Piedmont
Travel Langhe
Private Wine Guide · Piedmont, Italy
Credentials
Qualified Sommelier · 30 years in the wine industry
Languages
English · Italian
Tour style
Private only
Robert and Leslie came to Neive the long way. Thirty years in the wine industry (importing, teaching, running Cesare's Wine Bar in Stillwater, Minnesota) before settling in the heart of Barbaresco and turning full attention to the Langhe. Together they built Travel Langhe; today Robert guides on his own. He taught courses on the wines of Piedmont in Minneapolis, and he has worked with the vines, not just the glasses. Both he and Leslie trained as sommeliers.
The Wall Street Journal sent Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher here. The Star Tribune followed. Neither visit was by accident.
Robert doesn't rely on platforms to find his guests. He relies on reputation. After thirty years in the wine industry and more than a decade based in Neive, the people who find him tend to be the right people.
Robert and Leslie spent years building relationships with Barbaresco and Barolo producers who work by appointment and personal introduction. Robert still works with them today. The estates on his itineraries are chosen because they are worth visiting, not because they are easy to find.
- Small family estates in Barbaresco not listed on aggregator platforms.
- Barolo producers in the Serralunga and La Morra subzones by prior relationship.
- Winemaker visits arranged around harvest and cellar work, not public tasting schedules.
- Producers in the Langhe and Roero accessible through 30 years of regional industry contacts.
Robert asks about your experience with Piedmont before building a day. If you've already visited the well-known names, he wants to know. Itineraries are private and built around your knowledge level, your interests, and what's actually open and worth your time on the dates you're there. He doesn't run group tours.
Private visits only · By inquiry
Send an inquiry →This operator was personally evaluated by Michelle Ryan: WSET Level 3, French Wine Scholar, owner of an IATAN-accredited travel agency. Vetting criteria: guide credentials, access to producers not available through public booking platforms, and knowledge intake process. Not every operator we evaluate makes it onto this site.