A Perfect Italian weekend with Jennifer in Piemonte

A perfect weekend in Italy without the limitations of time, budget, or distance. Every week we ask interesting and inspirational Italians, and Italians at heart, to take us along for a perfect, local weekend. This week, Jennifer from Studio Sernella will take is to Piemonte! 

Since 2023, my partner Boy and I can proudly call the rolling hills of Piemonte our home, we’ve moved from the Netherlands to Nizza Monferrato to fully bring our shared passion for design and renovation to life.
With Boy’s background as a carpenter and site manager in the restoration of monumental buildings, and my expertise as a designer and engineer, we combine our talents to create beautiful turn-key holiday homes in partnership with investors and clients who share our vision. With Studio Sernella we transform spaces into slow-living retreats where people can fully unwind. Because of our passion we love spending our weekends gathering inspiration—from the relaxed Italian way of life to the beautiful landscapes that we can translate into tranquil, inviting spaces. In this perfect weekend I’ll tip you the best restaurants in the Langhe and Monferrato area to gather inspiration for your interior and enjoy good food and wine! 
 

Saturday 

In the morning, we always take a walk of about an hour to enjoy the beautiful views with our dog Abbey. The Monferrato and Langhe area is beautiful to walk through in all seasons, with all the patterns and colours of the vineyards and hazelnuts it's a big inspiration for our projects. And can you imagine this UNESCO landscape was actually shaped, partially, by farmers working with their bare hands? It sometimes reminds me that beautiful things and dreams take time and will grow poco a poco. 

Where we like to walk:
We love walking in the valley behind our house, between Nizza M. and Vaglio, as well as between Vaglio and Vinchio, and around Fontanile. You’re allowed to walk through the vineyards and enjoy the amazing views (if you're lucky you can see the Alps) (when people are working, it’s not ideal to enter, but you can always ask: Permesso?!). 

Starting point 3 walking tours in Vinchio
After our walk, we’ll drive to a spa, but first, we’ll stop at Marabotti, the busiest pasticceria in town, for our favourite brioche colla crema.
 

Then we’ll arrive to unwind at Villa Fontana Relais & Wellness Spa, (highly needed because at the moment we’re working hard on the renovation of our own house and future studio). They have an incredible spa to spend a full or half day (or a weekend if you have the time)—definitely recommended to enjoy a fine dining lunch there! They serve cocktails on a beautiful terrace in their garden and if we're able to stay for the evening: the diner on the terrace is amazing with the sunset over the hills. For dinner we also like to go to Al Gatto Verde in the same village: Agliano Terme, run by a young, ambitious host who truly understands hospitality and has an eye for a good interior.

Another option we could consider is to end the day with a wine tasting and picnic at Tenuta bricco San Giorgio run by a young couple, which offers incredible views and a breathtaking sunset.

Sunday

On Sunday, we like to start our day in Nizza M. at Era Tanti, with another brioche! There’s a local market on Sundays at the small square and along some streets in Nizza, featuring “0 km” farmers, including our own neighbours who make the best mozzarella you will ever taste! Their cows graze in the area, feeding on grass and natural herbs—food doesn’t get more authentic than this! Every third Sunday of the month, there’s also a very popular antique market that’s a must-visit, other favourite markets are in Cherasco and Ovada. You can find all dates and locations for the antique markets in Piemonte on our blog + some extra tips for negotiating and Italian phrases. The blog

Then we like to head over to our Dutch “neighbours” (and friends) who rent out Vespas, Piemonte on wheels—the perfect way to explore the region (and spot some hidden houses for sale ;-)). When we spend too much time on the market we take the vespa route close to home, around Mombaruzo and Alice Bel Colle, a charming area with stunning views, vineyards, and untouched nature; in our opinion, it’s a lesser-known but beautiful part of the region. We try to keen out the time so we can stop just outside Alice Bel Colle at a little church for a sunset *aperitivo* with some bubbles we’ve brought along. And don’t forget to get an gelato in town at: Da Mimmo

If you want to do a wine tasting in this area: Tenuta bricco San Giorgio or Cascina La Barbatella

The weekend is truly perfect when we have friends over to stay. We love taking them on a day trip to some of our favorite towns. Neive is always a must, where we stop by the organic wine bar: porta san rocco cantina Massimo Rivetti and enjoy a lovely wine tasting accompanied by a tagliere. For lunch, our other favourite town, Serralunga d’Alba, offers the best food and wine at Vinoteca Centro Storico, and if we're up for it to go for another round of food, we like to end our day with fine dining at Osteria Campamac in Barbaresco.

An alternative go to near Barolo is Castello of Grinzane Cavour with an enoteca under the castle and a beautiful fine dining restaurant that is high on our list to visit. 

On Instagram I share our daily journey and more aesthetic places, besides that you’re always welcome to reach out or stop by to see if we can help you create your own home away from home in Piemonte.

Adresses: 

Breakfast / Brioche: Marabotti (Nizza M.), Era Tanti (Nizza M.)

Lunch and Dinner: Villa Fontana Relais & Wellness Spa (Agliano Terme), Al Gatto Verde (Agliano Terme), Vinoteca Centro Storico (Serralunga d’Alba), Osteria Campamac (Barbaresco), Alessandro Mecca Al Castello di Grinzane Cavour (Grinzane Cavour)

Wine Tasting & Picnics: Tenuta Bricco San Giorgio (Vinchio), Cascina la Barbatella (Nizza M.)

Other Activities: Piemonte on Wheels (Nizza M.), Antique Markets (Nizza M., Cherasco, Ovada), Castello di Grinzane Cavour (Grinzane Cavour)

Best Places to Stay: Plinius No. 100, No. 098, No. 071, No. 070, No. 062, No. 059, No. 030, No. 023, No. 002 & Small Places with Soul