Relais di Tenuta Santa Caterina

Lose yourself in a life rich with simplicity. Our rooms and guest experiences are designed to create an atmosphere in keeping with the surrounding landscape, deep in the heart of nature, and miles away from everyday stress.

The property on our Estate is a historic old mansion, of previous landowner tutelage, whose personality is one of understated elegance.

Bedrooms here are laid out just how they once were, and have been respectfully renovated to ensure the utmost of privacy, and in keeping with the Estate’s long established, agricultural history.

A small library-lounge next to the reception will introduce you to the charm of such a stylish and prominent Piedmontese Country House. Our large central drawing room boasts a traditional Baroque fireplace, encouraging a cosy space to admire such beautifully decorated surrounds.

The antique parquet floor has been returned to its original condition, as well as the vaulted ceiling, a classic expression of the “Piedmontese Baroque” and something you’ll find in other local farmhouses.

Everything here has been crafted to create an ambience that is quiet and relaxing – a sentiment also felt in the adjoining, more intimate, Bordeaux lounge.

To capture the essence of the surrounding landscape, the breakfast room has been dressed in green and finished with another large fireplace, terrace, and floor to ceiling windows that overlook the vineyards and the gardens below.

A sensory tasting room is provided next door, modelled on part of the Estate’s old cellars, where you’ll find the full flourish of the property’s wines on display, here to taste or buy.

THE ESTATE
First recorded as an agricultural farm in 1737, the property was brought back to life by Guido Carlo Alleva who started working at the estate in the 2000s. Guido decided to return to where he was born, resuming his family’s tradition as a viticulturalist.

Tenuta Santa Caterina Estatehas since been restored by the skilful hands of local craftspeople, under a concerted effort to respect the past that it once inhabited.

The Palazzo, the Porticos, the Italian Gardens, the Stables, the Old Cellar with brick vaults, and the Infernòt, dug deep into the “tufo” up to 17 meters deep, have all been brought back to life with a considerate modern touch.

Infernòtis a Piedmontese term that describes underground cellars used for the conservation of wines: an authentic jewel of underground architecture, now recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

ROOMS & SUITES
The six suites each boast a name that belongs to a different wine from the Estate – around which their personalities have been created.

Each one is different in size, furnishings, and decoration – a combination of inherited antiques from the original house, and other pieces of historical intrigue. All the rooms contain everything you need for an intimate, comfortable stay.

SETECAPITA SUITE
SETECÀPITA. This curiously named suite refers to a wine of particular importance here at the Estate – such is the level of comfort and hierarchy that this bedroom holds.

Under the high sloping ceiling that affords glimpses of the night sky, this room has a personal, private and exclusive SPA bathtub, befitting of a scene in a Thousand and One Nights in its colours and furnishings.

This luxurious suite hints at previous regal links without being glitzy, increasing its charm by blending in with the simplicity of the surrounding countryside.

THE TERROIR
The true wealth of our vineyards is found in our soil, through which the unique character of our wine is created.

Sustainable agriculture is carried out in the vineyards with the aim of ensuring that the vines live in their best state of wellbeing – an essential condition for obtaining quality grapes and wines that shine full of character.

Any viticultural interventions focus on the vine’s shoots and leaves, and on the roots. A vine’s roots help absorb essential mineral elements – specific and exclusive to each vineyard site – into each bunch of grapes.

Soil and vine health are therefore of paramount importance to the viticulture team at Santa Caterina Estate. The Estate only uses organic fertilizers, ensuring complete fertility can be restored to the soil.

During the autumn, a green manure technique is used between the vines on their varied root systems, improving their structure, porosity and overall ability to bear fruit.

At the time of planting, and periodically during winter, microbiological fungus are worked into the soil, aiding and preserving the regeneration and growth of the roots. No chemical herbicides are used, thus protecting the complex life of the soil.

THE WINE CELLAR
The wines from Santa Caterina Estate are made from grapes grown exclusively in our own vineyards. This gives each one its own specific ‘fingerprint’ from our very own doorstep.

Each bottle we produce is of ‘Cru’ quality, with each bunch of grapes, grown over many long months, receiving substantial attention and care as they mature and ripen. Our fermentations are carried out with indigenous yeasts that live naturally on the grapes’ skins.

The wine is then aged first in barrel, then in bottle, resting in the cool of our cellars until we consider them ready to be released.

We strongly believe that such meticulous practices are essential to bringing the soul of our landscape and the passion of the winemaker into the glass, and guarantee that the wines will continue express their very best over the course of many years to come.

WINE TASTINGS
Monday to Saturday. Here you can purchase our full range, as well as tasting some wines by the glass. All major credit and debit cards are accepted. Opening hours: Monday to Saturday: Open 9am-1pm and 2pm-6pm. Closed between 1-2pm. Parking: You can park next to the Estate.

We also recommend you use the carpark in front of the post office in Grazzano Badoglio’s main square. It is then a short walk to the entrance of the Estate (200m). Languages spoken: Italian, English.

