Darien Sisters Launch Italian Wine-centric trips
Sisters Rachel and Michelle recently launched their Culinary Wine Camp with a trip to Italy’s Piedmont region.
Rachel Imbrogno is an expert in Italian wine. Her sister Michelle Imbrogno Miller is an expert in organizing brand-building events for high-end customers. They share a deep love of Italy and have studied, worked, traveled and vacationed there countless times since they were teens growing up in Darien. They are the perfect pair for their new venture, the Culinary Wine Camp.
Passport to Piedmont
The sisters recently created a boutique service that provides immersive, wine-centric trips to off-the-beaten-path regions of Italy. They introduce wine-lovers to select vineyards, wine-makers and high-quality wines. In September, they led a group of 16 people on a five-day, four-night trip to four vineyards in Piedmont. They hiked through vineyards, toured wine cellars and sipped Barolos and Barbarescos in tasting rooms. Lunches and dinners ranged from casual pizzerias to a family-run trattoria to a Michelin-star restaurant. Whether the meals were served family style or in plated courses, Imbrogno thoughtfully paired them with wines of the region. One afternoon, a Slow Food Movement Chef taught the group how to make two pastas and two desserts, which they also (of course) enjoyed with wines.
The inaugural trip to the Piedmont region, where Barolo grapes are grown, included vineyard tours, curated dinners and a cooking class
A real bonus of Culinary Wine Camp is that upon returning to the States, each “camper” picked up a case from Craftbottlz in New Canaan. It was packed with bottles of the wines they tasted on the trip. That addresses a traveler’s lament often heard in wine shops, “Where can I find the wines I tasted in Italy?” Collaborating with a local retailer who knows the import regulations was a smart idea, and Justin Miller, owner of Craftbottlz, along with having a deep knowledge of wine and a devoted following of wine-centric customers, is married to Michelle. It’s more than just a family love affair with wine and Italy. “Little wine stores are really a community within a community in a town, almost like a small club,” says Rachel. Several Craftzbottlz customers are among the initial group of campers.
Depth of Experience
What makes Culinary Wine Camp tours different? “The difference is the depth in which we delve into the wines and the wineries,” says Rachel, who is fluent in and holds a master’s degree in the Italian language. She is certified by the Court Master of Sommeliers and has received her Viticulture Level 4 Certification from the American Sommelier Association. She has longtime connections and friendships with the people who own and operate the vineyards that the campers visited. Though rich in experience and education, Culinary Wine Camp’s days are structured at a pace that allows vineyard visits in the morning, then lunch and free time for hiking or relaxing before dinner. “It’s a vacation, after all,” says Michelle.
Rachel fell in love with the Piedmont, the hilly Northwest region of Italy, for its beauty, wines, gastronomy and people. It is known for the production of wine, white truffles, Piedmontese beef and chocolate-hazelnut gianduja. Along with the reds the region is famous for, including Dolcetta and Barbera, it is also known for producing whites, including Arneis, Gavi di Gavi and Timorasso.
Rachel was very excited to show the region to her sister, and share an idea for starting an exclusive wine travel company. Michelle, the more-nuts-and-bolts sister, can be more circumspect. But when she saw the Piedmont’s hills, vineyards and towns, she instantly fell in love. As she thought about Michelle’s idea, she began to transform Michelle’s “excitement and positivity” into executable actions. Rachel has been an event planner for Travel + Leisure, worked at Food & Wine magazine, and executed brand-building events in Skibo Castle, Scotland, Amanpuri in Phuket, Thailand and pre-opening events at the Getty Museum and Mondrian Hotel in Los Angeles.
A Full-Bodied Experience
Upon returning home from their trip, “campers” will find a bottle of the wines they sampled in Italy waiting for them at Craftbottlz in New Canaan
The inaugural Culinary Wine Camp started in the region where Barolo, the “King of Italian Wines,” is made. The Nebbiolo grape is the foundation of Barolo, and the group learned about how it is grown, harvested and transformed into bold wines that age magnificently. The group took over a boutique hotel and enjoyed a dinner at a restaurant on the gorgeous property. When the campers decided they’d like a walking tour of historic Alba, the sisters added it to the agenda. After two days, the group moved to the town of Bra, home of Carlos Petrini, founder of the Slow Food Movement, and a town with a reputation for gastronomy as well as wine. This part of the Piedmont is known for Barbaresco.
The sisters’ love of Italy goes back to their first visit with their parents. Rachel has been back every year since, sometimes more than twice a year. For three seasons she guided bike tours through Tuscany, Umbria and the Veneto. In the United States she worked with Italian wines, and traveled to Italy to learn every aspect of wine-making. Today, she is the east coast sales director of the fine wine division of Fresh USA. Michelle works in advertising for Trusted Media Brands.
Rachel and Michelle are already planning two Culinary Wine Camp trips for fall of 2026. Working together, the sisters thrive off each other’s qualities. “We jive well,” says Rachel, “With Michelle’s help, I always know, ‘We can do this.’”
For more information on the Culinary Wine Camp, follow their adventures on Instagram @culinarywinecamp.
Dining and Cooking