Palas Cerequio Wine Resort in Piedmont
True story: we planned and cancelled at least 3 trips to Palas Cerequio before we finally made it there. (Spoiler alert: This experience was worth waiting for and we’ll be back.) Palas Cerequio is a wine resort in the heart of Piedmont. Piedmont is in northern Italy and is most famous for Barolo wines. (That’s how we found out about it!) Our reasons for canceling our previous trips ranged for the legitimate (so much work), to the questionable (what if the internet isn’t great?), to the absurd (we’ve never been before).
Now that we have visited Piedmont, we know we’ll be back. Piedmont feels more rustic and has a slower pace than Tuscany. There are things about it that remind me of Umbria and the Veneto wine region, but ultimately it’s different and special in its own right. The people are lovely, the landscape is beautiful, and the food and wine is divine!
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Getting to Palas Cerequio Barolo Resort
To get to Piedmont, we flew into Milan (MXP) by connecting through London. I really wanted to (finally) see The Last Supper and stay at the Park Hyatt Milan. We spent two nights in Milan before picking up a car at Milano Centrale and driving to La Morra. We left around noon and arrived around 2:30pm. The drive was super easy. The resort will provide GPS directions to get you to La Morra, and turn-by-turn instructions to get to the resort. If you don’t follow those instructions, Google maps will take you on a much tougher route. It is very difficult to visit many of the Piedmont wine resorts without a car, so you should plan to drive in Italy if you want to visit this area.
As I mentioned, Piedmont reminded me a lot of the area around Villa Cordevigo in the Veneto. (La Morra, the closest village, reminded us of some of the small towns in Istria near the Meneghetti wine resort.) What I love about Palas Cerequio is that it is on top of a hill and you can see vineyards all around you. I imagine its absolutely breathtaking during the harvest season, but I found it to be lovely in the slow season as well.
Who Will Enjoy Visiting Piedmont?
If you like good food and wine, you’ll love Palas Cerequio and Piedmont. Similarly, if you don’t mind a slower pace, you’ll love Palas Cerequio. This is not a resort where you will schedule every minute of your day. In fact, we found a lot of comfort in the ability to take it slow – both on our walks and on the roads. If you don’t mind navigating the world with a little less English and a lot more Italian, you’ll love Piedmont.
I think it’s important to stress that Piedmont is very different than Tuscany. Both regions of Italy produce outstanding wines. They are both beautiful in their own right. Piedmont feels more rustic though. It reminds me more of Umbria. Palas Cerequio reminds me a lot of Roccafiore wine resort in terms of of its simplicity. It is NOT Castiglion del Bosco in Montalcino. The Tuscan hotels and resorts we’ve stayed at have been far more upscale. Piedmont feels close to the ground, and it’s lovely. Many things about Palas Cerequio remind me of a Relais and Chateaux resort because of its focus on local, authentic flavors and experiences.
The Cannubi Room at Palás Cerequio
We traveled to Palas Cerequio in off season, and I think we might have been the only people staying there at the time. Since we tend to like to visit wineries in Italy and don’t usually spend a lot of time in the room, I booked one of the smallest junior suites in the original building. Roberto kindly upgraded us to the Cannubi room, which was a true suite. In addition to having a separate bedroom, living room, and bathroom, our suite also included a private steam shower! I loved the clawfoot bathtub and the antique chandeliers. Our room reminded me a bit of the Monastero di Cortona or Palazzo Carletti in Montepulciano with a mix of high-end finishes and traditional Italian design elements.
For me, one of the biggest wildcards with traveling somewhere new is whether the bed is going to be good. (My hip problems have not subsided, and my pain gets MUCH worse when I don’t sleep.) The bed at Palas Cerequio was lovely and the linens were very nice. There were pillows with a variety of firmness available, which is always a luxury when traveling. I loved the large towels, and they did provide robes and slippers in the room, which is useful if you want to use the pool! The water pressure in the shower was good and there was plenty of hot water to enjoy the soaking tub. The bath amenities were Grown Alchemist for Palas Cerequio.
