I Love Italian Travel - Wine Touring in Piedmont

So you have decided to go to Piedmont in northwestern Italy. You might want to ski the Alps or visit the Olympic city of Turin that perhaps unexpectedly is home to a museum housing one of the world's richest collections of Egyptian art, and a world-class automobile museum. Nearby, on the banks of the Po River you'll find Borgo Medioevale, a faithful representation of a Piedmont village from the Middle Ages.

Piedmont is filled with castles and cathedrals, and the food is delicious. This lovely region once belonged to France and the culinary influence is obvious. Piedmont is also truffle land; you should open your wallet at least once to taste these delicious delicacies.

And there is the wine. Piedmont is home to some of the greatest wines that Italy, or frankly the world, has to offer. They call Barolo "The king of wines and the wine of kings." When it is good it is very, very good. Yes, sometimes it is not that good. Unless you know what you're doing, stay away from too-low priced Barolos. The Turin area itself doesn't offer many well-known wines. But to the southeast you will find literally dozens of fine wines including the DOCGs Asti, Barbaresco, Barolo, Brachetto d'Acqui (a red frizzy or sparkling wine), and Gavi also known as Cortese di Gavi.

Among the recommended, probably lower-priced DOC wines are Barbera d'Alba and Barbera d'Asti. If you aren't a fan of tannins in your red wine you might go for one of the many Dolcettos that some say taste like Beaujolais. To the northeast of Turin you'll find some fine wines including Gattinara DOCG and Ghemme DOCG. Northern Piedmont wines tend not to be as well known as those south of the Po River, so you may find some bargains.

The major red grape varieties grown in the Piedmont are Nebbiolo which found in Barolo, Barbaresco, Gattinara, and Ghemme wines, Barbara, Brachetto, and Dolcetto. The major white varieties are Arneis, Cortese, Erbaluce, Moscato used in Asti, and Chardonnay which is often quite good. If you want my opinion, make sure you taste some of the local whites before trying a Piedmont Chardonnay.

Companies selling wine tours of Piedmont include Alabaster and Clark Wine Tours Worldwide, La Dolce Vita Wine Tours, and Prime Italy, and Select Italy. Piedmont wineries that offer visits include Braida di Giacomo Bologna in Rocchetta Tanaro, Ceretto in Alba, Marchesi di Barolo in Barolo, Renato Ratti in La Morra, and Vietti in Castiglione Falletto.

A few words of warning are in order. Make sure that you check ahead of time for opening hours and whether English is spoken. Some places may charge admission; others may expect you to buy some of their products.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian, French, or other wine, accompanied by the right foods and spend time with his wife and family.

He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Among his many web sites he is particularly proud of his Italian travel site with a special focus on regional food and wine at
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2974426

Television Production - Lesson Twenty-Three, Field Shows, Travel and Europe

Amazing! I sit here amazed at the public television show that I just watched. Today I tuned into Channel 13 (the public broadcasting station that is based in New Jersey. It just happened that a show called Rick Steve's Travel Kit was in mid-session. For an amazing fee (which is a donation to the station), viewers and readers (there are books) can be right there at Rick Steve's side in Europe.

The sites were amazing. Well, since I have never been to Europe, they were amazing sites to me. Sure, I have seen these sites in books, but the way that Rick Steve presented Europe and many other countries, made me feel like I was right there. I felt like I had just got off the plane with Rick and with his camera crew.

This show was a combination of a story about touring through Europe and also a story about touring with a complete field production crew. I loved the part where they discussed pre-production, production and post-production, in the field. That brought back memories of my own television schooling to me. Rick showed the equipment, the cameras, and talked about the process of this production that completed the Rick Steve Europe 101.

Usually, when you watch travel shows, all you get to see is the spotlight on particular well-known sightseeing landmarks, cities or buildings. However with Rick's show that was just on Channel 13, the viewers got a birds-eye view of the pre-production, production and post-production processes, plus the viewer saw amazing historical sites.

The soothing music that accompanied the production was from APM Music Productions, and itt was taped in Europe (and in many other countries). Steve focused on Europe and talked about many other countries. What I loved about the prodcution also was there were no commercials but there were sponsors like Bread for the World.

It was a pleasure to see the equipment, the backgrounds, the sites, the tourists, and the crew (a minimal crew) in this wonderful documentary, a narrated documentary about Europe and other foreign countries (from the viewpoint of being in America). To all newer producers and even to seasoned producers I recommend this show and any similar show that features tours through Europe and other countries.

The learning experience is awesome and most rewarding. For those of you who have been to Europe and the other countries, you will still enjoy this television show on Channel Thirteen from a memory point of view and you can relive your own journies through Europe through Rick Steve's eyes and voice.

Published author, creator of genuine, unique television shows that air on Time Warner and on Cablevision in New York City. A warm-hearted individual who gives a voice to those who have been silent all along. This author produces television shows about almost all topics that help people in their lives.

Many of the shows are entertainment; some are information and resources and still others are festivals, fiestas, and community events that bring all people together in one place in the city or in the country.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1033786