How One Conversation Became a Journey Back to Roero

Posted on July 25, 2026 by drinkinlife

One question. One word. A journey that wasn’t finished.

What do you bring home from a journey?

We all return from a journey with photographs, a few keepsakes tucked into a suitcase, and memories of places we couldn’t wait to see. When I returned from Roero, Italy, I brought all of those things home with me. Yet, given enough time, I’ve found it isn’t always those things that stay with me. More often, it’s a conversation I hadn’t expected to have, someone I met for only an afternoon, or a moment that seemed almost ordinary at the time but slowly grew more meaningful after I returned home.

As I began thinking about my return to Roero, Italy, I realized I wasn’t remembering a particular vineyard or even one of the beautiful villages scattered across the hillsides. Instead, I found myself back at a picnic table beneath the trees just outside Canale, where a simple question over lunch that quietly shaped the articles I would later write about Roero.

After spending the morning exploring Roero, we arrived to find a long picnic table waiting beneath the trees. It had been thoughtfully set with hand-painted plates, linen napkins, and fresh flowers. Before anyone took a seat, cameras came out.

As we lingered over lunch, we were joined by Francesca Iraldi from the Consorzio Tutela Roero, our hosts for this study trip. Francesca asked our group a simple question that, at the time, seemed like little more than a thoughtful way to end our meal.

“When you return home, what is the one thing you’ll take away from Roero? Just one word.”

The answers came quickly, as most around the table answered, “Biodynamic.” It wasn’t surprising. Throughout the week we had learned about the region’s deep commitment to farming with respect for the land, and it had become one of the defining themes of our visit. When it was my turn, another word found its way out before I had really thought about it.

Passion.

Looking back, I don’t think I was answering the question so much as describing the people we had met.

I saw it in conversations with winemakers who spoke about their vineyards with the same affection others reserve for family stories. I saw it in restaurant owners who wanted us to understand not only what was on the plate, but why it mattered.

I saw it in every person who welcomed us, not because they were trying to impress a group of visiting journalists, but because they genuinely cared about sharing their corner of Italy.

That answer stayed with me long after I returned home.

As I began writing about Roero, I found myself thinking back to that afternoon again and again. Of course, I wrote about the wines, the villages, and the beautiful landscapes, but I gradually realized those weren’t the stories that had stayed with me the longest. What lingered were the people behind those places, their generosity, and the quiet pride they carried with them every day.

Those became the stories I wanted to tell.

Several months later, an email arrived from Italy that caught me completely by surprise. The Associazione Premio Giornalistico del Roero had selected my series of articles for its journalism award and invited me to return to Roero for the award ceremony on July 24.

As I read through the details, I began to appreciate just how special the recognition was. The Premio Giornalistico del Roero is an annual award that honors journalists, photographers, and media organizations whose work helps tell the story of Roero to audiences in Italy and around the world. It celebrates reporting on the region’s wine, food, biodiversity, history, culture, and traditions. This year, I was honored to receive the Premio Giornalistico del Roero for my travel journalism about Roero, published here on Drink In Life. If you’d like to learn more about the award and explore my complete collection of Roero stories, you can visit my Recognitions page.

I was deeply honored, but there was one problem. The award ceremony was scheduled for July 24, just a few weeks before my son’s wedding. I’ll admit it, I spent more than a little time trying to convince myself I could somehow do both. I looked at flights, studied the calendar, and mentally rearranged the weeks more times than I care to admit. In the end, common sense finally won. With so much still to do before the wedding, my place was at home. I wrote back with sincere thanks, along with the disappointing news that I wouldn’t be able to attend.

Instead, they responded with the same warmth I had experienced throughout my visit to Roero. They invited me to come in the fall, spend a few days in Canale, and receive the award then.

Once again, the people I had written about reminded me exactly why I had answered “Passion” that afternoon beneath the trees.

My first thought wasn’t about the ceremony or even the award itself. It was about that lunch beneath the trees and the question Francesca had asked before leaving our table.

Perhaps that’s because, in many ways, the invitation felt like a continuation of the same conversation. I had traveled to Roero hoping to learn more about a remarkable wine region. I returned home carrying something far more valuable: an appreciation for the people who call it home. Those were the stories I wrote because those were the moments that stayed with me.

Now, in just a few weeks, we’ll be making our way back to Roero.

Before we go, there are still a few stories from that first journey I’d like to share. Over the coming weeks I’ll be revisiting my first visit to Roero, along with a few memories that never found their way onto the blog.

This time, I get to share Roero with my husband. Together we’ll discover places that are entirely new to both of us, but I’ll also finally get to show him a few of the places I couldn’t stop talking about after I returned home last year.

The last time I was there, I filled pages of my notebook. But one word stayed with me: Passion. It seems only fitting that it’s the word bringing me back.

Earlier Stories from Roero

If you’re new to my Roero series, or you’d like to revisit where this journey began before we head back to Italy, here are the articles that started it all:

Thank you for reading and for following along. Is there a place that has stayed with you long after you returned home? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

About Elaine

Elaine is an international award-winning travel writer, wine writer, photographer, and WSET Level 3 wine professional who believes every destination has a story worth telling. Through Drink In Life, she explores wine, travel, gardens, books, food, and the quiet moments that make a life well lived.

Read more about Elaine →