The cellar sits at a constant temperate of 15°-18°C year-round. We ask you to bring suitable clothing to make your visit comfortable. Pets are welcome, if kept on a lead.

THE WINEMAKER
The visit is carried out in the presence of the Enologist of Tenuta Santa Caterina and is aimed at an audience of enthusiasts who wish to enrich their specific knowledge with technical information.

If you wish to buy the Wine tasting with the Wine maker with other people, all participants at this tasting will have to purchase the same tasting. Your visit will include:

• A guide through the property’s internal courtyard and Italian Gardens.
• A walk through the extensive gardens, admiring the sweeping views, with an introduction to the Estate’s vineyards.
• A visit to the cellar, taking in the old water well and the “infernòt”, a dedicated UNESCO World Heritage site.
• A tasting in the Old Stables of four wines from our “Riserva” and “Collection” range, in the company of our Winemaker, Dr. Lucina Biondo.
• The wine tasting will include an appetizer of salame – ham and local cheese.

Visit time: 90 minutes.

GRAZZANO BADOGLIO
Tenuta Santa Caterina Wine Estate is located in the municipality of Grazzano Badoglio, in the wider region of Asti Monferrato – an area of historical importance, recently declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Marquis Aleramo, Monferrato’s first Sovereign and Alemannic Knight of Saxon lineage, built an Abbey here 961, assigning it to the Benedictines. The Marquis attributed feudal rights to the Abbey, to which he remained devoted until his death, and, in which, he is now buried.

Grazzano Badoglio’s Abbey was built on a hill – denoting it as a settlement of Roman origin. Grazzano was perhaps named after Gratius – a commander under Julius Caesar, who inherited these lands as a reward for his military victories.

Over the centuries the settlement of Grazzano grew up around the Abbey grounds. Santa Caterina itself was initially established as a fortress to protect the Abbey’s complex. The village owes its name to Saint Catherine of Alexandria, a noble 3rdCentury Egyptian martyr.

The identity of the original farm here has been documented since 1737, when brothers Lodovico and Pietro Plebano transformed the property from a fort into a something more palatial.

At the beginning of the 1800s, the property passed to the Cotti family, who maintained its agricultural activity for over a century, developing it with very advanced technology for their time.

In the 1930s the Estate was acquired by a wealthy family from Turin who upheld its prestige for many decades, but the property began to fall into ongoing decline towards the end of the 20thCentury.

In the early 2000s, it was bought by the Alleva family who have since taken on a mantel of care for its complete restoration in line with specific classical building guidelines that respect both its history and the local landscape.

The town of Grazzano is dominated by a trio of architectural feats that include the Benedictine Abbey, Parish Church, and the Romanesque Campanile (bell tower).

Each of these monuments are open for visits, inside of which you will find Marquis Aleramo’s Tomb, frescoes and mosaics painted by local artists, as well as other items depicting the locality’s interesting history.

Guided tours can be arranged by the Estate. Other points of interest while visiting our pretty village are walks that will take you through Monferrato’s inimitable landscape of vineyards, hazelnut groves and small churches.

Visitors here are afforded 360 degree views onto a wide variety of crops, neatly sewn into the area’s natural topography. We would recommend getting to know the area using e-bikes, which can be easily rented on site.

THE COUNTRYSIDE
Tenuta Santa Caterina Relais, a Country House B&B is an integral part of the eponymously named winery – an architectural complex dating back to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, now completely restored, in great respect to the local environment.

It is located in the region of Monferrato – an area of rolling hills that spill out onto the horizon in a way reminiscent of sea waves, from when the Adriatic Sea once reached as far as here. The soil here retains traces of this geological era in the shells that are often unearthed when the vineyards are being ploughed.

In this area, little villages sit on top of the hills, recognisable by the Church spires poking out of the horizon, interspersed by small valleys beneath them. There are countless castles in this part of the world – memories of a historical wealth once lived by the region’s more privileged public.

Spectacular views of the Alps, particularly on clear spring days, can be seen from these humble vineyard surrounds, with the Montviso pyramid and her succession of peaks that act as a fortress against cold northerly winds.

To the east, between the Alps and the hills, the fields extend, which in spring turns into a huge lake – becoming a paddy field, indicative of Piedmont’s agricultural heritage where some of the world’s finest rice varieties are grown.

For all of these reasons, it is no coincidence that the area that surrounds Monferrato has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Stays at Santa Caterina’s Country House offer guests all of this and more besides.

The unrivalled pleasantness of spring in bloom, summer mitigated by the breeze that comes in from the sea, autumns replete with grape harvests, and a winter that is always beautifully silent.

THE ACTIVITIES
Countless opportunities exist to make the most of a stay at Tenuta Santa Caterina Relais B&B. Guests are invited and encouraged to engage in all sorts of local activities.

