From a small sheet!

Petra – Holland 2022 (★ ★ ★ ★ ★)

Petra - Ca Dra Topia
Dear Giovanna,

We stayed in the Grape House for a week.
A beautiful house, fully equipped with everything we needed.
We want to give you a big compliment. The house is beautifully decorated with more than enough towel and linen.
But most important; the house couldn’t be cleaner!!
We also enjoyed the wonderful view and the peace.
Thank you for the great holiday in this beautiful place.
Take care and stay healthy
Wim, Petra, Anna and Casper.

Gro, Jack, Norway – England 2017 (★ ★ ★ ★ ★)

Dear Madam! Thank you for a most wonderful stay in your villa. We have had everything we could dream of. The area is worderful, food e drink (wine) amazing and the villa cosy and so well decorated and equipped. Welldone! Hope you cold is getting better. Take care. Thanks again. Kindly Gio x Jack
Dear Madam! Thank you for a most wonderful stay in your villa. We have had everything we could dream of. The area is worderful, food e drink (wine) amazing and the villa cosy and so well decorated and equipped. Welldone! Hope you cold is getting better. Take care. Thanks again. Kindly Gro, Jack

From TripAdvisor

Elizabeth L, “Warm welcome, gracious hospitality, personal touch.”, 2016 (★ ★ ★ ★ ★)

We share many of the same positive experiences of Cascina Bricchetto that are mentioned in other reviews. Our time at the” Bread Oven House” was simply delightful. We were two couples traveling together. Time in the Piedmont was to be our “slow travel” week following busy/crowded times in Venice and the Cinque Terre. All of our advance communications with Giovanna were thorough and welcoming. We much appreciated her offers of help with our itinerary, and at the same time appreciated her flexibility given our need to wait and see what we might like to do (based on weather, energies, spontaneous choices, etc.). The hilltop location, vistas, scents and sounds of late May in the Langhe were gorgeous and thoroughly intoxicating–even on cloudy days.This is a place that is well-loved and has been restored and tended to with great care. Giovanna’s abundant fruit trees and garden are a testament to her hard work. The accommodations were spotless, aesthetics pleasing,(the pictures don’t do full justice to how lovely everything is!)– fully stocked kitchen with lots of pantry items, and of course, the welcome bottles of local wine! We opted for breakfast for the morning after we arrived and were loaded up with typical cheeses, bread and jam, ripe cherries, tomato sauce and a hazelnut cake made by Giovanna herself — to die for!! This food lasted us the entire week. Giovanna was available, but never intrusive, and urged us to make ourselves at home, which we truly felt comfortable doing. Local market schedules, maps and guide-pamphlets were provided. We chose to take a cooking class with Giovanna and spent a memorable two afternoons in her kitchen learning the ins and outs of her salsa verde, risotto al fungi porcini, ravioli fatti in casa. The stories shared, traditional techniques learned, and delicious resulting meals were honestly, the highlight of our visit. There is so much to see and do in the region and Casino Bricchetto is situated ideally for trips to Neive, Alba, Bra, Barbaresco, for anyone interested in the abundance the region has to offer. Giovanna will guide you and will help you get more of an insider’s view of the local culture. We barely scratched the surface. I’d highly recommend Cascina Bricchetto to anyone who wants to slow down, enjoy a little slice of heaven away from the crowds, listen to the wind in the vines the cuckoo bird, and still be within reach of all of the history, art, food and wine the region has to offer.

From HomeAway

Louise, “Clean, luxurious holiday home with stunning view”, 2016 (★ ★ ★ ★ ★)

Giovanna, the hostess and owner of this luxurious and charming holiday house, has so much to offer. Prior to our arrival, Giovanna had sent us several, interesting suggestions of activities in which we could partake to make our stay in this beautiful region a memorable one. She even did some additional research to find a traditional, cultural festival (folk dance and musicians) so that we could experience the culture of the people of the Piedmont region.

Upon our arrival, we were met by Giovanna who welcomed us with open arms. She walked us through the house explaining how the appliances and fireplace worked, shown us where everything was and made us feel very comfortable.