While I know we don’t like to think about work on vacation, I do have to note that the internet was very good at Palas Cerequio, and I had no issues with my mandatory zoom meetings. (The reason I can travel is because I work while I’m gone. I never lose sight of this luxury.)
In additional to the traditional rooms and suites in the original winery building, they also have a more modern building with more minimalist and streamlined design. They offer large windows overlooking the vineyards and the resort. As with most small hotels in Italy, if you feel strongly about a specific room, view, or amenity, book it. I’m never disappointed when I choose the right room for me.
Wine Tasting at Palas Cerequio Barolo CRU Resort
Although it’s highly unlike that you’re going to find many of Michele Chiarlo’s wines at Total Wine and More, many of their wines are very highly rated and sought after. One of the things we found unique is that you can try (and buy!) a variety of Barolo wines at Palas Cerequio.
As such, we did three different tastings with Gabriel over the course of our stay at Palas Cerequio. Gabriele was able to guide us through the basics of Piedmont wines. After our first tasting, he was able to recommend specific CRUs based on our preferences and feedback. He was truly so knowledgable and our experience in Piedmont was definitely made better by spending so much time with him.
As a reminder, many wine tastings in Italy are by appointment only. This is especially true in Piedmont. While we had a list of wineries that we had planned tastings at for our previous trips, we opted to slow down and just enjoy the resort.
The other wineries in Piedmont we planned to visit previously were Cascina Sot, Azienda Agricola Costa di Bussia, and Agricola Brandini.
Michele Chiarlo Wine Tasting
The first wine tasting at Palas Cerequio included a selection of Michele Chiarlo’s wines, including Gavi di Gavi Rovereto (white), Nizza Cipressi (red), Barbaresco Reyna (red), Barolo Tortoniano (red), Barolo Cerequio (red), and Barolo Cerequio Riserva (red). This was a GREAT introduction to the wines of Piedmont because we were basically only knowledgable about the Barbaresco and the Barolo wines.
I find Michele Chiarlo to be some of the most delicate wines from the area. You can truly taste all of the flavors and the perfumes were unbelievable. I loved the Gavi, and I ordered it at the restaurant later that night. I’m disappointed that we didn’t buy some of the Nizza to bring home. We really loved all of the Barolos, though I found the Riserva we tried to be next level. The Barbaresco and the Tortoniano were great wines that would be good for a nice dinner when you don’t want to splash out on wine.
Barolo Cerequio Wine Tasting
So, one thing we didn’t now when we booked Palas Cerequio is that Cerequio is a specific vineyard in Barolo. This area is divided up among multiple winemakers, and it was the second wine tasting in Piedmont that Gabriel recommended. The Cerequio wine tasting allowed us to try different vintages from various winemakers in the area. It was incredible because you were able to taste the different expressions of the nebbiolo grape by different vineyards. At this tasting, we tried Voerzio Martini Cerequio, Damilano Cerequio, Vietti Cerequio, Boroli Cerequio, and the Chiarlo Cerequio. This was a fascinating tasting and really helped us better understand how the winemakers can significantly influence the taste of wine.
Michele Chiarlo Vertical Tasting
The third wine tasting at Palas Cerequio was a vertical tasting of the Michele Chiarlo Cerequio wines. We opted for this because I loved this particular vineyard on the first day. You could also do a vertical tasting of Cannubi vineyard, if you wanted to try a less expensive Barolo vertical tasting. Admittedly, all of the vintages we tried were incredible, but the 2013 Riserva remained my favorite wine that we had at Palas Cerequio. (I have expensive taste, lol.)
La Corte Restaurant
We didn’t make any reservations in advance, but after our first wine tasting, we knew we wanted to try the Michele Chiarlo wines with dinner. Our dinner at Palas Cerequio was truly outstanding with simple, regional flavors and a great wine list.
I was dying to try the Gavi again. Gavi is a white wine from Piedmont, and it’s crisp and unique. (I’m really growing in my appreciation of white wines.) We paired it with the vitello tonnato appetizer, which is Piedmont’s answer to carpaccio.
