Suoni dalle Colline di Langhe e Roero is the title of this year’s Alba Music Festival, summer edition and it opens July 16th in Alba and run through August 1st. The festival is the collaboration between the City of Alba and St. Mary’s College of Maryland, USA. This year marks the fourth edition of the summer program and will showcase artists from Italy as well as the US, Japan, Spain, Holland, Belgium, Argentina, England and Germany.

The program will consist of the Brass Quintet of the National RAI Symphony Orchestra, the famous Arias of Opera and Operetta with the Japanese soprano Miyuki Hayakawa, a performance dedicated to the Argentinean tango with the dancers Nancy Alejandra Micelli and Fernando Oscar Gargaglione, the Romanian State Orchestra performing Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and the Spanish dancer Monica Sanchez. Also there will be piano recitals with four international soloists paying homage to Chopin and Schumann for the bicentennial of their birth. There will also be Jazz from Barend Middelhoff and his quintet.

This festival provides an occasion to discover the many beautiful places in the area, from the castle of Grinzane Cavour and Magliano Alfieri to the splendid boroughs of Castiglione Falletto, La Morra and Verduno.  Also visitors should take time to visit the striking Tenuta Carretta of Piobesi,  the Confraternita di San Bernardino of Vezza d’Alba and the fascinating Santuario della Madonna di Hal di Murazzano.

Six of the concert venues are part of the Strada Romantica of Langhe and Roero, a driving route that highlights places that through its setting and the stories of the people who live there bring to life this special area of Italy.

See below or download the Calendar of Alba Music Festival 2010:

Friday, July 16, 2010
9,00 PM Alba, Chiesa di San Giuseppe
“Harp and dance”

Saturday, July 17, 2010
9,00 PM Vezza d’Alba, Confraternita di San Bernardino
“Virtuoso trumpet”

Sunday, July 18, 2010
9,00 PM La Morra, Chiesa di San Rocco
“Van li effluvi de le rose…”
Nocturnes, romances and songs

Monday, July 19, 2010
9,00 PM Piobesi d’Alba, Tenuta Carretta
“Music to see”
Magnasco Movie Quartet

Tuesday, July 20, 2010
9,00 PM Alba, Chiesa di San Giuseppe
“Così fan tutte”
Reality and legend in the life of Lorenzo Da Ponte
Music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Wednesday, July 21, 2010
9,00 PM Grinzane Cavour, Castello, Sala delle Maschere
“En evening with the Buranello”
The sonnets for two violins of Baldassarre Galuppi

Thursday, July 22, 2010
9,00 PM Verduno, Cortile del Municipio
“Take 5”
Brass Quintet of the National RAI Symphony Orchestra

Friday, July 23, 2010
9,00 PM Treiso, ex Chiesa dei Battuti
“The Harlequin’s Serenade”
Famous Arias of the Opera and Operetta

Saturday, July 24, 2010
9,00 PM Murazzano, Santuario della Madonna di Hal
“Romantic Road”
Homage to Robert Schumann for the bicentennial of his birth

Sunday, July 25, 2010
9,00 PM Castiglione Falletto, Piazza del Municipio
“Nuevo Encuentro y tango”
Music and dance from Argentina

Monday, July 26, 2010
9,00 Piobesi d’Alba, Tenuta Carretta
“Midsummer night’s dream”
Romanian State Symphony Orchestra

Tuesday, July 27, 2010
9,00 PM Annunziata di La Morra, Chiesa della Santissima Annunziata
“The magic flute”
Music of Haydn, Mozart, Stamitz

Wednesday, July 28, 2010
9,00 PM Sinio, Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Frontiniano
“Alborada del gracioso”
Music of Franck, Beethoven, Chopin, Ravel

Thursday, July 29, 2010
9,00 PM Trezzo Tinella, Chiesa dei Battuti
“Harmonies du soir”
Music of Liszt, Franck, Brahms, Chopin

