Meet the Queen of Hazelnuts
The Langhe. Vero fans know this is a region we explore obsessively. We’ve taken you deep into the cellars of Barolo, shared the secrets of Piedmontese classic dishes, and guided you through Alba’s truffles. The Langhe is globally renowned as a capital of great wine, but it is equally celebrated as a premier culinary destination… a place where wine and food are inseparable. Today, we delve into one of the region’s most iconic exports, the hazelnut, and meet the artisan who crafts amazing products with the absolute finest.
Introducing Silvia Martini, a modern farmer, chef, and visionary who embodies the Langhe's commitment to agricultural excellence. While Vero has long been known for bringing wild and scarce wines and olive oils to the US, we are now proudly expanding our portfolio of farm-crafted specialty foods with Silvia. She is a mother, a wife, and a phenomenal producer who seamlessly pulls together her passion for the land and her culinary skill to farm and use one of Piedmont’s most beautiful and protected products: the Hazelnut.
Meet Silvia Martini
Silvia’s connection to the land runs deep; she is the daughter of a family of cattle farmers who historically produced the prized Castelmagno cheese. Before she was a farmer, Silvia pursued a demanding career in social work, caring for the elderly and those with disabilities in residential facilities. Her life was defined by compassionate care, empathy, and the emotional weight of looking after others.
However, a serious family illness and the subsequent loss of her father, spurred a profound reassessment of her path. When her husband proposed shifting focus to the family land, the decision was not about business; it was about time. Silvia chose to leave the emotionally taxing role of caretaker to embrace a life that allowed her more time with her young children and a closer connection to her family. Her husband, from the Langhe, suggested the secondary crop of the area, hazelnuts. The idea intrigued Silvia, and she began cultivating hazelnut groves in Monchiero and the surrounding area, all nestled in the Langhe foothills, coincidentally just down the road from famed Barolo producer Aldo Clerico.
Raw hazelnuts in their shell, in Silvia’s storefront.
She found a peace and love in caring for her trees, and that this pivot from social caregiver to farmer and artisan was deeply fulfilling. While Silvia feels that the best part of her job is being in the fields, a place that lets her mind wander and allows her to connect with and nurture the earth, she also began experimenting with something more: using the hazelnuts for something more. Her husband saw her creativity blooming and hands itching, suggesting "Why don't you transform the nuts yourself?". So she did.
Now, Silvia has become a true entrepreneur, running her hazelnut groves and her combo storefront, laboratory, and pastry shop. This is the hub of her business in the newer part of Monchiero (where Silvia and her trees are located in the hilltop perch of old-town Monchiero) where she not only crafts her products, but also hosts hazelnut tasting workshops and pastry classes with Italian pastry masters. The storefront portion offers not only her packaged products for sale (like those that Vero offers in the VeroShop), but also other handmade products like gelato, chocolates, cookies, and cakes.
Meet Silvia’s Hazelnuts…
The dedication Silvia pours into her groves is certified by a powerful mark of quality: the IGP (Protected Geographical Indication). This is not a simple marketing label; it is a vital certification in Italy that verifies the origin and production of a product. For foods in Italy, certified with this “denomination” of sorts (there can actually be wines, too, that fall under an IGP appellation), it is a sign of a genuine product. It is the difference, for example, between Parmigiano Reggiano and parmesan. Parmigiano Reggiano is certified, but parmesan and be any product that chooses to call itself such. An IGP designation legally protects products against imitation, and it guarantees provenance: you know an IGP product is good, like you would with a DOCG wine like Barolo.
The specific nut Silvia cultivates under the IGP is the highly prized Nocciola Trilobata one of the very best hazelnut variety in the world, renowned for its incredible flavor, high fat content (which makes it great for creams and spreads), and a long shelf life.
This certification is critical because it draws a clear line between Silvia’s farm-crafted specialty food and industrial operations. But a key important distinction really sets Silvia Martini’s hazelnuts apart is actually more than just the IGP. Silvia not only follows the IGP’s strict laws, but pairs them a commitment to organic farming, sustainability, and regenerative agricultural farming as well to maintain healthy soil in her groves.
For Silvia, the challenge lies in educating consumers that her product is artisanal, not industrial. Having customers and fans understand that every single product is made by her, sometimes her husband, with no employees. Her products reflect the utmost quality, cultivated in natural groves using organic and regenerative agricultural techniques, ensuring the highest quality, flavor, and a dedication to the land.
