il Bosco delle Galline Volanti Reviews 5

We had a wonderful meal! The beautifully presented dishes were the perfect balance between classic local dishes with innovative twists - and most importantly - they were delicious!!

The Visits Just Get Better and Better

There is a method to the madness of our typical travels, we (1) take a survey trip to sample a region, (2) return to our favorite spot a year later and (3) if there’s a deeper connection, return many years later to see how things have evolved. There’s one difference with our experience in Piemonte, however, where we find ourselves returning year after year.

Some years back, we were introduced by an American wine distributor to his “favorite hotel”, Casa Svizzera, in the picturesque town of Barolo. We were lucky enough to book all three beautifully designed rooms overlooking the town of Barolo. Each of the rooms sparkled -- the designer clearly knew intuitively how to blend modern design with the warmth of the historic structure.

We were introduced to Viviana, owner of Il Bosco delle Galline Volante. Viviana hosted a wine tasting and meal at the Germano Winery, overlooking the vineyards of nearby La Morra. The meal included a tasting of three of the family’s wines and then introduced us to Barolo Chinato, an herb-laden digestif that proved a perfect accompaniment to the meal. We were equally impressed by the graphics on the menu that announced the organic greens and other dishes to follow. We later learned that Viviana had not only designed the hotel interiors and the wine labels, but had grown the produce that made our lunch so special.

Every once in a while, we encounter characteristics in those who offer their family accommodations to the public, a caring for those who visit and a willingness to make an extra effort to ensure the success of their visitors’ travels. Those traits were particularly evident in Viviana who handled our reservations for the hotel, our requests for hints on local restaurants, conducted a personal tour of the winery, the farm and beyond, and prepared the extraordinary afternoon meal following the tour.

We were pleased to learn that Casa Svizzera has recently added three rooms to its hotel and that Il Bosco delle Galline Volante will soon open a kitchen at which tastings, cooking classes and the bounty of the organic gardens will be available to a few more guests than before. For “culinary travelers” out there, imagine spending relaxing times in a historic village in one of its most central and architecturally interesting buildings, being able to wander the town’s streets and ramparts, enjoy tasteful modern art and design, share the owner’s wine at your hotel, and then book a privately catered meal with a talented and charming chef. Don’t miss the opportunity.