Cascina Bricchetto-Cà Der Forn is located on top of a hill surrounded by vineyards. It is immaculate and tastefully decorated with antiques.

The kitchen and washrooms are well equipped with everything from dishes, pots and pans, spices, pasta noodles, towels and linen, toiletries, detergents, etc. Two bottles of local wine, homemade jams, hazelnuts from Giovanna’s orchards were on the counter upon our arrival.

The view from our place was exceptional, even on cloudy days. On a clear day, you can actually see the Alps at a distance – absolutely stunning, panoramic view.

Giovanna is very knowledgeable about Italy, and specifically of the Langhe region and all that it has to offer. She has many connections in the various businesses and it is easy for her to make suggestions that will best suit your needs. In her professional and generous self, she taught us how to make a Tirami Sù and shared with us her garden herbs.

I would not hesitate to recommend this place to anyone who wishes to live a great experience, away from the crowds.

From TripAdvisor

Eliza, Hong Kong, 2016 (★ ★ ★ ★ ★)

My husband and I stayed here for one week, from 22nd Jan to 29th Jan 2016. Giovanna, the landlady, made sure that we’d get the most out of our stay even before we had arrived, by putting together an itinerary for us for our week’s stay. We exchanged numerous emails in the weeks leading up to our visit, regarding our interests and what we wanted to do during our stay. She gave us new ideas based on local specialties and advised us on what was good and not so good. For example, we wanted to go truffle hunting but Giovanna said that due to recent weather conditions it was not a good time to do so and maybe not worth the money we’d have to spend.. The great thing about Giovanna is that she has a wealth of knowledge of the local area, is not afraid to give her opinion and is very honest. She really is a valuable resource that will help you enjoy your holiday to the fullest. Despite the fact that January is a slow period for tourism, and many places of interest (wineries, dairies, etc.) are closed to visitors, Giovanna’s connections and huge efforts meant that we had more than enough appointments to fill our time. We managed to hit a number of wineries and vineyards specialising in different types of wine, a dairy, a hazelnuts and sweets factory, local markets, a stone village and a wine museum. If you have a passion for food and wine, as my husband and I do, this is a fantastic area to visit.

The property itself is ideal for such a holiday. We stayed in the smaller of two houses – the two bedroom, two bathroom “Ca der Forn”. The farmhouse style cottage is charming and rustic but has also been fully renovated for comfort. The central heating system allows you to set the thermostat by the hour (on a 24 hour timer) so you can make sure that you always have as much warmth as you want exactly when you want it. Even though we were there during the coldest time of the year, the cottage was always toasty. The kitchen has all you need to cook for yourselves, including all the cookware, tableware, glassware, and even basic groceries, such as dry pasta, olive oil, a few different types of vinegar, salt, pepper, dried herbs, coffee, tea, honey, etc. On our arrival we were also given gifts of Giovanna’s home made tomato sauce, home made jam, a huge bowl of nuts (hazelnuts and almonds from Giovanna’s own trees and walnuts) and fruit, and two bottles of local wine. All toiletries and basic household items such as laundry detergent, toilet paper, dishwashing liquid, hand soap and so on are also provided, so it really feels as if you have transported yourself to a real home in a different location. It is a huge hassle to have to bring small amounts of basic household items (or purchase full packets of them just to use for a week) to a holiday rental, so having all these things ready stocked really made things so much easier.

The bathrooms are beautiful and spacious (I really enjoyed the upstairs bathtub, mmm…), the bed is heavenly comfortable with gorgeous, crisp linen and giant pillows you can sink into, the bath towels are abundant and fluffy, and very importantly, the entire place is spotlessly clean. We are used to clean floors and taking shoes off at the door (we’ve lived in Asia for many years), so were very happy to be able to do this while staying here too.

The views from the windows in the dining area are divine. It is a wonderful view to look out to while sipping local wine and eating local meats, cheeses and nuts. Giovanna’s two pet dogs (Peppa and Peppi) make you feel at home too, always coming over to welcome you back when you return after a day out.

