Hiking in Carema’s Terraced Vineyards in Piedmont

The terraced vineyards in a small town located an hour outside of Turin called Carema are some of the most surprising and spectacular viticultural landscapes in all of Piedmont.

Photo credit: Diana Zahuranec

Carema, population 750, is a town built of granite walls, slate roofs, and wooden balconies on dozens of levels of elevation, much like its vineyards. Winding up through narrow streets, we didn’t see a soul on a bright Saturday morning in August.

Ancient fountains trickled clear water, the town’s church tower tolled the hour, and soon we naturally found indications for the Via Francigena and The Vineyards Trail (Il Sentiero dei Vigneti).

Photo credit: Diana Zahuranec

The Via Francigena, or Frankish Road, is marked by a figure of a man who seems to be hunched over and hiking. Its name means “the road that comes from France,” but it is generally considered to start in England.

It leads from England, passes through France and Switzerland, and finishes in Rome. Both traders and pilgrims took this route, the latter particularly during the Medieval period to travel to the tombs of apostles Peter and Paul. Records of the Via Francigena date back to the 8^th century.

Photo credit: Diana Zahuranec

Hikers still take this ancient road today. The Via Francigena runs together with The Vineyards Trail for a short tract before marching on its way down to Rome.

The Vineyards Trail was clear, paved, and marked by signs or white trail markers. The route was one that vineyard owners might use daily, with those funny, three-wheeled trucks to haul off the grapes, perhaps. Grape harvesting machines certainly don’t travel here. The terraces are too steep and narrow to allow any type of harvesting other than by hand.

Even before truly embarking on the trail, we spied the unique method of cultivating and growing the vines for which the viticulturists of Carema are known: thick, concrete pylons supporting horizontal trellises of grapes. These pylons soak in the sunshine during the day, and slowly release the trapped heat to the grapes during the cool nights in these Alpine foothills. Ingenious, right?

As we hiked, the trail opened up to incredible views: an amphitheater of trellised grapevines in front of us, and the valley flanked by mountains behind.

Photo credit: Diana Zahuranec

Around every curve were picturesque vineyards, bunches of grapes coyly posing for their close-up, or the town ready for its postcard shot. Under our feet were carpets of grapevine leaves and over our heads hung ceilings of grapes. Bushes full of blackberries, and fig, apple, and apricot trees filled the small, square plots of land not claimed by the grapes.

The grapes were all Nebbiolo. I’m no expert at identifying grape bunches; nor did I taste any, though I must admit I’m mighty curious about eating Nebbiolo. Would they be as delicious as Moscato grapes, which taste like little pieces of candy that Willy Wonka would be envious of? In any case, I knew they were mostly Nebbiolo because the one certified wine made in this town is the Nebbiolo-based Carema DOC.

Photo credit: Diana Zahuranec

Carema is located in the Canavese wine area, which itself is geographically placed within the larger Torinese wine zone (a zone that also includes Collina Torinese, Pinerolese, and Susa Valley). Carema DOC is made up of a minimum of 85% Nebbiolo grapes and up to 15% of other red grape varieties suitable for cultivation in the area. Interestingly, two local variations of the Piemontese Nebbiolo variety are cultivated in Carema, called Picutener and Pugnet.

The trail ended at what may be one of two existing restaurants in this village, La Maiola. We finished at exactly the hour of lunchtime, and the atmosphere of the place was inviting. A waitress recited the menu, and only two other tables were occupied in the spacious restaurant. A primo of pasta with walnut and radicchio pesto, two glasses of Carema Nebbiolo, hazelnut cake with zabaione, and caffé came to just €9 each.

The route then passed by the Cantina Sociale, to which I give extra points for staying open in such a small town during the middle of August. We picked up some Carema Nebbiolo, and then looped back up to the parking spot.

Photo credit: Diana Zahuranec