An Italian road trip in SLO County — complete with wine, pasta and an Alfa Romeo

My wife and I have an enduring connection with Italy that transcends our love of pastas, cappuccino, the compelling voice of Andrea Bocelli, or timeless art like Botticelli’s “Primavera.”

Of course, there’s the visceral thrill of a Ferrari exhaust note at speed, the artistically sculpted body lines of a Lamborghini or Maserati, and the Italian attraction of an Alfa Romeo or smile-inducing Fiat 500e.

All this beckons us back to Italy, where we have appreciated first-hand the art, the food, the cars and the culture. We have experienced the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, witnessed artisans hand-stitching Ferrari seats in Maranello, and visited Lamborghini’s production facility in Sant’Agata Bolognese.

Many times we have also marveled at the legions of tiny city cars parked nose-to-tail — and at times wedged in tail-to-curb — alongside the impossibly crowded streets of Rome. Then there was the unforgettable Rome 500 Experience, a self-drive guided tour that found us exploring the eternal city at night in a vintage Fiat Cinquecento (500) city car.

Here we were, yearning for yet another visit to Italy and immersion in its many wonders ... but the timing wasn’t right. Still, the desire for an Italian experience was strong enough to get us thinking of ways to make it happen, in spirit if not in presence.

Hmmm ... how about a three-day road trip, not in Italy, but in California where we live? Italian culture is ingrained through much of the United States. In fact, our decades of life experiences here in the Golden State have shown our environs to be replete with everyday Italian.

Italian culture is everywhere in California

Even our geography draws comparisons.

Santa Barbara is often referred to as the “American Riviera” with its Mediterranean climate and architecture, creating a spiritual connection to Italy’s Amalfi Coast. To the south, San Diego’s expansive Little Italy lends a distinct feeling of Italian immersion with its many Italian restaurants, shops, hotels, and popular Piazza della Famiglia.

Farther north are Italian-reminiscent routes plied by the annual Haggarty California Mille road rally.

Meandering from San Francisco along California’s northern coast, the Sierra Nevada, and the environs of Napa and Sonoma, the California Mille honors the historic 1,000-mile Mille Miglia race that ran from Rome to Brescia and back over three decades, through 1957.

The California Mille finds 1957 and earlier model sports cars traversing roads and landscapes reminiscent of the original route. We had the opportunity to participate in the California Mille during the rally’s third year in 1993.

Segue to present day.

Our latest adventure here at home began behind the wheel of an Alfa Romeo Tonale, a beautifully designed SUV that would serve as an ideal underpinning for our Italian-American journey.

This Alfa Romeo not only exudes sensuous Italian style, but as a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV), it also speaks to the environmental sensibilities of today.

The Tonale can travel 33 miles exclusively on zero-emission battery power – sufficient for most folks’ daily driving needs – before reverting to gas-electric hybrid drive to deliver an overall 360 miles of driving range. We appreciated that range during our travels.

Heading out from our San Luis Obispo digs, we headed northbound on Highway 101 and we set our sights for a two-night stay at Allegretto Vineyard Resort in Paso Robles wine country. Although located just a short distance from this major thoroughfare off Highway 46 East, arriving here lends the feeling of being a world away, literally.

We took it in while casually motoring our Alfa Romeo along the property’s long driveway, a view of Allegretto’s welcoming fountain and distinctive old world architecture coming into view.

We were still in California, yet instantly transported to Italy.

Begin with a vineyard tour

We arrived well before check-in time for a 10 a.m. vineyard tour and tasting experience. With luggage stowed, a personable guide welcomed our tour group at the resort’s lobby-adjacent grand portico, then led us to the first of many fascinating points of interest within the property’s expansive 20-acre grounds.

There was plenty to take in. Along with its eight acres of vineyards, Allegretto features orchards, manicured gardens, and extensive walking paths that beckon one to explore and contemplate one’s surroundings.

Vantage points along the way provide impressive views of the Allegretto that truly impart the feeling of being in another place and time, especially when taking in the entirety of the hotel and its bell tower, framed with the vineyard, olive trees, and impossibly tall Italian cypress reaching to the sky.

On our tour, we learned that all this is the vision of Douglas Ayres, a fourth-generation hotelier driven to share the insights and discoveries borne of his worldwide travels.

Ayres’ aim is to encourage appreciation of the peace and tranquility that immersion in the property’s meticulously presented themes, elements and architecture can bring to its guests and visitors, and thus a deeper connection to life and our environment.

There are distinct European elements to be discovered throughout the property’s grounds and on its walls, where one finds museum quality sculptures and art discovered during Ayers’ journeys.

One of the more compelling sights you’ll run across is a French-inspired stone abbey with its stained-glass windows, art, sculptures and rustic wooden benches that invite moments of reflection. A stroll across Allegretto’s 12,000 square foot Piazza Magica courtyard and through the resort’s hallways again reinforces the feeling of another place with an array of curated objects and paintings that encourage a closer look.