You can go hiking or bicycling in the nearby countryside, while Monferrato is well suited to satisfy historical and artistic curiosities. Guided tastings at the property’s private cellar will introduce you to the multifaceted and highly sensory, world of wine.

THE SWIMMING POOL
Enjoy the scenic outdoor swimming pool with surrounding views of the vineyards and Monferrato hills, this pool opens on an unforgettable, suggestive scene. The swimming pool is open in June, July, August and part of September. Bathrobe and pool towel are provided free of charge.

FOOD & WINE
An experience not to be missed! Taste through a variety of the Estate’s wines paired with locally sourced products. Choose from our recommendations of Piedmontese charcuterie, cheeses and other notable, local, foodie treats.

WALKING IN THE VINEYARDS
Strolls through the Estate’s grounds will take you along pretty pathways that sit between floral borders and classic Italian wild herbs, and towards our small lake. Here you’ll find a variety of bird life and other lakeside flora and fauna – look out for the pair of grey herons, dragonflies and fireflies.

A little way from the lake’s banks you can also reach the surrounding fields, a walnut tree forest, and of course the many vineyards that frame the Estate. This allows you an up close and personal experience of the beautiful Monferrato landscape, where nature blends with more man-made industry in almost perfect union.

MASSAGES
What better way to unwind than by booking a relaxing massage? Indulge in a little pampering with an hour of total-body massage, where the therapists will come directly to your Suite.

BIG BENCH TOUR 
Set up by the ex-chief of design for BMW, these benches are designed to ‘make adults feel like children.’ Grazzano Badoglio’s bench is just a 20 minute walk from the Estate on a path that passes through the village and crosses into the vineyards.

THE BENEDEICTINE ABBEY 
Grazzano Badoglio’s Benedictine Abbey is an impressive architectural feat, whose foundations predate 1000 AD.

The Parish Church, Marquis Aleramo’s Tomb and the imposing Romanesque Campanile (bell tower) complete the picture of this pretty Monferrato scene, set right at the top of the village. Private guided tours of these buildings can be arranged on request.

E-BIKE
Experience Piedmont on two wheels, pedalling in and around the Monferrato hills on an E-bike. These pedal assisted bicycles made by Haibike are a world leader in the development of E-bikes, and suit all levels of cyclist. No training is required, meaning you can simply get on and go.

Perhaps the best thing about E-bikes is that they give you a little extra boost when going up hill, powered by high-performance battery electric motors. Perfect for exploring this area, and an ecological and fun way to ride.

GOLF
We have partnered with nearby Golf Club, Golf Margara, to offer golfing days to guests staying at the Estate. The Margara Golf Club is located in one of the most beautiful and peaceful parts of the Monferatto countryside.

When you arrive you will be met at the Club House – a hunting lodge that once belonged to King Vittorio Emanuele III. The Golf grounds extend over 120 hectares of the surrounding countryside, playing host to a number of national and international tournaments.

Located on gently hilly terrain, guests can choose between two 18-hole courses to play. The club also offers a restaurant where lunches and dinners are accompanied by the region’s famous wines.

HORSE RIDING
If you love horses and want to explore Monferrato in a more imaginative way, Santa Caterina Estate has partnered with equestrian centre “Il paddock del Monferrato.” The school, nestled in the beautiful Asti hills, an ideal place to spend a day or a weekend in the name of nature.

You’ll be taken to explore rural areas that have become UNESCO World Heritage sites and where the terrain is perfect for riding out on horseback.

Both the soil (grass, sand, tuffo) and the variability of the natural environment (woods, meadows, vineyards), plus the local cultural heritage (Romanesque churches, castles, medieval villages) make ideal settings for such explorations.

The equestrian school offers walks and hacks out for one hour and upwards, and full day treks for more experienced riders.

MAZZETTI D’ALTYAVILLA DISTILLERY
La Distilleria Mazzetti d’Altavilla, storica azienda del Monferrato, vi offre la possibilità di godere di un tour guidato con successiva degustazione dei distillati di propria produzione. I distillati saranno accompagnati da una selezione di “materie prime”.

COOKING LESSONS
We offer individual or group cookery lessons where you will learn how to prepare traditional dishes from this most famous of Italian gastronomic regions.

Guided by professionals chefs, you will receive step-by-step advice on how to make quintessential dishes from Monferrato, starting from the choosing your own ingredients, to the final presentation of the dish, learning about the origins of food and local cuisine along the way.

TRUFFLE HUNTING
Autumn is synonymous with White Truffle season in this part of Italy. On a day out truffle hunting, you will explore the local area with your own truffaio, in conjunction with nearby restaurant Vallerana (Alice Bel Colle – AL).

Head out hunting for these special tubers that grow deep underground, and are only found with help from a specialist truffle hunter and his truffle hunting dog.

You will then enjoy a truffle themed tasting menu – in the form of two types of antipasti, a first course, second course, and dessert, accompanied by the local house wine.

Rooms: 6

Price: from 144 EUR per night

Source: www.tenuta-santa-caterina.it