Casa Scaparone

Piedmont is full of agriturismi — working farms that double as inns — but Casa Scaparone stands out for a few reasons. Perched on a quiet hilltop for the past 500 years, it’s home to the oldest house in the area. And it’s the only farm in Alba, considered Piedmont’s gourmet capital, that offers both a restaurant and a hotel. The property consists of a collection of restored brick and stone buildings set amid vineyards, hazelnut trees, and orchards overlooking the surrounding countryside.

Rooms and suites are charmingly rustic with wide wood-plank or terracotta-tile floors, exposed brick walls, and timber-beamed ceilings. The décor exudes old-world farmhouse character, especially the beds — antique sleigh beds, knotted-wood four-posters, some with arched wrought-iron headboards, and family suites with wooden bunks. Bathrooms are out of another era, too, with exposed pipes and vintage mirrors, quaint if not luxurious. The same is true of Casa Scaparone in general; it’s a place for reading by the pool, strolling the picturesque grounds, and dining on farm-to-table cuisine inside the osteria or, when the weather cooperates, at wooden tables set up beside the vineyards.