The town of Morbegno in Italy is an Alpine mountain village where slow travel and healthy living are a way of life. The rustic, traditional architecture tells us that we are in the Alps.

Located in the Lombardy in the province of Sondrio, 36 km (22 m) from Lake Como and 117 km (72 mi) from Milan you can easily get there by car or train.

100 years of wine and cheese

On the Valtellina Wine Tour managed by Lake Como Food Tours, we stopped at Fratelli Ciapponi, a historical bottega full of gourmet delights. The shop dates back to 1883 and has been in the same family for over 100 years! We were invited into the wine cellar which descends two levels underground.

Insider tip: There are many wine cellars in the town of Morbegno. Every year they host an event called Morbegno in Cantine, where wine and cheese cellars open to the public.

Going down the first flight of stairs, you can immediately feel the temperature drop. The thick walls of mountain rock naturally insulate the cellar. Barrels and bottles of wines, massive wheels of cheese and dangling salami fill the nooks and crannies of the dim vault.

Wine tip: wine should be stored at low temperature but served at room temperature.

After a lesson on wine storage and the process of cheese aging, we go upstairs for a cheese tasting. We try the a local delicacy, Casera aged cheese; one year, two years and another that was matured for ten years. The ten-year cheese is rich and savory whereas the young cheese is mild and soft.

Fratelli Ciapponi

Piazza 3 Novembre, 23 – 23017 Morbegno (Sondrio)
Tel. +39.0342.610223

I completely agreed with Heather, one of my travel companions when she said: “I could stay here all day!”

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Read more about my experience of this tour on LakeComoStyle.com

More photos of Fratelli Ciapponi boutique, wine, and cheese cellar

All photos by @aber.nethy

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