Autumn is quite possibly the
best time of the year for foodies to visit Valtellina. For gourmand travellers,
this is the season of the grape harvest, the wine harvest, and a calendar of
sumptuous events.
For sampling signature local dishes, we’ve put our top tips into a tour that
spans the region.
Your gourmet tour of the
region starts in Valchiavenna, where the spotlight is firmly on good food.
Here’s where to sample “gnocchetti della Valchiavenna” (also known as white
pizzoccheri despite technically differing to traditional pizzoccheri), brisaola
(air-dried beef), and violino di capra (cured goat meat on the bone shaped like
a violin) as well as other local meats. Head to one of the town’s ”Crotti” (find out more
about these distinctive restaurants here), which are dug into mountainside
where their produce has benefitted for centuries from a natural cooling airflow
known as “sorel” that supports the conservation of cheese and meat.
Valchiavenna has a rich reputation for its wine and food so take a few days to
explore this spot and sample the delicacies. Take home a pack of scrumptious
Biscottini di Prosto butter biscuits—you won’t regret it!
From Valchiavenna, we’ll head
towards Morbegno, a bustling little town that blends culture with cuisine in
traditional deli stores which offer hunks of the area’s renowned Bitto cheese,
which is DOP certified and very delicious.
From Morbegno, you have the
chance to climb up into Val Gerola, the home of Bitto, or to the Costiera dei
Cech on the other side of the valley, where cute, vibrant little villages are
waiting to be explored.
The third stage of your
gourmet tour of Valtellina is an experience to savour. Here’s where some of the
area’s best produce has its roots.
Let’s begin with the wine: the
Strada del Vino (The Wine Road) is prime wine-producing territory, weaving
through the area’s signature steep terraced vineyards on the side of the
Rhaetian Alps. You’ll get up close with grapes that will grow into the most
delectable local wine that’s full-bodied and full of personality, such as
Valtellina Superiore (and its five subzones) and Sforzato, both of which are
DOCG certified.
For lunch or dinner, enjoy a
glass of wine with a tasty plate of pizzoccheri, the region’s local dish that
originates from Teglio.
The distinctive landscape
between Sondrio and Tirano is often very sunny and therefore very suitable for
growing apples, hence the high number of orchards. The harvest for this Protection
Geographical Indication PGI-certified fruit usually begins in September.
Elsewhere in September, Teglio’s meadows radiate with buckwheat in bloom, so be
sure to take a stroll in this area in early autumn with your camera at the
ready. Once you’ve hiked a while, you’ll have a deeper insight into – and even
more appreciation for – exactly what has gone into your next meal of pizzoccheri,
sciatt and polenta taragna.
Concludiamo il nostro tour enogastronomico tra Bormio e Livigno, due delle località più conosciute della Valtellina. Qui, tra una pausa alle terme di Bormio e un momento di shopping a Livigno (zona duty free), non perdetevi una visita alle cantine dell'amaro Braulio (clicca qui per maggiori info), ubicate proprio nel cuore del centro storico di Bormio (eh sì, il Braulio nasce proprio nella cosiddetta "Magnifica Terra") mentre alla Latteria di Livigno (clicca qui per maggiori info) potrete gustare dei prodotti latteari-caseari davvero unici, dal gusto genuino e autentico dell'alta montagna.
Your gourmet tour reaches its
climax in the upper part of Valtellina between Livigno and Bormio. Once you’ve
got your fill of duty-free shopping in Livigno and recharged your batteries at
the thermal baths in Bormio, your next stop will be the cellars at Casa Braulio
(click here for more information), which lie unexpectedly in the very centre of
Bormio’s old town, followed by the Latteria di Livigno (more information here)
where unique Alpine dairy products have been something of a craft for
generations.
CLICCA QUI PER SCOPRIRE DI PIU' L'ENOGASTRONOMIA VALTELLINESE