All in all, Cascina Bricchetto has the best of everything. Located in a wonderful area producing great food and wine, amazing views, a beautiful and comfortably appointed house with all that you need, a genuinely nice, friendly and helpful landlady, and two lovely dogs. We really felt that Giovanna went over and above what was required for a landlady. Not only did she put together a whole week of visits and appointments for us, she also gave us instructions on how to get to these places (being in the country, a lot of them are not easy to find), complete with detailed maps. She also gave us advise on where to go shopping for certain things, details of when local markets opened and closed, etc. One time we wanted to go out and buy a bottle of milk but it happened to be when the shops were closed for lunchtime (in Italy in this area all the shops close for a few hours from around noon), and Giovanna gave us a 1 litre (unopened) carton of milk from her own fridge to save us the trouble of having to wait until the shops opened again.

We cannot recommend this place enough and would love to make this a yearly trip.

Jenny – Oregon, USA (★ ★ ★ ★ ★)

We (two couples) had a lovely stay in Alba. Giovanna made dinner reservations and wine tasting reservations for us prior to our arrival. She is well connected. She also gave us an unforgettable cooking lesson in her own kitchen. Pictures do not do this lovely apartment justice. It is decorated with her family antiques and it is immaculate. It is 15 minutes from Alba and the views are to die for. I can’t wait to visit her again.

Jill M, Arcadia CA, USA (★ ★ ★ ★)

Our goal was to experience a new area of Italy while enjoying regional wine and food. Giovanna was a wonderful hostess and trip advisor. We felt comfortable from the start. The apartment was perfect for 2 traveling couples. It was very clean with everything we needed for cooking and living for a week. We enjoyed being in the countryside away from everything and waking up in the middle of the vineyard with the view of the local hills. One can even see the sweeping arc of the Alps to the west. A special treat was taking a cooking class from Giovanna. If you are looking for a perfect Langhe experience you can’t go wrong with Cascina Bricchetto!

Micheal G, Toronto, Canada (★ ★ ★ ★ ★)

It was a great experience to stay at Cascina Bricchetto. We stayed there for 8 days and it was great- beautiful house, excellent weather and excellent views from the top of the hill where the house is located. The host – Giovanna was very friendly and helpful and helped us with the advice where to go and what to see. Giovanna was very kind and booked on my request a family restaurant close by that provided a gourmet dinner in the best Italian tradition for a very reasonable price. The house is clean and all appliances very working fine. Giovanna provided us with fresh fruits and vegetables from her own garden for a reasonable price.
The only draw back – is the location of the property but if you don’t mind driving, and we didn’t mind – you have a great experience discovering beautiful places and vineries that are famous all over the world and experience a warm Italian hospitality. We made a daily trips and visited a lot of beautiful places – Barolo, Torino, made a trip to Liguria sea.
I would highly recommend Cascina Bricchetto as your vacation destination.

Jorgen, Belgium, Cascina Bricchetto August 2013 (★ ★ ★ ★ ★)

We visited cascina Bricchetto in August 2013, we are a family with 2 daughters (1,5 and 4,5 yr). This was the 8th time we went to Italy, the second time we went to Piemonte.
We took a breakfast for one day…it was enough for 3 days…! Plenty of local cheese, home made marmelade, superbe honey and…..the best cake we ever had!!! In addition a nice moscato (from her own grapes)…. This was devine! This is holidayfood with an A++++++ rate!

I could write positive about everything…the only negative was the fact we had to go home after 2 weeks… We still have the memories about the stunning views, the food, the wine, the little towns, the friendly people, the fantastic local meat…. And last but not least a fantastic host! She is a true contribution to your holiday…

From HomeAway

Ted K., Tokyo, Japan (★ ★ ★ ★ ★)

アルバのお宿は丘の上のファームハウスでした、一面のぶどう畑が美しくとても静かで良いところです。ワイナリーも近く近郊を散策するには最適です。トリュフ祭りの初日に合わせて行きましたがアルバまでも30分以内と便利です。最初の日本からのお客様との事で歓待していただきました。

Sanne ø, Denmark (★ ★ ★ ★ ★)

The house was in very good condition and it fully lived up to the expectations. Giovanni Oliver is a very sweet lady who is very helpful and welcoming. The breakfast was really delicious. The area is wonderful with many vineyards and there are many opportunities for hiking. The house is secluded but still close to shopping facilities. All in all it was a really great place to holiday and it’s definitely a place we will recommend.

