The Agriturismo Life in Piedmont

If Italy did not exist, surely we would have to conjure her. It’s a land of rustic wines, hearty food, undulating hills, art-filled churches and medieval walled towns populated by some of the most vivacious people on Earth. It’s also a place offering an infinite variety of experiences, destinations waiting to be explored and new adventures around every corner. And where do you stay to best connect to the land and its people? Look no further than the often humble agriturismo piedmont, a working farm or winery that doubles as a guest house and welcomes visitors to the “true Italy.”

The result of a government program designed to preserve Italy’s agricultural heritage, the best agriturismo piedmont have proven popular beyond anyone’s imagination. For you, that means no shortage of often quirky and generally affordable places to use as a home base in the countryside. In many regions, these may be farms but in Piedmont you’ll find yourself surrounded by vines. Breakfast will often be products baked in-house and, of course, you can’t leave until you taste the wines.

If you’re headed to agriturismo Piedmont for truffles or to drink some Barolo, here are three agriturismi worth a stay.

 

La Torricella

La Torricella sits on the edge of the Barolo DOCG with the town of Serralunga d’Alba towering on a hill in the distance. Perched above the main road to Monforte d’Alba and Barolo, this best agriturismo piedmont welcomes visitors with eight rooms, a restaurant and a working winery.

Built in 2007, the guesthouse rooms have all the modern conveniences including flat screen TV and Wi-Fi. Each has a floral motif, both in name and color, and a balcony with an expansive view of the countryside. An outdoor swimming pool is the perfect cooler from the intense summer heat. The extensive breakfast buffet is laid out with homemade fruit tarts and pastries, jams, meats, local cheeses and more. Don’t forget to try their wines including the luscious, velvety Dolcetto d’Alba “Ariota.”

 

 

Enolocanda Del Tufo

What could be better than waking up to views of terraced vineyards and distant mountains? How about a breakfast of homemade bread and jams while you bask in the sun on the porch? Life is good at the family owned Enolocanda Del Tufo, a working winery and guest house just twelve kilometers south of Barolo in the town of Dogliani.

Del Tufo offers simple yet comfortable accommodations with five double rooms, two suites and two apartments. Terraces abound, so grab a book, relax and take in views of the Alps. Or head into town for great food and a twice weekly farmers’ market.

The winery produces organic wines from grapes grown on the hillsides surrounding the property as well as three types of grappa. Enjoy a rustic dinner of regional specialties in Del Tufo’s restaurant as well as delicious family-made olive oil from Puglia.

 

Cascina degli Ulivi

Decidedly more rustic is Cascina degli Ulivi in Novi Ligure. The estate started out as an organic farm, which owner Stefano Bellotti has worked hard to grow from one hectare to more than 33 hectares of vineyards, wheat, fruit trees and vegetables. Ulivi’s wines are prized by wine aficionados for their skin contact but you don’t have to be a wine lover to stay in these rustic surroundings. Want to try your hand at bread making? Take a course. Want to bike the countryside? They have mountain bikes. Of course, you can also take winery and farm tours that explain their working methods. You can even help out with pruning and the harvest.

The guest house is basic – no TV’s in the room but they do have Wi-Fi – and each of the four duplex bedrooms is family friendly, with a double bed and bath on the ground floor and a loft with multiple beds above. If you visit from Thursday to Sunday, dine in Ulivi’s restaurant where 80% of the products served come from the farm.

The country code for Italy is 39.