Off the main lobby and accessible through Piazza Magica, the Allegretto’s Sequoia Room features the resort’s private label wine and an opportunity to enjoy tasting and charcuterie amid an old-world atmosphere.

A not-to-miss feature here is a massive cross section of a giant sequoia tree that had fallen in Sequoia National Park. Dating back to 214 B.C., its rings present a marked history timeline indicating both World Wars, the birth of Christ, and the building of the Great Wall of China.

Amenities are impressive

Allegretto’s tastefully decorated rooms, of course, are wonderful and the amenities offered guests — from the Cello Ristorante and Bar, the full-service Spa Allegretto, and inviting pool with cabanas — tempt the senses.

That should come as no surprise considering this resort has been acknowledged by USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards with the distinction as the No. 2 Best Wine Country Hotel in the United States, the third year in a row it has been honored with this award.

A day spent relaxing poolside within a welcoming cabana, replete with convenient meal service and of course a refreshing Aperol spritz or two, presented a perfect end point for our last afternoon during our Italian getaway.

On our final morning we roamed the grounds again to absorb the Italian vibe that had captivated us throughout our stay.

We noted the European architecture, the line of bright yellow tandem bikes racked next to a sculpture of a reclining girl absorbed in a book, and took one last opportunity to appreciate the calming atmosphere of the small abbey.

A leisurely stroll along the Star Garden Trail, with its intriguing labyrinths that encourage one to clear the mind and step beyond the hustle of everyday life, definitely called to us.

We stayed long enough for a goodbye breakfast at the Cello.

Embracing the property’s overall Tuscan theme so skillfully blended with mixed European features, it seemed appropriate for us to enjoy an artfully crafted Italian omelet and elegant French toast with fruit, which did not disappoint.

Casting a wistful eye at Allegretto’s welcoming portico, we loaded up our gear and headed out the long driveway, our rear view mirror reflecting Allegretto’s imposing main building and portico as we made our way toward one last Italian-themed adventure.

Heading southbound on Highway 101, our destination was Tin City, a cluster of makers market experiences just a 10-minute drive south.

Time spent here allows exploring an array of wineries specializing in Italian varietals.

We stopped at Ella’s Vineyards tasting room, which features Italian wines with a California approach.

A visit to Olivas de Oro is also a must for olive oil tasting or shopping their wide selection of cold pressed and flavored olive oils or balsamic vinegars.

Those desiring a meal can enjoy a wide selection of Italian wines at Etto Pasta Bar, which we highly recommend for its hearty Italian sandwiches, desserts, innovative pasta dishes, and sharing specialties like Cioppino and Bistecca alla Fiorentina.

A more elevated dining experience is also an option at Six Test Kitchen with its exclusive multiple-course tasting menu that features three small bites, eight courses, and five desserts.

Since this is an intimate 12-seat Michelin Star restaurant open only Wednesdays through Saturdays, reservations are a must and there is often a long waitlist, so planning ahead is essential.

More than an illusion of Italy

After time spent at Allegretto, one could surmise that this property — this concept — creates an illusion that one is in Italy.

Really, that’s not quite right. It’s as if you have been transported there, to the Tuscan countryside amid all its grandeur and architectural spectacle, experiencing life at an expansive villa with an eye toward European art, design and culinary delights.

What’s missing is the lyrical sound of Italian being spoken all around you, but we can live with that.

We’ve experienced the opposite in Monza at the Italian Gran Prix, where the cars, the race and the pageantry appeared very familiar to us as American race fans, but the Italian banners and the sounds — save for the Ferraris at speed — were not.

At Allegretto, we could just embrace the notion that the friendly English-speaking folks around us were dual-language Florentines striving to make us feel at home.

You can replicate our Italian experience as easily behind the wheel of your everyday vehicle as in an Italian exotic.

But if you want to go all-in with the theme, you can rent Italian cars like an Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Fiat 500, and even a Lamborghini or Ferrari from the car-sharing platform Turo if one is available and you’re so inclined.

Regardless of your approach, do head out on your own California exploration of Italian hospitality, style and culture.

It’s good for the soul and as fulfilling as a hearty meal of spaghetti carbonara finished off with a cappuccino and tiramisu.

Along the Central Coast, you can spend days filled with gastronomic visits at such Italian institutions as Buona Tavola, Giuseppe’s, Café Roma, Pasta House, Il Cortile, Nicola Bachiche, and so many others.

And wine? Yes please.

With hundreds of wineries dotting the Central Coast landscape, there’s no shortage of ones filling your need for a taste of Italian delights like sangiovese, nebbiolo, barbera, aglianico, teroldego, and montepulciano.

There is every opportunity for Italian immersion along the way.

As our Italian road trip wound down and time with our Alfa Romeo Tonale coming to an end, we smiled at our sweet Italian ride, thinking “ciao bella” ... you’ve been good company on our Italian adventure. We felt an overwhelming sense that our mission was complete.

Arrivederci, Allegretto, we will miss you. But you can count on us returning as Italy pulls at our heartstrings and we’re once again drawn to an Italian experience as authentic as they come here on California’s Central Coast.