Piemonte, Northern Italy, will host the 2018 Bocuse d'Or Europe, the world-famous culinary competition often referred to as the 'Mount Everest of Cooking' for its grandeur and extreme nature. Making history, this will be the first time the event travels to Italy since its inception in 1987. 

It's no surprise that Piemonte was selected to host this epic culinary event as the region boasts the highest number of Michelin-starred chefs in Italy. Among them is Enrico Crippa, a three Michelin star chef whose restaurant, Piazza Duomo, in Alba (Cuneo) sources its produce from the chef's own farm.

From June 10th to 12th, the 2018 Bocuse d'Or Europe will welcome twenty young European chefs who have qualified to compete by winning their respective national rounds in their home countries. These up and coming chefs will attempt to succeed the reigning champ, Tamas Szell from Hungary, to win the European Trophy. The winner will also receive a ticket to participate in the 17th Bocuse d'Or World event held January 2019 and compete against recent world champion and American chef, Matthew Peters. 

It's only fitting for Piemonte to host one of the top culinary events of the year as the region is home to world-class wines such as Barbaresco and Barolo - an extraordinary wine-growing area part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites -,nine Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) cheeses, and the world-renowned Alba White Truffle. 

Piemonte is also home to a number of culinary curiosities such as The Grissini (the world's first breadstick), The Gianduja Chocolate (the world's first chocolate including hazelnuts), and The Pinguino (the world's first gelato to be served dipped in chocolate).

CURRENT CULINARY DEALS TO PIEMONTE

Travelers can revel in all of Piemonte's culinary glory by joining U.S. tour operator Country Walkers on one of their 7-Day Piemonte Walking Tours. For a limited time, Country Walkers is offering 5% off their Piemonte adventures when travelers mention code PRPIEDMONT at booking. With departures in May and September, Country Walkers will walk with a small group of food and wine lovers across the region, where guests will lunch and learn from master cheese makers and sip on one-of-a-kind wines with the vintners themselves. 

For cycling enthusiasts, U.S. tour operator VBT is offering $200 off their Piemonte 10-Day Cycling Journey for travelers who book by February 10th. New for 2017, VBT is offering electric bikes for guests who would like an extra push up some of Piemonte's famed hilly wine regions. Highlights of VBT's Piemonte cycling trip include touring the medieval streets of Barolo, visiting the UNESCO-listed Spumante wine cellars, learning to make wood-fired pizza and taking part in a lively truffle hunt with a local trifolao and his dog. 

For more about Country Walker's 5% off Walking Trips in Piemonte, please visit 
http://www.countrywalkers.com/tours/italy-piedmont/. Terms and conditions apply. 

For more about VBT's $200 off Cycling Trips in Piemonte, please visit https://www.vbt.com/tours/cycling-piedmont-italy-slow-food/. Terms and conditions apply. 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Travelers can enjoy 5% off Country Walkers Piemonte Walking Tour and $200 off VBT's Piemonte Cycling Tour by using code PRPIEDMONT at time of booking. VBT departure dates are as follows: May 18, June 15, June 22, and Sep 7, 2017. Country Walkers tour dates are as follows: May 14-May 20, 2017 and Sep 17-Sep 23, 2017. Must book by Feb 10th, 2017. 

CONTACT
Ally Stoltz LaBriola
ally@myriadmarketing.com

ABOUT PIEMONTE, ITALY
Bordering Switzerland and France, the Piemonte region of northern Italy sits at the foot of the Alps and is well regarded for its cultural offerings including historical Royal residences and fifteen UNESCO sites. The region is also famed for its alpine skiing and outdoor adventures around the surrounding lake areas. For foodies, Piemonte is home to unrivalled white truffles and fine wines such as Barolo, Barbaresco and Asti Spumante. Spanning 15,000 square miles (twice the size of Massachusetts), Piemonte is the largest region in Italy after Sicily and offers an unmatched Italian experience from culture and history to food and wine. For North American travellers, the fastest way to access the Piemonte region is to fly into Milan International Airport via major US carriers. By car, Torino is a one-hour and a half drive from the Milan International Airport. Additionally, there are daily scheduled train arrivals into Torino.  

ABOUT DMO PIEMONTE MARKETING
Piemonte Marketing is the regional tourist board of Piemonte Region in Italy. Piemonte is an emerging tourist destination, as shown by the trend of tourist flows and the resulting economic impact assessment. This trend has been growing over recent years and in 2006, also thanks to the Winter Olympic Games, Piemonte consolidated its position on the national and international markets counting 13.5 million visitors. A very positive trend, especially for the market segments and the areas where great work has been done for the product development, the quality improvement of the accommodation facilities and a targeted marketing and tourism promotion policy, supported by market researches and studies.

LINKS
Piemonte Tourism Website: http://www.piemonteitalia.eu/?lang=en
Piemonte Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/VisitPiemonte
Piemonte marketing Website: www.piemonte-turismo.it/en