Barolo

Matthew Gavin Frank grew up eating mostly microwaved meals and fatty foods, and only later decided to take cooking and eating seriously. That decision took him to Barolo, a small Italian town of about 646 people in Piedmont, where he pitched a tent in a farmhouse garden and set out to understand Italian cuisine from the bottom up. This book recounts those six months.

Frank found work picking grapes for Luciano Sandrone, a well-known winemaker, and learned the harvest alongside his explorations of the local food and wine. Between these tasks he came to know the families of the area and the colorful figures who keep its shops and kitchens running, including winemakers, butchers, bakers, and restaurant owners. The town's regional produce, crowded markets, and lively, carnival-like days give the account its texture.

The result blends travel writing with a memoir of a culinary education. Alongside his daily life, Frank shares historical and culinary background on Piedmont and reflects on what it means to be a foreigner, with food and wine as the lens for those reflections.