Castello di Sinio is a luxury inn in the heart of Piedmont, Italy. In a perfect location to explore the region, Castello di Sinio pampers its guests with super comfortable guest rooms, attractive amenities, beautiful grounds, a pool with an exquisite view, and delicious food!
Castello di Sinio: Sinio, Italy (about 40 miles from Turin) / Castello di Sinio / +39 0173 263889
Credit: Castello di Sinio
DISCLAIMER: My husband and I have stayed in many hotels, inns, and other properties in our travels, but a few stand out above the rest — this is one of them. Although I am highlighting this property that we enjoyed while on vacation, we have not accepted free trips, endorsements, or gratuities from it. All the opinions, along with the photographs (unless otherwise noted), featured in this article are my own. I simply share this property profile because it was unique in its location, hospitality, and views, so I think others may consider staying there as well. Happy travels!
Why Castello di Sinio?
- Castello di Sinio is in the center of an area rich in wine culture, gastronomic traditions that have become famous the world over, and, of course, history. The castle is right in the heart of the Barolo and Barbaresco wine country, perfectly situated to explore both wine zones.
- Meet an amazing host/owner in Denise Pardini who is passionate about creating an oasis for her guests will enjoy. An Italian American, Denise — and her staff — will listen to your wishes, customize experiences, and make the necessary arrangements for you. Also, she has a depth of knowledge about the history of the castle, the surrounding region — and, of course, northern Italian wine to share.
- Stay in a castle that dates back centuries. This 12th-century castle has been completely renovated. Although the original stone and timberwork are preserved, it has modern amenities and is richly decorated, yet it still feels comfortable. The entire castle and its setting feels relaxed and inviting.
- The castle grounds are immaculate and boast amazing gardens, and the pool is a welcome respite on warm, summer days.
Credit: Castello di Sinio
If you want to get a better feel for who Denise is and her passion for hospitality — and the reason her guests enjoy their stays at Castello di Sinio so much — here’s a quote from her: “Restoring, running and caring for a castle has a centuries-old name, a position: it is ‘The Castellana’ — the person who is the steward, who is in service to the castle and its guests and the hospitality offered. That is who I am.”
Poolside at Castello di Sinio = total relaxation and a great view!
Credit: Castello di Sinio
Overview
History of Castello di Sinio
The castle was built by Marchese Del Caretto in 1148. The Del Caretto dynasty was powerful in the area through the 1400s. Later, Castello di Sinio was sold to non-titled folks at the turn of the 20th century. When Denise purchased the property, it required a complete renovation, and she was required to maintain the original footprint of the structures. The renovations were guided by an Italian national preservation society and, therefore, maintain the integrity of its original construction.
Credit: Castello di Sinio
Although the original structures date back centuries, you’ll find all the modern conveniences and sumptuous decorating that you’d expect from a first-class property. Helpful features for travelers are universal electrical outlets and USB outlets in all the rooms.
Castello di Sinio offers suites with living rooms, a separate bedroom, and a bathroom.
We enjoyed this street scene as we strolled through Sinio one morning.
Our Piedmont Memories
Here are two quick highlights, both of which Denise arranged for us. First, we enjoyed a lovely rustic Italian meal and a unique visit to its owner’s wine-making operation at an agriturismo, a working Italian farm. Second, we visited Rivetto vineyard and winery. After a winding back-country drive on narrow roads with no guardrails (Lolly was not happy about that), we emerged at Rivetto. Founded by his great-grandfather, Enrico Rivetto runs this winery today and is committed to organic cultivation methods. We learned more about growing grapes and producing quality wine here than any other such tour — and we’ve gone on quite a few! Cheers! By the way, Rivetto wines are available in the U.S.
Hospitality Spotlight: Featured Recipe
Ragu of Fresh Sausage
Equipment
- 1 food processor
- 1 Dutch oven
- 1 large saute pan
Ingredients
- 1 large onion
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 large carrots
- 2 large celery stalks
- 1 1/2 lbs fresh sausage
- sweet spices but no fennel, chilis, garlic
- 2 cups white wine
- 1 small can tomato paste
- 2 packages Pomi sauce or 1.5 cans of 28 oz. tomato sauce
- 4 very tight cinnamon sticks
- 2 rosemary sprigs (good size sprigs)
Instructions
- 1. Finely chop onion, garlic, carrots, and celery.Note: If using a food processor, process carrots and celery together separately from the onion and garlic. They process at different rates and the onion will liquify before the carrots and celery are fine enough. Peel the carrots and wash the celery, cut them in 2” pieces, place in processor and pulse until they are quite fine but still distinct pieces. Do the same for the onions and garlic, taking care not to process them to the point that they lose their liquid.
