19 Food & Wine Festivals You Need to Know in Piedmont, Italy
Discover the best food and wine festivals in Piedmont, Italy—from truffles and hazelnuts to wine, cheese, and chocolate. Plan your trip around 19 unmissable events.
You’ve heard of the Alba truffle fair that takes place every autumn. But did you know that Piedmont hosts food and wine festivals all year round?
From asparagus to chocolate, there’s always a good reason to celebrate one of the region’s specialities—washed down with a glass of local wine, of course.
Planning your trip around these events adds delicious depth to your visit at any time of year—to help you, here are 19 of the best food festivals in Piedmont, Italy.
When is the best time to visit Piedmont, Italy?
Spring Food & Wine Festivals in Piedmont, Italy
Spring in Piedmont is blissfully quiet—the vineyards reawaken, winemakers present new vintages, and spring produce comes into season.
1. Ba&Ba: Turin, March
While more of a tasting event than a festival, at Ba&Ba in Turin, winemakers present the new Barolo and Barbaresco vintages for tasting.
Over 100 producers gather in one place, making it a chance to compare Barolo and Barbaresco side-by-side before they hit the market. Tickets cost €50.
2. Vinum: Alba, April-May
The culinary calendar continues with more wine: during Vinum, Alba’s premier wine festival, the town’s main square turns into one big wine tasting event, with others taking place across the area’s UNESCO-protected vineyards.
Of course, the Piedmontese never drink on an empty stomach—at Roddi Castle, you’ll find tasting menus and cooking classes, while Vinum Lab offers workshops on the world of wine and cheese.
3. Barbaresco a Tavola: Barbaresco, May
On three Friday evenings throughout May, restaurants across the villages of Barbaresco, Treiso, and Neive present the latest Barbaresco vintages—paired with innovative takes on traditional Piedmontese cuisine.
During these simultaneous presentations, diners blind taste wines from the same producers, whose names are revealed at the end of the meal. Booking in advance is essential.
Visiting Barolo and Barbaresco? Here are the best luxury hotels in Piedmont wine country.
4. Sagra dell’Asparago (Asparagus Festival): Santena, May
For ten days in May, Santena celebrates its most famous product: the humble yet delicious asparagus.
The town centre transforms into an open-air market showcasing the green spears, and weekday evenings are packed with events like cooking classes, concerts, and of course, cena (dinner)—with lunch also available on weekends.
5. Latte Formaggio: Scalenghe, May
If you love cheese, but dislike crowds, skip the busier autumn season and visit in May, instead. You’ll be just in time for Latte Formaggio—a celebration of all things dairy, but on a smaller scale than Bra’s more famous Cheese festival.
With music, street food, a farmer’s market, and a dinner of traditional fritto misto (mixed fried foods) or bollito misto (boiled beef), you’ll need to attend all three days if you want to taste everything!
6. Festa della Barbera (Barbera Festival): Castagnole delle Lanze, May
For one weekend in May, the streets of Castagnole delle Lanze fill with food, wine, and music for the Festa della Barbera.
Visitors are invited to stroll through the historic streets tasting local Barbera wines paired with typical Piedmontese dishes—all while listening to live musicians and DJs.
Looking for more things to do in Piedmont, Italy? Here's a guide to the region's activities—for foodies, wine lovers, culture vultures, and lovers of the great outdoors.
Summer Food & Wine Festivals in Piedmont, Italy
Summer brings long, warm evenings that are perfect for spending outdoors with a glass of wine in one hand and a plate of pasta in the other, listening to live music in a medieval village.
7. Dolcetto Summer Fest: Diano d’Alba, June
Head to the picturesque hilltop town of Diano d’Alba for a weekend dedicated to Dolcetto—a soft, fruity red wine that’s popular with locals.
Launched in 2023, Dolcetto Summer Fest celebrates Dolcetto in all its expressions, with a wine and food tasting market taking place on the Saturday; entrance to the market includes unlimited wine tasting from all 80 producers.
If that leaves you wanting more, come back on the Sunday for an open-air banquet, when judges will reveal the three best wines of the year.
8. Fiera della Nocciola (Hazelnut Festival): Cortemilia, August
When the hills around Alba get too hot in August, head to Cortemilia in Alta Langa for the national hazelnut festival, which celebrates the region’s prized hazelnut variety—the Tonda Gentile.
There, you can stroll through the historic streets, listening to live music while savouring Cortemilia’s typical hazelnut-based specialities like torta di nocciola (hazelnut cake), Baci di Cortemilia (hazelnut biscuits with a chocolate filling), and crema di nocciola (hazelnut cream).
9. Fiera del Peperone (National Pepper Fair): Carmagnola, August-September
Carmagnola is home to Italy’s national pepper fair, which takes place between the last week of August and first week of September each year.
Spice lovers can visit the fair for free and taste tangy peppers from all over the country—don’t miss the Puglia village, showcasing the best from Italy’s spicy southern tip.
Beyond raw peppers, you’ll find creative dishes like stuffed peppers, pepper sauces, and peperonata.
By night, the town transforms, with nine nights of live music and performances taking place in Piazza Italia.
