Cascina Christiana was recommended to us by a friend and we booked to spend our first wedding anniversary there.
It is located in the remote Piedmont region of North Italy but within easy driving distance of Genoa airport. Following the directions provided by Peter and Christiane Kaplanski (the owners), the journey to the house was quite easy, even for nervous drivers !
We stayed in one of the self catering apartments which was spotless and spacious enough for the two of us. The kitchen was well equipped with essentials and even had extras.
Peter and Christiane were excellent hosts who leave you to your own devices but were always happy to offer advice on where to go and where to eat.
Cascina Christiana is a working winery and Peter K was more than happy to give us a guided tour and share his in-depth knowledge of wine making.
Some essential "hot spots" to visit would include Asti, Alba, the local village (Nizza Monferato) and our favourite - Acqui Terme. All are within easy driving distances of the house.
Restaurants to visit include La Due Lanterne (in Nizza M) where the staff speak very good English and provide an English menu for those not fluent in Italian, but the gastronomic highlight of the week was La Sosta in nearby Montabone - reached via a very scenic windy road (not for the faint hearted), our host Luca had opened the restaurant solely for us (at the request of Peter K) and provided the most sublime 7 course meal with accompanying wine - all for a ridiculously low price !
We would definately return to experience a little piece of heaven in Northern Italy !
