Newsletter August 2026
Dear all!
Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter! It is not sent out frequently or at regular intervals, but only when we feel we actually have news or something that might be of interest to you as a reader. We try to avoid contributing to the massive flood of more or less useful information we are all exposed to in our daily lives. Given that the last newsletter was sent out 18 months ago, we think we are at least succeeding in that regard... :-)
First of all, here is some information that may interest you as a past—and hopefully future—guest. We have decided to install air conditioning in all the apartments. Fortunately, we haven't experienced the same temperatures seen in Spain, France, and other regions across the Alps or further south in Italy. When temperatures rise, we also appreciate that Ferrarotti is situated 500 meters above sea level, often enjoying a light breeze. Nevertheless, it has been hotter than "normal" here this summer, too. A couple of years ago, we carried out a major upgrade to the roof insulation and replaced all the windows and doors in the building. Combined with the fact that a stone house like Cascina Ferrarotti takes a long time to heat up, the indoor temperature has remained at an acceptable level. Our guests tell us they sleep well and that the fans provide sufficient airflow, yet we have still chosen to install air conditioning. Summers are likely to be hot in the future, and we want our guests to be able to relax and sleep well during their stay. We have already installed air conditioning in the largest apartment (Frairot), and the remaining apartments will be upgraded before next summer
When it gets hot in the lowlands, it is very nice to have the mountains a short drive away. We have been hiking a lot in the mountains also this summer and visited some of the many Rifugio’s. Most of them have restaurants serving nice food and beverages of all kinds (here are links to two of them: https://rifugiomondovi.com/, https://www.rifugiopiandelre.it/). It is a bit like the DNT cabins in Norway, but with some additional services. There are short walks suited for children and more advanced hiking routes for mountain lovers. During one day you can hike - or bike - in the mountains +2000 meters high, have a nice lunch at a Rifugio and still be able to do sightseeing, shopping and have a dinner in the nearby cities or small villages. Or take a spa in Lurisia, book a winetasting or just head back to the pool to relax. Lots of possibilities :-).
We really enjoy being hosts :-). As previous years, we have had, and still have, lots of guests from many countries, mainly in Europe. It is very nice to meet people of all ages from different countries and cultures. Happy, smiling, relaxed - on holiday with no stress. Also this year we have had groups of friends and families renting all apartments. This is very nice also for us and we are happy to help organizing activities, lunch/or dinner here prepared by a local chef, wine tastings, advice regarding restaurants, rental of e-bikes etc.. Having the pool to yourselves is also a good thing :-). It is important to contact us as early as possible if you would like to gather friends or family at Cascina Ferrarotti. We have already received bookings for next year and the possibility of renting all apartments will be reduced as time goes by. If you contact us early, we can reserve apartments for some time while you are planning. We have opened for 2027 bookings, but so far only on our own web page. We continue to have lower prices for bookings via our own web page than via booking.com and AirBnB. We turn on the pool heating when we have opened for guests and the sun is strong enough for the solar panels to work well. We continue to heat if necessary until we close by the end of September.
The area around us is luckily still not very touristic and not at all like Tuscany and other more famous areas in Italy. The local restaurants have to maintain high quality as expected by the local population, which is a very good thing for visitors to Piemonte and Alta Langa.
Other news..: Last years’ grapes have been transformed into wine and 240 bottles of Ferrarotti DOCG are in our cantina. The vineyard Stra in Novello, who makes the wine for us together with their own, are happy with the result. A little bit challenging year in the vineyard due to hot and humid weather at times - and thus higher risk for diseases - but when the result is good all is good. This year, i.e. the hotter than normal summer 2026, we expect a more powerful wine with a bit higher alcohol content and maybe more tannins. However, we never know until the wine is ready for bottling - which makes it very exciting :-).
Spaying with sulfur against fungus. Allowed in organic wine production.
2026 almost ready to harvest :-)
2025 vintage bottled and in the cellar
The harvest of this years’ grape will be at the end of next week, almost two weeks earlier than “normal”. Maresa at Stra told us that in her youth, harvest of Dolcetto was in October. This year it is late August/early September… Anyway, the vines and the grapes are looking good and a lot better than after the hail storm two years ago which destroyed the whole harvest. We have planted in total 100 new vines and will continue to replant also next year.
Here is a tip to all wine lovers: 2023 was a very, very good year in the region. Buying Barolo or Barbaresco from 2023 might be a smart thing to do, but wait a bit before drinking. The wine producers talk about 2023 as an unusually good year and the best year since 2016 (which was exceptional).
Finallly - it is impossible not to mention that we will be grandparents! When we close the doors for this season, we will travel to Norway to welcome a little girl. Just fantastic. Can’t wait.
That’s all Folks - we wish you and your families all the best and hope to see you again some time!
Anne and Geir
PS: If you want to contact us directly, we are always available on +393331810390, +4790509054 or post@ferrarotti.net.