Housed in the sympathetically renovated nineteenth-century Cascina Bonelli, Relais Villa d’Amelia is a beautiful countryside retreat at the heart of the gastronomic delights of Langhe. Undulating hillsides are cloaked in vineyards, the foodie hub of Alba lies just 15-minutes away and the region is home to the precious Alba White Truffle. In amongst this culinary treasure trove, Relais Villa d’Amelia offers a breathtaking base from which to explore the food, wine, culture and landscape of Langhe and beyond.
The 37 Rooms and Suites of the property offer an elegantly contemporary decor, with parquet flooring, Travertine marble bathrooms and a serene, pared-back colour palette of neutral tones. With a large, private sundeck the Attic Room is a light-filled, elegant escape, while the Suite San Luigi retains the character of the old Chapel in its terracotta tiled floors and whitewashed walls.
While it can be difficult to stand out in a region famed for its gastronomic prowess, the restaurants of Relais Villa d’Amelia are headed by the award-winning Chef Damiano Nigro and offer an exceptional standard of haute cuisine. In his eponymous one Michelin-star gourmet restaurant, Damiano Nigro crafts carefully sourced Italian ingredients into innovative dishes that keep the fresh flavours of the produce at their core. The more informal DaMà is managed by Damiano and maintains the same high standards and attention to detail with traditional dishes from Piedmont given a new life and contemporary twist. As you might expect from a property surrounded by vineyards, the wine list is replete with delicious Barolo, Nebbiolo and Barbaresco wines.
Its prime location in the Langhe countryside makes Relais Villa d’Amelia a bucolic base from which to explore the stunning countryside, and we would recommend hiring a car if you intend to sample some of the many activities of the region. While you could enjoy the views of the vineyards from the comfort of a poolside lounger, the Concierge team are on hand to book wine tastings at any of the hundreds of wine estates that dot the hills or you could get out on horseback, by bike or on foot to discover the scenic landscape up close.
