurants in town, and you will find a good sampling of either rustic or
elegant cuisine.
The twice-weekly Alba farmer’s market will provide produce for meals you can create in your own kitchen when not dining out. At the very least you should buy two regional pastas to boil up in your own
pot — Tajarin and Agnolotti — which will be difficult to find anywhere else in Italy. Prepared meals are also available for when you don’t want to linger too long in the kitchen.
Several wine shops and wine bars (enotecas) educate visitors on the local offerings. And for a more personal experience, ask the visitor information office to schedule an appointment to visit a local family-owned winery for a tour and tasting. As in much of Italy, such an appointment is required (it’s also good manners).
And if You're in Alba During Truffle Season . . .
Early October through early December are typically the best times for hunting the tartufi bianchi, or white truffle. Those dates, therefore, coincide with various events of the International Alba White Truffle Fair.
If you visit in late November like we did, the main events and crowds will be gone, but there will still be enough truffle hunters to sell you a (small) specimen of the aromatic tuber, and enough truffles still available to be shaved over your soup or pasta in restaurants (see video).
But be warned: it’s not the same as when a waiter generously spoons parmesan cheese over your spaghetti. A truffle is weighed before and after it is shaved over your food, and you are charged for how many precious grams were used. If you get carried away and keep asking the waiter for more, you could end up blowing your whole vacation budget!
Waiter shaving a truffle onto some dishes at a local restaurant
Our Experience
- After two days in Milan, we rented a car and drove the two hours to Alba, mostly on highways. The renovated apartment in a century’s-old building where we stayed came with its own parking spot and was just off one of the main pedestrian streets.
- When we weren’t cooking our own meals, we enjoyed a few very nice restaurants. At one small out-of-the-way place recommended to us (Osteria Dei Sognatori), we arrived to find all the tables full with what seemed like loyal local customers. The owner, feeling sorry for us, said to come back the next night at a certain time. That following evening he remembered us, and served us not from a menu but with dishes they prepared from whatever was fresh and available that day over many different courses, including a complimentary glass of Grappa at the end. The unfamiliar dishes were a special and delicious sampling of Piemontese cuisine, and with dessert and a carafe of wine, the bill came to only 49 euros.
And no, we did not try the Michelin 3 star restaurant. Maybe next time??
- Near the main piazza we toured the Beppe Fenoglio Study Center dedicated to one of Alba’s own who took part in the town’s resistance movement against the Fascists in World War II. That movement inspired Fenoglio to become a writer and to chronicle those experiences in several novels. I recall fondly the pride the English-speaking guide had in showing us the writings and photographs of that local patriot.
- We made two side trips by car: one to the nearby town of Asti for their popular food and clothing market; another to the charming Cascina delle Rose winery for a tasting of their Barbaresco wines.
After we arrived at the winery at our appointed time, Riccardo and his father spent an hour and a half showing us the vineyards, the cellar, and providing a lengthy tasting — all for free. Being treated like VIPs after making the required appointment has been typical of all our visits to Italian wineries. And so far, all our tours and tastings have been free, with never any pressure to make a purchase, although we typically buy a bottle or two to show our appreciation. Besides, the wine is always good!
- During an early evening walk on a pedestrian-only street, we found ourselves suddenly surrounded by a large crowd of townspeople as if a concert or movie had just let out. Only later did we realize we had taken part in our first passeggiata, the traditional pre-dinner stroll common in Italy.
- We continue to find the Italians we meet to be very friendly, and the owner of our apartment was no exception. Because she felt sorry we had to endure several rainy days in Alba during our stay, she insisted that we not pay the full amount of the rent!
Our Live-Like-a-Local Criteria Rating:
We hope one day you get to “live like a local” in this town or another one like it.
For more on Alba, go here.