Autumn: Stand still and smell the air

Stand still and smell the air

“Sometimes”, the hunter said “you barely need to use the dog to know there are truffles. You just stand still and smell the air. Go on, try”.  And so, I did.  And whilst on a slightly chilly October morning with damp earth and milky sun encouraging filmic mists to materialise I couldn’t smell truffles exactly, I could breathe in what I have come to know as a uniquely Piedmont autumn. A collection of smells and sensations that are somehow locked in and condensed in a truffle – a unique distillation of regional character waiting to be unearthed and released: leaves, bonfires, mushrooms certainly, a lingering must and the aroma of grapes – somehow still hovering from the early September harvest. A deep, rich mix of rural and woodland smells as immersive as they are collectively memorable. When the dog does find its first buried gold – a smallish, but richly pungent black truffle – inhaling brings everything together; as if the pieces lock and are then permanently tucked away in my olfactory memory to be recalled in an instant when I sit down with a plate of tagliolini with truffle and a glass of Nebbiolo. Suddenly there is a moment of magic, and I am back in the woods; umami harmony conjuring up in an instant the distillation of land, climate and produce in delicious mouthfuls.  

In early September the days are still warm but as the evening arrives, a coolness and haze clearly marks out this as a different world to that of the dry, intense Mediterranean-like heat of summer.  It’s almost as if a switch has been quietly flicked and the transition to a new season has begun on cue. Only three weeks ago, it had still been hot. We’d had drinks in the garden and laughed and talked with friends until midnight, with perhaps a summer sweater all that was needed after the sun went down. Then gradually, as we move through into October, a deeper stillness descends. The famous ‘nebbia’ (mist) that gives its name to one of the region’s most famous grapes – Nebbiolo - carpets the lowlands and lasts longer into the shorter days, reappearing as the richly orange sun sinks behind the mountains. Now, the most beautiful whiteness permeates the sunlight during the day. Every season in Piedmont brings something wonderful, but autumn is rightly famous for the wine and food, the atmosphere and the colours – especially the vines and native maple trees with their fiery reds and oranges.

There are multiple culinary events, including the increasingly high profile International White Truffle Festival in Alba, all of which immerse you in the tastes and smells of Piedmont. The weather and temperature are often perfect for hiking, and e-bikes are increasingly popular -  a little help when you need it to master those steep climbs! Autumn is also a perfect time to visit local towns and villages just to explore. There are those closest to us, of course: Canelli and Nizza Monferrato have lovely cafés, restaurants and shops, as well as a range of live events and festivals. However, it is also a great time to go slightly further afield to wonderful towns such as Saluzzo, Monforte d’Alba and Neive to name a few - all beautiful and gastronomic destinations in their own right.

It is in the autumn light, and with storybook hilltop villages and views to the alps and Monte Viso, that the area is often breath-takingly magical. Somehow that nebbia brings everything together: the sun sits lower in the sky creating a dramatic depth of field so that the mountains that ring the region look even more stunning, the stillness, the slow chill of the season fixing across the landscape in a way that reminds you how little has changed over hundreds of years, the experiences awaiting you which are still very much authentic and not manufactured for visitors. These senses, smells and scenic landscapes all combine, creating the most wonderful backdrop to enjoying everything Piedmont has to offer.

Selected events:

Bra – Cheese and Slow Food Festival. 17th – 20th Sept

Alba – International Alba White Truffle Festival 8th Oct – 4th Dec

Cuneo - Fiera Nazionale del Marrone 14-16 October

Piozzo, Cuneo - Zucca in Piazza (Pumpkin in the Square)