After more than a week of rainy weather in Kandersteg, we were fed up. We and our Mercedes Cabriolet 380 SL, which will be forty years old next year, were craving the sun.

Luckily, Brigitta had already booked a room for four nights in Barbaresco, in Piedmont, in a lovely Airbnb that belongs to the winemaker’s niece. We wanted to pay a visit to the Grasso family, who we have known for over thirty years. This would also give us the opportunity to stock up our wine cellar in Kandersteg with the delicious Piedmont wines (Barolo, Dolcetto, Barbera, Barbaresco, Arneis and Moscato).

The sunny Sunday morning on May 26, 2024 came just in time. After we said goodbye to our kitten and Reto, who looks after her when we are not in Kandersteg, we drove to the car loading station. The train started moving at 9.30 a.m. and a quarter of an hour later we arrived in Goppenstein, in Valais, under a blue sky.

We drove to Domodossola via Brig and crossed then the Simplon Pass, where we once again saw snow. From there we continued south to Alessandria, where we turned west to Asti. Half an hour later we reached our destination for the day: Azienda Agricola Grasso Fratelli. Maria, Luigi and Alfredo wrapped us in their arms. Soon we were sitting around a round table with dozens of bottles on it. The tasting could begin…