A culinary experience that mixes ancient flavors and influences from beyond the Alps
La Madernassa is a hidden gem in the heart of the Langhe, where beauty, harmony and sustainability blend together in a unique experience.
This Michelin-starred restaurant and resort is known for its commitment to eco-sustainability and biodiversity conservation, embodying the ancestral love for the land and local traditions.
It is recognized among the 100 best restaurants in the world by the We Are Smart Green Guide. La Madernassa shines for its attention to the environment in every detail, from the restaurant to the aromatic herb garden.
The name “La Madernassa” celebrates a variety of native pear, a symbol of the deep connection with the territory and the food and wine culture of the Langhe. Ivan Delpiano, CEO and co-founder, emphasizes the importance of sustainability, a value that his family has always embraced.
The goal is to reduce the environmental impact with biodiversity projects and structural interventions that benefit both the community and the environment. An example is the vast park of over 25,000 square meters that surrounds the resort, equipped with an educational wooded area with ponds and native plants, offering guests an immersive experience in nature.
Renovated in 2003, La Madernassa combines tradition and innovation, using renewable sources for electricity and promoting sustainability in every aspect, from reducing plastic to using recyclable materials.
The water served comes from local sources, reducing the environmental impact of transportation. The structure boasts thermally insulated windows and geothermal boilers for heating, improving energy efficiency.
In the surrounding land, the vineyard, vegetable garden and orchard are managed with organic practices, while a growing native forest reduces CO2 and produces oxygen. La Madernassa’s green policy is also reflected in the choice of local and sustainable suppliers. Every detail, from the selection of ingredients to waste management, is designed to minimize environmental impact, offering a high-quality experience.
The restaurant La Madernassa
At the helm of the 1 Michelin Star restaurant is executive chef Giuseppe D’Errico, a great career abroad: among all, the many years of experience at Maison Troisgros, the oldest Three Michelin Stars in the world, as sous chef. He also worked at the Frescobaldi family’s Ornellaia in Zurich, Of Campania origin, and more precisely from Succivo, Caserta, his cuisine is a fusion of Mediterranean elements and high-school transalpine training.
Arriving at Madernassa, he was able to expertly mix Piedmontese raw materials, including the grey rabbit of Carmagnola, a Slow Food presidium, or Piedmontese peaches and apricots. The Madernassa pear could not be missed, to which a cocktail made with a gin distilled from the fruit is dedicated.
The result is amazing: the meeting of raw materials so distant from each other, but united by the mastery of Chef D’Errico, are savored in dishes that are harmonious creations, for flavors and colors.
The caprese 2.0 is an explosion of basil, of which different species are grown right in the greenhouse, of tomato in various consistencies.
The delicate burrata ricotta that mixes everything together.
The Agritrutta di Cuneo salmon trout in carpione is a revelation: soft on the palate, it lets itself be enveloped by a carpione that is never invasive, light and transformed into a jelly that caresses the taste buds, pleasantly refreshing them.
And what about the combination of rabbit and aubergine? This is how the Royal Rabbit was born, prepared following the recipe of French cuisine that includes a stuffed rabbit roll. A simple, but extremely technical dish, whose result is perfection.
Very soft meat, stuffed with eggplant, cherry tomatoes and anchovy, served with roasted eggplant and a puree, also of eggplant. It reminds us of grandma’s cooking, those Mediterranean scents that are lost in time, but that remain engraved in the memory.
The Mano Libera menu closes with a revisitation of peaches, amaretti and chocolate, a typical Piedmontese dessert. And Origami arrives on the table, a veil of almond that envelops peach and chocolate compote. All served with nectarines and white peaches with peach water. On the side, salted almond ice cream on peach compote.
Giuseppe D’Errico
The menu cards
The menu card offers the possibility of choosing between three types. Qui e Altrove, 5 courses that recall traditional Piedmontese and Campanian dishes; Rivoluzione, 7 courses dedicated to summer (they change according to the season) and A Mano Libera, 7 or 9 courses chosen by the chef.
In addition to the wine list, with a wide list to choose from, including Piedmontese wines first and foremost, then ranging between Italy and France, the water list and the coffee list are interesting.
In particular, the coffee list offers fine blends that come, among other things, from Finca del Rio, a coffee plantation located in the territory of Las Capucas, San Pedro de Copan, in western Honduras.
The plantation is a plot of land adjacent to the Celaque National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with two rivers that cross it, the Rio Colorado and the Rio Aruco.
MAD GIN
MAD Gin was born in 2021 from an idea by Ivan Delpiano Co-Founder and CEO of La Madernassa Resort, whose experience in mixology has deep roots.
The idea of creating a Gin not simply flavored, but actually distilled from the rare, rich and tasty Madernassa pear. The process involves an initial distillation of juniper berries and carefully selected herbs, then a cold maceration phase of the Madernassa pear and subsequent distillation and finally a further distillation to obtain the desired purity.
The result is a Gin with delicate and fragrant notes, closer to a grappa or brandy to be sipped cold and neat at the end of a meal.
The first Gin in the world distilled from the highest quality Madernassa pear.
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