Posted by Rowena Dumlao Rowena Dumlao - Giardina 6/11/2020

Villa Tiboldi in Piedmont: Malvirà Wines, Gastronomy and Vineyards

Villa Tiboldi presents its guests a breathtaking view of neatly combed rows of grape vines in the vast soft green hills of Roero. A walk from where you parked to the hotel and restaurant is just a preview of what is yet to open up at the main house. There is a sprawling terrace with large umbrellas giving shade to the tables in the outdoor dining area. It overlooks the hotel's swimming pool amidst the tidy queues of vineyards in Canale. More tables with comfortable wicker armchairs are strategically placed to best enjoy the outstanding surroundings.

Located amidst rolling hills, it is set in a complex built in the 18th century composed of a manor house, barn and sharecropper's house. In 2003 it was converted into a small elegant hotel by the Damonte brothers, Massimo and Roberto, owners of Malvirà Winery located nearby. Ten rooms, a swimming pool, garden, a restaurant and a sea of vineyards make up Villa Tiboldi, an open area of elegance where some of the best wines of Italy are born. In fact, even Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, chose to sojourn here for three months in 2006 on the occasion of the Turin Olympics.

Then there is the restaurant carrying the same name of the villa. Refined but still reminiscent of its old past, the dining room spreads out on the ground floor of the main house built with brick and wood ceiling

and stone and wooden flooring while the tables are covered in white linen. On warm days, the outdoor dining area is the best place to dine to absorb the food, wine and the picturesque views. The kitchen is in the hands of Luca Cuttica, the former sous chef of Davide Palluda of Michelin-starred Ristorante All'Enoteca in Canale, Piedmont. He presents Piedmontese traditional dishes and an interesting adventure into more creative and technical representations of gastronomy with which he uses raw materials that are locally sourced from small quality producers.

The menu presents classics as well as interesting creations of the chef, most often highlighting the specialties of the Piedmont region. Appetizers are at €14, pasta and risotto dishes at €15, main courses at €20, desserts at €8 and a platter of local cheese selection at €15 which is highly recommendable for Piedmont is a big producer of excellent cheeses. There are two kinds of tasting menus: the Menu della Tradizione at €42 or €59 if you want to pair the dishes with 3 kinds of Malvirà wines. Vitello tonnato, homemade agnolotti pasta with meat sauce, breaded fassona veal fillet and dessert or cheese selection can take you to a delicious Piedmontese culinary tour in one sitting. Whereas with the Menu Degustazione at €52, you get to know the personal choices of the chef as he prepares five courses. If you choose the tasting menu with the wine pairing of three Malvirà wines, it costs €69 while four glasses is at €74. The wine cellar, carrying more than 500 bottles, not only offers their own production of Malvirà wines but also a broad selection from different important producers of the region like Barolo, Barbaresco, Arneis, Roero and Barbera which their sommelier can help in choosing.