- In a Dutch oven, add 2 tablespoons olive oil to an already heated pot. Add all the vegetables and sweat over medium low heat, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Do not allow the vegetables to brown.
- Meanwhile, remove the casing from the sausage. Crumble the meat with your hands or squash it up with the back of a wooden spoon.
- When vegetables are well sweated, add the sausage to the pot and cook until done, turning up the heat a bit, if needed. Sausage should be only lightly browned.
- Turn up the heat a little bit, wait for a minute or so, then add the white wine and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil; then reduce to a hard simmer and reduce by half to burn off the alcohol.
- Add tomato paste with equal part water and incorporate completely. Add tomato sauce and equal amount of water. Bring to a boil; turn down to a low simmer and reduce for 2 hours.
- Add first branch of fresh rosemary just after all the ingredients have been added and sauce is brought to a simmer; remove after barely an hour. Do not let the rosemary stay in the pot so long that the leaves begin to fall off. Discard the used sprig. Repeat this process with the second fresh sprig of rosemary.
- When the sauce is reduced to a thick consistency, after about 1 ½ – 2 hours, taste and add salt and pepper. If any fat begins to separate in the sauce or the sauce becomes too intense, lighten with a little water, maybe a cup or so, and continue to cook to marry flavors again.
- Allow to cool off heat for a couple of hours to marry flavors well, before reheating the necessary amount. Alternatively, transfer the sauce to a sealed container and refrigerate; this will keep for 3-4 days and freezes well.
- Serve with very thin egg pasta. Heat about ¾ cup per portion in a large saute pan that leaves room for mixing the cooked pasta with the sauce. Add 1 pat of butter per person and a pinch of cinnamon to punch up that flavor just a tad. After adding cooked pasta to sauce and mixing for a moment, add a little olive oil to for some shine and a small spoon of pasta water if the pasta seems too tight.
Notes
When asked about her hospitality tips, Denise suggested “look for ways to create the feeling of togetherness and warmth. So for me, flowers. lighting and candles are essential. You can’t overdue the candles! Then add little details to help personalize the experience of being together such as a quote that is appropriate to the occasion or person. Add wine to warm the soul and light the spirit. And nothing says you care like homemade food, even something simple!”
Things To Do in the Area
Frankly, you won’t want to leave the castle grounds! But force yourself to do so. Denise arranged a few places for us to visit which helped us experience some of la dolce vita. What’s great is that she has developed strong working relationships with a lot of people, restaurants, farms, and wineries in the area, so she can offer quite a selection of memorable experiences. In addition to the spots suggested by Denise, we did go exploring on our own in our rental car and spent some time enjoying the gorgeous countryside as well as Barolo and Alba.
Not Far From Piedmont…
When we visited, we did so after spending a few unforgettable days on the Italian Riviera. That location (we chose charming Sestri Levante as our home base) enabled us to visit Portofino (via boat) and the Cinque Terre (walking the entire distance on foot). The Cinque Terre includes the five idyllic towns connected by a centuries-old goat path along a mountain’s edge. The path sometimes narrowed to about two feet wide, and when we encountered people walking from the opposite direction, I tried to flatten myself against the mountain, and let THEM pass on the side with a precipitous drop off into the Ligurian Sea … and no guard rail! I highly recommend some time enjoying the Cinque Terre. You will be in for a treat as you take in the breathtaking beauty of the mountain itself, the sea, and the charming small towns. There are so many amazing places in Italy to explore — some you may want to add to a trip to Piedmont; others may have to remain for a return trip to the country. Aspiring home chefs might enjoy a fabulous Italian cooking school and inn, Casa Ombuto, in Tuscany.
How to Get There
There is a choice of airports that are all within an hour and a half to two hours away from Castello di Sinio. Turin is the closest, but either the Milan or Genoa airports are good choices. You can take a train from there, or rent a car so you can explore the wine country on your own. We rented a car which gave us so much flexibility when driving to a vineyard, to lunch, and just to explore the area. Of course, Denise can arrange transportation directly to the hotel and even day chauffeurs for those who do not want to self-drive.