A full array of some of Silvia’s many hazelnut based products.
… and Her Products.
Silvia has impressively lived up to her dream to “transform” her hazelnuts… taking them from her groves, into IGP Hazelnuts, and into an incredible range of delicious, farm-crafted specialties. These can range from the plain, whole toasted nuts themselves, to candied versions, sweet creams, and even pasta. Besides the pasta, all of Silvia’s products are gluten free, and only the white cream has actual milk or lactose added.
Here are some of our favorite ways to enjoy each product!
Toasted Hazelnuts: These are Silvia's premium IGP nuts, expertly toasted to bring out their intense, earthy flavor. Toss them into salads, crush them over ice cream, or simply enjoy them as a healthy snack or with an aperitivo.
Caramelized Candied Hazelnuts: These perfectly toasted nuts are coated in a thin, crisp layer of caramelized sugar, maintaining their intense hazelnut crunch and flavor underneath the sweetness. Of course, we love them as is… but try them chopped as a topping for yogurt and granola or even serve them alongside an espresso as a palate cleanser.
Sweet Hazelnut Praline Cream: A rich, sweet cream, it is made by grinding finely her caramelized hazelnuts, it has a creamy texture, and a bitter caramel undertone flavor balancing the sweet nuttiness. Spread it on warm toast, use it as a filling for croissants or tarts, or simply enjoy a spoonful to cure a sweet tooth.
Gianduja Hazelnut and Cacao Cream: The classic Piedmontese blend of hazelnuts and high-quality cacao powder, this spread is the region’s original answer to hazelnut-chocolate perfection. In fact, Nutella was based off of the historic precedence Gianduja creams present in the area… so that makes this an artisanal Nutella! Mix it into milkshakes, swirl it into crêpes, and use it as you would Nutella.
Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Cream: A decadent, dark version of the Gianduja cream, it features a higher ratio of high-quality cacao for a deeper, more robust chocolate intensity. Great for drizzling over fruit, dipping churros, and elevating a simple scoop of ice cream.
White Hazelnut Cream: A velvety, lighter-hued spread that highlights the creaminess of the hazelnut with a gentle sweetness and a smooth finish. With more sugar and some milk powder, it is sweeter and lighter than the cacao based creams. This makes it great for a frosting substitute or a luxurious dipping sauce for cookies.
Hazelnut Flour Pasta: Traditional Italian pasta dough is enriched with Silvia's fine hazelnut flour, giving the noodles a delicate, nutty aroma and slight toastiness. Pair them with simple butter and sage, or toss it with a creamy porcini mushroom sauce to complement the nutty undertones.
Hazelnut Pesto: This pesto sauce is really special… thanks to its multitude of uses! The IGP hazelnuts adds a delicate, earthy, and richly fragrant flavor that immediately distinguishes this pesto from the traditional basil kind. What can you do with it? As a Pasta Sauce: mix it in with butter and parmigiano reggiano, stir in a little cooking water, then toss in cooked pasta for a quick, elegant meal. Or, use it straight out of the jar in place of mayo or mustard on sandwiches, burgers, or as a decadent spread on toasted crostini or bruschetta. We love it too a dip or topping: dollop it on top of roasted fish (like salmon), grilled chicken, or use it as a robust dip for steamed vegetables. Lastly, stir it into other sauces to add a nutty kick, like for a Roast with Hazelnuts.
Silvia with some of her hazelnut products.
Get Your Hands on Hazelnuts
Silvia Martini is the embodiment of the passionate, small-scale producer that Vero seeks to champion. Her tireless work in the groves and the shop provides us with artisanal products that capture the true, authentic flavor of the Langhe. As a reminder, we sell our carefully curated portfolio of small production wines, specialty foods, teas, and olive oils to both businesses and consumers across the US:
We are enlarging our network of distributors around the country. Reach out to us if you are interested in distributing our wines.
We sell to wine stores and restaurants in certain states - contact us if you would like more info.
For you wine and foodies out there, check out our online shop for a great selection of wines, foods, olive oils, and more;
We also have great wine gift ideas, and award winning wine club for true wine explorers seeking to continually discover unique, sustainable and authentic small production wines they never had.
We do corporate gifts and sommelier guided wine tastings. Email us and we’ll tailor unique and sustainable corporate gift ideas.
