Canavese to Savour: ancient vineyards, historic sweets and unique panoramas

A symbol of the city, nocciolini are tiny hazelnut-meringue drops unique to Chivasso. Peeking through the window of the Bonfante Pastry Shop (Pasticceria Bonfante), then stepping into its Art-Nouveau café—where nocciolini have been crafted since the 1920s—means savouring an unforgettable experience.

A classic Piedmontese confection, Torta Novecento was created by Ivrea master pastry chef Ottavio Bertinotti at the end of the 19th century to celebrate the dawn of the new one—hence its name, “Cake of the Century.” The dessert soon gained a legion of admirers and sparked countless imitations, yet legend says the inventor never allowed assistants near when he prepared the filling. Whatever secret ingredient he added has stayed secret to this day.
In 1972 Bertinotti sold his renowned workshop at Corso Re Umberto I, 16—together with the patented recipe—to the Balla family, who have guarded the mystery ever since. What is certain is this: between two feather-light discs of cocoa pan di Spagna they spread, practically in front of the customer, a generous layer of chocolate mousse that hides the famous secret touch, then finish the top with a dusting of icing sugar. The result is a lavish slice that wins over every palate, even the most demanding.

On the Ivrea Morainic Amphitheatre great wines are born, thanks to the distinctive soils here, made up largely of glacial pebbles. A mild climate—tempered by nearby Lake Viverone and Lake Candia—combines with steady air currents that funnel down from the Dora Baltea valley.
North of Ivrea lies Carema, the last Piedmontese village before the Aosta Valley. Clinging to the flank of Monte Maletto, which shields it from icy winds, the village sits in a south-west-facing bowl that receives generous sunshine. The favourable exposure extends well beyond the built-up area, giving the whole district a micro-climate perfectly suited to vine growing. One look at the landscape confirms it: vineyards dominate every slope in a scene that never fails to astonish.
Nebbiolo has been cultivated here for centuries, and people have long toiled—indeed still toil—to make this small yet remarkable miracle of viticulture possible. Over generations they have carved spectacular terraces on the sunniest parts of the village and the mountain’s steep face, supporting them with dry-stone walls and continually enriching them with fertile soil hauled up from the valley floor.
The vines are trained on characteristic topie, pergolas supported by stone pillars called pilun. These pillars heat up in the sun during the day and release the warmth at night, benefiting the ripening clusters—a function repeated by the pebble-rich ground. Altitudes range from 350 to 700 metres and the soils are stony, of granite origin, mixed with clay. A temperate climate, the absence of fog and humidity thanks to frequent breezes, and marked day-night temperature swings all favour full ripening of the grapes and the development of distinctive aromas.
The resulting Carema DOC wine is ruby red, with scents of wild flowers and a supple flavour that finishes with a faint, pleasantly bitter note. It is the product of an ancient bond, of truly heroic and captivating mountain viticulture.

The signature torcetti, first baked in the 18th century, are buttery twists of sweetness you can sample under the arcades in the heart of the village. They are perfect with a pot of molten chocolate or dipped into silky zabaglione. Each spring a lively village-wide fair celebrates these delicious biscuits.

In the heart of San Giorgio Canavese, the Roletti Pastry Shop (Pasticceria Roletti)—still fitted out with elegant late-19th-century décor—bakes the Biscotti della Duchessa, delightful cocoa biscuits created for the Pistoian noblewoman Lidia d’Arenberg, who was said to be wild about them.
Local farmers’ devotion to the Piattella Canavesana di Cortereggio—and the fact that it is the only Slow Food Presidio in all Canavese—has ensured that this flat white bean was never forgotten. The piattella still finds its way into Italian larders today and is unusual not only because it turns soups velvety but also for the way it is grown: the climbing plants are sown among maize so that the corn stalks act as natural trellises. The vines wind upward, bloom with white flowers and then set pods that, once mature, are picked strictly by hand, dried and finally cooked.
According to village elders in Cortereggio, a tiny hamlet of San Giorgio, these flattened, kidney-shaped beans thrived in deep, water-retentive soils. Everyone joined in—sowing beans among the maize, harvesting them later—and each family kept a share to sell. Over time that communal labour developed into a profitable trade centred on this distinctive white bean.

Canavese, set between Piedmont and the Aosta Valley, rises at a strategic crossroads that has long linked Italy with the nations beyond the Alps. Because of this key position, the region has for centuries been a thoroughfare and a settlement zone for many peoples—and a contested prize.
Across this broad north-western slice of Piedmont plains give way to rolling hills, beyond which stretch the open fields that flank the River Po. The Canavese hills—especially those around Caluso—were shaped by glaciers descending from the Aosta Valley. East of Ivrea the Serra moraine ridge, the longest in Europe, marks the landscape in an astonishingly straight line, and behind it tower the Alpine peaks. The area is crossed by the Stura di Lanzo, Orco and Dora Baltea rivers; Lakes Viverone and Candia bear witness to an ancient sea.
This eclectic mix of plains, valleys, moraine hills, lakes and alpine backdrops—each with its own micro-climate—has favoured vine growing since Roman times. Moraine soils are loose and stony, rich in sand, clay and gravel: a perfect bed for the vine. Vineyards have always been an essential feature of the Canavese panorama, which is also dotted with castles recalling noble lords and feudal splendour. Nurtured in the Alps’ shadow, the rows of vines testify to a love for the land that runs deep. That dedication lives on in fine wines such as Erbaluce and Nebbiolo, which in 1967 became the pillars of the Erbaluce di Caluso DOC (upgraded to DOCG in 2010) and Carema DOC.

Erbaluce di Caluso Docg is produced from an ancient native grape variety, and today its vines cluster between Caluso, San Giorgio Canavese, Agliè, Piverone and Viverone, clinging to the Ivrea moraine ridge. It shows a pale straw colour, a delicate bouquet and a firm, tart, dry-fresh taste with pronounced minerality and acidity—perfect with antipasti, fish dishes and delicate risottos. It is ageworthy and comes in four versions: still, traditional method sparkling, passito and passito riserva. The sparkling version is made exclusively by the traditional method, while the passito style is obtained by leaving the grapes to dry until February of the year following the harvest. Passito has a darker hue and a sweet, velvety flavour that pairs beautifully with dry pastries and hazelnut cake.
From the noble Piedmontese red grape Nebbiolo—and the local Picutener and Pugnet cultivars—comes the rare and compelling Carema DOC, an important red aged for at least 24 months, including 12 months in oak or chestnut barrels. This wine is grown on dramatic dry-stone terraces (tupiun) supported by stone pillars, a testament to the ingenuity of Canavese winegrowers who have coaxed excellence from a rugged, demanding landscape.
More approachable are the wines labelled Canavese DOC, traditionally produced from a variety of red grapes—Nebbiolo, Bonarda, Barbera, Freisa and Neretto—either single-varietal or in blends; rosé versions are also available.
The Enoteca Regionale dei Vini della Provincia di Torino (Regional Wine Centre of the Province of Turin), in Caluso, presents the area’s vast winemaking heritage inside the historic palace of the Counts Valperga di Masino, perched on a small square in the upper part of town that still breathes old-world charm amid centuries-old trees. The Enoteca offers a complete tasting experience: with over 100 m² of exhibition space and a spacious tasting hall, visitors can explore the finest labels from local producers. A tour of the restored 17th-century cellars guides guests through the typical wines of each Canavese zone, enriched by the delicious presence of the province’s traditional food specialities.