From there, we ordered two primi courses, both of which are Piedmontese specialities. We ordered the tajarin al ragu di salsiccia di Bra (sausage from Bra, one of the most famous food towns in Piemonte) and plin al sugo d’arrosto. Plin is similar to tortellini and served with a roasted meat sauce. Both were outstanding with delicate and rich flavors.
Since I was planning to enjoy dessert, we split the braised beef cheek for our second course. It was beyond tender and beautifully flavored with a Barbera wine sauce. For dessert, we split the fior di latte gelato, and they shaved a hazelnut chocolate truffle over it for us. Delicious. I’m disappointed we didn’t try the hazelnut cake, but the gelato was perfect.
We switched to the 2019 Barolo after our appetizer, and we ordered it at the start of our meal so it would have time to open. While we loved the 2020 during our wine tasting, the 2019 was even better.
Other Things to Do at Palas Cerequio
This wine resort feels like it is truly dedicated to wellness and wine. There are not a lot of extra amenities here, but everything is of the highest quality. They have a nice pool, though it was too cold to swim while we were there. Bikes are available to rent and ride through the vineyards. (We regret not taking advantage of this!)
While there is not a traditional spa at the hotel, you can book rooms with spa amenities like steam showers and jacuzzi tubs. We used our steam shower daily and were happy with it. You can also book in-room massages in advance.
Visiting Piedmont during White Truffle Season
If you visit during white truffle season, Palas Cerequio offers a truffle hunting experience. If you like truffle, I recommend visiting during the Alba white truffle festival, though you will need advance reservations for restaurants and should anticipate crowds. (One of our original trips to Piedmont were booked specifically for the truffle festival! We need to make this happen in the future.) You’ll want to book Palas Cerequio in advance because they do sell out during this time.
Other Piedmont Hotels to consider:
Since most resorts in Piedmont are pretty small, I’ve put together a list of hotels and resorts that I would consider staying at. When we were at Palas Cerequio, we took an afternoon to drive by many of the places on our list. As a result, I scratched some off, but here are a few that I feel confident recommending if you’re interested in Palas Cerequio.
- Castello di Guarene – This Relais and Chateaux property reminds me of everything I love about Borgo dei Conti in Umbria. I would absolutely book this for an anniversary or honeymoon in Piedmont.
- Arborina Relais – We actually drove by this resort while we were at Palas Cerequio because it was so high on our list. It reminded me of the more updated buildings at Palas Cerequio. Its position on the hill isn’t quite as good, but the views still look oustanding.
- Nordelaia – This hotel caught my attention because the pool reminded me of Borgo Pignano in Tuscany. I love that it embraces the regal design elements of Northern Italy, pops of color, and traditional finishes like clawfoot bathtubs.
- Relais San Maurizio – This luxury hotel is on my list for a future anniversary trip to Piedmont. It’s part of the Leading Hotels of the World and looks like a great place to spend a few days just enjoying the resort.
- Relais Villa d’Amelia – Villa d’Amelia reminds me of Villa Cordevigo and has everything you need on-site.
- UVE Rooms – If you wanted to stay in La Morra and take advantage of all the wine bars, this is a great city hotel. I would liken it to staying at Hotel La Grisa in Croatia.
La Morra Day Trip
La Morra is the closest village to Palas Cerequio. We had dinner there a few times because it was such an easy drive from the resort. (You could also bike there easily.) Like many of the small wine villages in Piedmont, there is a La Morra wine commune that sells all the wines from the La Morra region at the exact price as the winemaker. We enjoyed chatting with their staff and getting recommendations on smaller producers that don’t offer visits to tastings.
The staff also recommended Osteria More e Macine, which we throughly enjoyed. This restaurant offers several local specialities, including the tajarin al ragu. The plin with lavender and butter is incredibly unique and very tasty. (We had a really hard time deciding what to order.) I loved the pear and chocolate cake, too. They have an extensive wine list, and we were able to try a couple of wines from producers we discovered at Le George in Paris. One of these producers is very small and does not do visits, so I was very excited to try some of his other wines at dinner.
