PIEDMONT Piedmont is one of Italy's most important regions for sweets -- especially chocolate. Piedmont's capital, Turin, home of the 2006 Winter Olympics, is Italy's fourth-largest city in Italy. In 1678, Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy, licensed the Turin baker Antonio Ari "to sell a chocolate drink." This was later to become the most popular drink in town, called bicherin - "little glass" - because it was served in a small glass with a metal base and handle. From then on, the art of fine chocolate making thrived in Turin and throughout Piedmont. By the end of the 17th century Turin was Italy's chocolate capital and even exported to Austria, Switzerland, France and Germany. Gianduia - the delicious combination of chocolate and Piedmont hazel nuts-was invented in Piedmont during the Carnival period in 1867. The name comes from Turin's traditional masked-character, Gianduia. In addition, Turin also lays claim to the creation of miniature chocolates, which were as small as acorns and called givu in the local dialect. Sweets Amaretti Bonet, a sort of pudding of chocolate and amaretti cookies Baci di dama Gianduiotti Krumiri Torrone Torta alle nocciole Zabaglione Dessert Wines Asti Spumante docg Brachetto d'Acqui, docg, sweet and sparkling red wine, first wine to reach docg status in Italy Caluso Moscato d'Asti Special IGP ingredients of Piedmont Hazelnuts, "nocciole" in Italian. The name Nocciola del Piemonte is reserved for the nut of the Tonda Gentile delle Langhe cultivar. Consorzio Tutela Nocciola del Piemonte, www.nocciolapiemonte.it Makers of Sweets in Piedmont Baratti Balocco Bistefani Caffarel Ferrero Maina Novi Pastiglie Leone Pernigotti Peyrano Venchi