Friday, July 30, 2010
9,00 PM Magliano Alfieri, Chiesa Parrocchiale di Sant’Andrea
“Aimez-Vous Chopin?”
Homage to Frédéric Chopin, for the bicentennial of his birth

Saturday, July 31, 2010
9,00 PM La Morra, Casa Vinicola Mascarello
“Jazz Lines”
Special Guest Barend Middelhoff saxaphone

Sunday, August 1, 2010
5,00 PM Sale San Giovanni, Castello dei Marchesi Incisa di Camerana
“Nubes de Buenos Aires”

I love it when a restaurant surpasses my (American) expectations and last week Bovio did just that.   My good friend Jennifer was staying the weekend with me in Barolo and as a thank you she suggested I book a nice restaurant for Sunday lunch. Always happy to oblige, I selected Bovio which I saw as a new entry in my 2010 Alice Food Guide. I recognized the name as the winery of the family that has run “Il Belvedere” in La Morra, a favourite of mine, especially after the redecoration a few years back.

The guide informed me that the family had left the premise of Il Belvedere and was now in their own building that was nestled among the vineyards in La Morra, less 10min by car from TorreBarolo.

Lucky for us, the 7^th of February was a stunning clear and sunny day as this building offers one of THE BEST VIEWS I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying while dining. My photos don’t do the view justice nor do I think their website. Just trust me on this one. 

One of my bugaboos about the selection of restaurants in the Langhe is that there are few elegant restaurants where one might go to celebrate an event and where it is as much about the setting and service as it is the food. Bovio ticked all the boxes for me.

Firstly, the building is perched on the side of the hill and given this was a custom-designed building they made the most of these stupendous views by installing windows that are vast, low as well as being architecturally appealing. We were lucky and got the best table in the dining room which was in the center of the room and directly in front of the window. Most of the tables offer great views, par one that seated two, was next to a wall and one of the diners had a view of a palm tree and wall.

There are two rooms to the restaurant and we peaked into the other one on our way out. There are no views in this room though it is has funkier vibe given the choice of wall paper. I spied a few baby highchairs at tables in this room and deduced that is where families are seated so as to not disturb the other diners.

Aside from the amazing views, the room is a comfortable size (i.e., not too big or too small), the tables are well spaced out and the table are beautifully laid out. And as a plus, when we arrived all the tables already had a varied selection of freshly baked mini-rolls and focaccia accompanied by some of the best butter I have had in years … yep, better than Beppino Occelli !

There was a tasting menu as one would expect in this calibre of restaurant (€44), though we opted for al carte.  Although not on the menu, I requested an Antipasti Misti (which they graciously obliged) which included Vitello Tonnato, a Millefoglie of Peppers with Tuna and Capers from Pantelleria and a Tort/Quiche in a creamy cheese sauce. For primo, I selected the Risotto al Barolo with Bra Sausage (little twist on the classic they have done at Il Belvedere) and Jennifer had her favourite, Tagliolini with Veal Ragu. Both pastas were light, delicious and we could have eaten more easily. For secondo, I opted that we split their Small Fritto Misto (Fried Mix), as I was curious as this isn’t something you often see on menus. It consisted of small pieces of meat, poultry and vegetables in semolina breadcrumbs that were lightly fried.  Too full for dessert, we opted for coffee and that was accompanied by petite fours that were more than enough to cap off the meal with something sweet.

The menu offers an extensive offering of starters, first and seconds so I have no doubt each diner would find something that tempts their taste buds. The room was full that Sunday but the service remained consistently excellent.

Jennifer was charged for 1 glass of wine (though she was served two) and the bill came to €80. Now, I know it is not hard in the Langhe to eat excellent pasta and yummy antipasti for €40 each, but I believe the premium was well worth it given the combination of a stupendous view, excellent service and very high quality food. Personally, I can’t wait to find an event that needs celebrating and go back to Bovio to enjoy a lunch that makes you say out loud … “life is good!!!”.

Bon Appetite and be sure to book in advance.