Barbaresco Day Trip
We decided to stop and explore Barbaresco for a few hours. We LOVED Barbaresco and found it to be far more enjoyable than Barolo. It is literally set in the hills of the vineyard, and the views are absolutely stunning.
Like La Morra, they have a comune wine bar, though their selection was not quite as diverse as the La Morra one. We ended up going to Nonsolovino for a couple of tastings and enjoyed their charcuterie platters A LOT. The waiter was happy to make recommendations on wines that we should try, especially things that were less popular. This is where I tried the DOCG Roero Arneis (white), and I LOVED it. It was perfect for a warm, sunny day.
Although I didn’t find one of my favorite small producers in Barbaresco (Francesco Versio), we did find some of his wines when we spent a couple days in London in May, so that was exciting!
Barolo Day Trip
It’s funny because I never thought of Barolo being an actual town before we visited. Ultimately, it was a little anticlimatic because there wasn’t much to see and parking was very difficult. Barbaresco had more beautiful views, and La Morra felt more “lived in” and alive. However, there is the Wi Mu (Museo del Vino), which has some great exhibits about how wine is made and could be worth a visit. If you’ve visited Bordeaux and Le Cite du Vin, it might be underwhelming to you. However, it has some interesting exhibits. We did a couple of tastings at some wine bars in Barolo. Our best experience was at Vinicola 23. They spent quite a bit of time with us and even prepared a bit of food for us to enjoy with our wine. We were not able to get into the regional comunale of Barolo though.
How to Add Palas Cerequio to Your Italy Itinerary
I love creating Italy itineraries that make sense for your specific interests. Sometimes that means pairing a large city with the Italian countryside, like visiting Florence and adding Cortona, Siena, Montepulciano, or Montalcino. Other times that means taking a deep dive into a region like Emilia Romagna and visiting Bologna, Parma, and Modena. I love pairing new experiences with familiar experiences because I think it makes it easier to appreciate everything a little bit more.
I try to maintain a list of hotels I love, things I want to experience, and foods and restaurants I want to try so that when I start researching a trip, I can see what fits together naturally or what unexpected opportunities may exist. For example, I considered adding Villa Crespi to this trip, which is a hotel I’m dying to stay at but rarely find myself nearby. We also considered visiting Lake Como on this trip since we were already so far north. (I also looked at visiting Annecy in France and some towns in Switzerland that are on Tom’s bucket list.)
Piedmont & Cinque Terre Itinerary
One of the things that surprised me about Piedmont was the influence from Liguria I saw on menus and in the grocery stores. After talking to a few people, however, I realized that many locals enjoy visiting the Ligurian coast, especially in the summer. I, however, love Liguria in the spring, and if you wanted a completely different experience from Piedmont, I would put it on your itinerary.
Cinque Terre is about a 3 hour drive from Palas Cerequio. (We’ve driven to Cinque Terre in the past, it’s not that difficult!) I would recommend staying at La Torretta in Manarola, another boutique hotel with a fantastic staff. You could spend a couple days hiking around the 5 villages in Cinque Terre, enjoy seaside dinners, and try the local Cinque Terre white wine! From there, it’s an easy train to Pisa where you could see the Leaning Tower and fly out from the PSA airport, which is much easier than Milan!
Large Italian Cities & Piedmont Countryside Itinerary
As I mentioned, we flew into Milan to get to Palas Cerequio. It was the perfect way to visit The Last Supper, though I wish I had booked this food tour of Milan while we were there. I don’t think Milan needs more than a few days (yet) though. After our stay at Palas Cerequio, we drove to Torino for a few days. Choosing to visit Turin was heavily influenced by Stacie Flinner’s IG stories and post about her visit there. Torino is the 4th largest city in Italy, but in many ways, it feels more like a small town. We found it to feel very local. It’s rich in Italian history and worth a visit. Hotels are difficult. Nice hotels are expensive, but Torino is absolutely worth exploring for a few days. We found it to be the perfect place to round out our northern Italy itinerary before heading south.