Scott K., Canada “A fantastic find” (★ ★ ★ ★ ★)

Giovanna was a great hostess who looked after all of our needs whether it was a recommendation for a market or reservation at one of the many fantastic restaurants she knows of. The house, while somewhat remote, is close enough to drive to several quaint villages in less than half an hour. You can be on a main highway in less than 20 minutes. The house is beautifully decorated and well appointed and very clean! Her kitchen is fun to cook in and is well stocked with the basics. We loved the views of the surrounding vinyards and glimpses of the mountains on clear days. A great place for people wanting to be off the beaten track and appreciate the wonderful countryside.

Håkan S., Sweden “Great holliday in Piemonte” (★ ★ ★ ★ ★)

The remote sounds of farmers taking care of their vineyards, the views of even more remote snowy mountains and the astonishing scene of the Milky Way at the nights completed our experience of the stay to be something very special.
Last, but not the least, we where spoiled by Giovanna´s open and friendly way to make us feeling home and find “the best of” among all the attractions, restaurants and other things.
All together, spending some days at Cascina Brichetto gave us one of our most unforgettable vacations and we will send our greetings to Giovanna for the relaxed and friendly hospitality.

Craig V.,  “Excellent” (★ ★ ★ ★ ★)

We stayed in the Ca der Forn house in June 2014, along with our son and his wife. Four wonderful days! The house has everything you could possibly need: immaculately clean; modern bathrooms and bedrooms; kitchen perfectly stocked with dishes, flatware, glasses, spices and staples for those who want to cook. The house sits on a ridge with sweeping views both North and south over slopeps covered with vineyards with villages and mountains in the distance.
Giovanna is a wonderful host! Prior to our visit she asked us what we wanted to do in the region, then suggested places and offered to make reservations. I was a bit skeptical at first since we like to discover places on our own, but accepted her offer. Her suggestions were perfect! (…)
We ordered breakfast for the first day of our visit and the food lasted us for three mornings! It included homemade bread, pastries and preserves as well as local cheeses, coffee, tea, etc.
Giovanna knows the perfect balance between being available when needed, and staying away to let her guests explore and enjoy.
I don’t have enough superlatives to do this visit justice. This was clearly the highlight of our vacation which included Germany, Cinque Terre, Piemonte and the Rhone valley. If you visit the Langhe region and want to stay in the country rather than in a town, you cannot do better than to stay with Giovanna.

Others

Gail and Don Gann, Diana Keener and Donny Gann

In early October 2013, we (four adults, two couples) spent a week at Cascina Bricchetto, Ca dra Topia. The house was comfortable and decorated attractively. The kitchen was extremely well organized. If we looked for anything , we found it easily.

Make certain not to pass up the opportunity to have Giovanna provide breakfast. Not only did she offer an excellent selection of local artisanal cheeses, meats, bread and even cakes, as well as homemade jams, she also educated us about tradition, locally produced food.

Giovanna told us that she wanted us to experience the spirit of the area, and she made certain that we did. She arranged carefully visits to a wide variety of restaurant and vineyards. She code some of them after coming to know what we liked and waned. She was malignly sensitive to our needs and desires.

The four of us talk about our time with you every time we see each other. Our memories are strong and a constant reminder of how much we enjoyed our visit.
If we were to visit the Piedmonte again, we would not even look for an alternative place to stay. We would stay with Giovanna. Nothing could be better

These reviews come from the Homeaway and Tripdavisor sites and have been completely transcribed without alteration. To report inaccuracies or to request the removal write to info@cascinabricchetto.it