Yves Oban, musings and meanderings

What is an avid European skier to do if there is essentially no snow in Switzerland and northern France in December?  Grab the bike and head for Barolo, in the Piedmont region of Italy for more velo and vignes.  There is nothing like cycling through vineyards, getting to know the beautiful towns, the slope exposures, the soil and the sights, and then settling down in the evening to explore those same areas in the nose, la bouche and the belly.  Barolo Italy is one of the best centers of wine in the world, the kingdom of the Nebbiolo grape, the Slovakian oaken casks, and wine that needs at least 10 years to reach an unbeatable peak that will then last and improve for another, very long time.  Cycling through the towns of La Morra, Monteforte D'Alba, Serralunga, Castiglione Falletto requires a pleasure in climbs and descents, all wonderfully compensated for by the wine and food from those same villages in the evening.