Traveling Festival of the Salame Nobile del Giarolo

A festival that changes village every year

The Traveling Festival of the Salame Nobile del Giarolo is one of the most distinctive food and wine events in the Tortona area: as the name suggests, each edition takes place in a different municipality within the Apennine valleys of the province of Alessandria. In 2026, it is the turn of Gremiasco, a small village in the upper Val Curone nestled around the Malaspina castle, for the 23rd edition scheduled for Sunday, July 19, 2026.

The Salame Nobile del Giarolo

The absolute star is the Salame Nobile del Giarolo, a Slow Food Presidium with a long tradition dating back to the 19th century. Named after Mount Giarolo, it is produced in the territory spanning the Curone, Grue, Ossona, and Borbera valleys, in the heart of the Colli Tortonesi. It is made exclusively from prime cuts of pork raised in semi-wild conditions; the mixture is seasoned with salt, peppercorns, and an infusion of garlic and red wine, stuffed into natural casings, and aged for a long period. Various formats exist, from the classic to the "cucito" (sewn) version, which undergoes longer aging.

Tastings and pairings

The festival is an opportunity to meet the Consortium's producers and taste the salami in its various stages of aging, paired with the region's great wines: the Timorasso of the Colli Tortonesi and other local DOC reds and whites. Recent editions have featured guided tastings, masterclasses with ONAS experts, the election of the best salami of the year, and musical entertainment, with the participation of wineries, craft breweries, and local producers.

Gremiasco and the upper Val Curone

Located at an altitude of about 400 meters in the Alessandria Apennines, Gremiasco is a Piedmontese village immersed in a landscape of chestnut forests and small hamlets like Colombassi, Stemigliano, and Musigliano. The festival thus becomes an invitation to discover a lesser-known corner of the Province of Alessandria, defined by rural traditions, genuine cuisine, and mountain hospitality.

A valley tradition

Created to promote the agri-food excellence of the Tortona valleys, the event combines product promotion, territory protection, and conviviality. By moving to a different municipality each year, the festival involves local communities in rotation and keeps one of the most authentic gastronomic traditions of the Apennine Piedmont alive.