In the heart of the Langhe, a territory of excellence recognized worldwide and loved by wine enthusiasts, Piazzo winery has always had, since the 1980s, an open door to hospitality. Today, in a context that requires new attention and more sophisticated approaches to hospitality, the company has been able to renew its wine tourism offering, placing the quality of the experience and the direct relationship with wine tourists at the center.
From the historic opening of the 1980s to the challenges and opportunities of today, familiarity has always been Piazzo’s stylistic feature in opening its doors to visitors. The turning point, which allowed us to open new roads and in a more systematic and organized way in the world of hospitality, was undoubtedly, as for many other companies, Covid. “For us, the management and attention to this asset has changed a lot in recent years. Although the company has always been very open in terms of hospitality since the 1980s, with the advent of the pandemic we tried to adapt to a more demanding wine tourism, proposing a wine tourism offer that would adapt to the expectations of today’s customers, different not only in terms of age but also with a greater awareness of wines and the territory” explains Simone Piazzo.
Spaces, resources, projects: the milestones of a structured wine tourism
The spaces dedicated to hospitality together with the winemaking premises and the use of sustainable resources and materials are the three cornerstones of the Piazzo project. Large, functional and versatile spaces that immerse the wine tourist in the world of the company, but also human resources as an important asset: today the company has two people dedicated to hospitality on staff, who also deal with other aspects such as communication and back office, thus ensuring a versatility that allows them to convey to wine tourists a broader vision of the company and its philosophy.
“We have made a virtue of necessity by managing to cover a service active 7 days a week with three shifts per day of visits, offering six different experiences designed for different targets: both for the novice or curious person who is starting to approach wine, and for those who want to treat themselves to a few more glasses and learn more about the variety of vines and wines that the Langhe offers. There is also a more fun and playful experience (blind) as well as more technical insights into Nebbiolo, which is the main vine of our territory and the flagship of our company” continues Simone Piazzo. Among the medium-term objectives of the Piedmontese company, the development of areas dedicated to personalized events for groups, where training days can be held, but also events in which wine is at the center of conviviality and fun.
Piazzo’s hospitality key words
If we think about the key words that identify hospitality at “Casa Piazzo”, familiarity is the first in absolute terms. “You are literally at our home and the tastings involve guests from all over the world with whom a confidential relationship is established. Often, after the tour of the cellar, different couples decide to join together at a single table and spend two hours relaxing getting to know each other and comparing notes with each other as well as with us” adds Simone Piazzo.
Another winning pair of keywords in the hospitality world is certainly modularity that marries flexibility: “We are inclined to adapt to requests outside our schemes and to modulate the tasting based on the tastes and needs of the guests. The company has a range of 18 labels so we have ample opportunity to adapt so that they are satisfied with the experience. Finally, information: we try to convey notions and more awareness about vines, wines and the territory without too many technicalities if they are not requested” continues Simone Piazzo.
How has the wine tourist changed over time?
Most of the guests of the winery define themselves as curious or passionate, looking for in-depth and immersion in realities that tell stories capable of reflecting the soul of the territories. “Unlike 10 years ago, today wine tourists want to discover new wineries, not just the big brands or the most renowned names. For this reason, it has become even more important to retain them in the long term and give them new stimuli and arouse interest, as their desire to explore is great. Tastes have also changed over time: before they only looked for great wines for aging, while today there is a growing interest in more everyday wines or wines with a finer and more ready profile” he concludes.