Autumn Food & Wine Festivals in Piedmont, Italy
The region comes into its own as harvest season gets underway, with celebrations honouring everything from white truffles to cheese.
10. Terra Madre Salone del Gusto: Turin, September (biannual)
As the birthplace of the Slow Food Movement, the Piedmontese mentality when it comes to food is all about quality, sustainability, and respect for the land.
The Terra Madre Salone del Gusto—organised by Slow Food—takes place every other September, and delegates come from all over the world to share ways to preserve food culture and diversity.
Visitors can join guided tastings, browse international food markets, and take part in workshops and talks with leading chefs and activists.
11. Festival delle Sagre: Asti, September
For one special Sunday in September, the main square in the town of Asti transforms into a huge open-air restaurant for the Festival delle Sagre (“Festival of Festivals”).
The atmosphere is bustling, with long queues for steaming plates of polenta, agnolotti, and other traditional dishes from the villages of Asti.
Arrive early to catch the historic parade, then stay on the browse the food market and savour the local delights like cheese, hazelnuts, and pasta.
12. Cheese: Bra, September
Bra is a small town with a big personality, and the host of Piedmont’s annual Cheese festival—another Slow Food event dedicated to the stinky stuff.
The two market areas are spread across the historic town centre, displaying cheeses from all over Italy—as well as the UK, France, Spain, and other cheese-producing countries.
Take a stroll, then if you’re still hungry, head to the Pizza Piazza for a slice of Italy’s most iconic dish.
13. Risò (Rice): Vercelli, September
Italy is Europe’s largest rice producer—and most of it comes from Vercelli in Piedmont. For one weekend in September, the town hosts a festival—Risò—in honour of its prized grain.
Entry to the market is free, but booking is recommended. You’ll find an outdoor covered food area serving typical Piedmontese rice dishes, arancini, and even sushi made from Vercelli rice.
14. International Alba White Truffle Fair: Alba, October-December
The oldest and most famous of all Piedmont’s harvest festivals is the Alba truffle fair, which takes place every year from October to December, when rare white truffles come into season.
The fair opens with medieval pageantry, and the truffle market takes place every weekend, although cooking classes, demonstrations, wine tastings, truffle sensory experiences, exhibitions, and other events are held throughout the week.
Accommodation, restaurants, and tickets tend to sell out, so it’s important to book well in advance.
Planning to visit the Alba truffle fair? This guide covers everything you need to know.
15. Fiera del Marrone (Chestnut Fair): Cuneo, October
Surrounded by high Alpine peaks on three sides, the charming but often overlooked town of Cuneo is Piedmont’s chestnut heartland. Every October for one weekend, the streets transform into an open-air market, and the air fills with the sweet scent of roasting chestnuts.
Bring your appetite: producers showcase specialties from all over Piedmont—from fried mushrooms to ravioli and polenta—and no festival would be complete without a glass of local wine.
16. Buonissima: Turin, October
Founded in 2021, Buonissima is an haute cuisine festival that aims to put Turin on the map as a top gastronomic destination. Over five days, dinners, demonstrations, and degustazioni take place around the city—attracting chefs and foodies from all over the world.
As well as over 90 gastronomic events, including immersive dinners and tours of piole—typical Torinese eateries—there are cultural and musical events throughout the city.
Combine your visit to Buonissima with a Turin city break—and since it’s spooky season, maybe take an occult Turin tour.
Winter Food & Wine Festivals in Piedmont, Italy
Winters in Piedmont are quiet and cosy—but there are still food festivals all the way through the season.
17. Bagna Cauda Day: Asti, November & January
If I had to pick the most emblematic Piedmontese dish, I would say bagna cauda—literally “hot dip”—made with anchovies, olive oil, and obscene amounts of garlic and served in a fujot, a small ceramic pot.
For one weekend in November and one in January, restaurants in Asti and throughout Piedmont participate in Bagna Cauda Day.
The price of the experience is the same in every restaurant: €30, plus €15 per bottle of wine. You may also have the option to finish the meal with an egg cooked in your fujot and topped with truffle—prices vary depending on daily market rates.
18. Fiera del Bue Grasso (Fat Ox Fair): Carrù, December
The Fiera del Bue Grasso (“Fat Ox Fair”) that takes place every December in Carrù has roots that reach back to the 15th century, when weekly cattle markets took place in the town.
These days, it’s a celebration of the Piedmontese cattle breed Fassona, with a prize for the heaviest bovine specimen—which can weigh up to one tonne.
The crisp winter air and steaming pots of bollito misto—boiled cuts of beef—fill the town with a traditional festive atmosphere, and the whole thing feels a little like stepping back in time.
19. CioccolaTò: Turin, February
Whether you’re single or partnered, Turin makes the ideal Valentine’s getaway thanks to CioccolaTò—a celebration of the city’s chocolate heritage that includes gianduiotto (hazelnut chocolate) and bicerin—a cosy chocolate-coffee drink.
Visitors can wander between stalls, join chocolate-making workshops, watch cooking demos, and even see elaborate chocolate sculptures on display.
The festival coincides with Carnaval, making the city’s festive atmosphere the perfect antidote to the winter blues.
Hungry for more? This Piedmont travel guide has everything you need to plan your trip.
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