Pilates and Cooking in Piedmont

Hilltop agriturismo in the heart of the Barbera d’Asti wine region, offering Pilates and gastronomy holidays with a homely touch

First things first: this is not a hotel. There is no reception, no bar, no room service. The rooms are hotel standard and there is a first-class Pilates studio, a pool, a pro kitchen and an ace chef – but while staying at the “Poppy Farmhouse” you will be treated much like house guests in a private home.

John and Robyn Sims’ restored 19th-century cascina was, indeed, a personal retreat before they decided to share it with others in 2004. They spent years creating a high-spec “double activity” holidays resort with an emphasis on Italian regional cookery and healthy exercise, but the relaxed family atmosphere remains. Among the rolling vineyards of Costiglione d’Asti, you might spend your mornings stretching muscles and improving posture under one of the world’s leading Pilates instructors, before lunching on Robyn’s home-grown vegetables and John’s own organic wines. Later, you might learn to prepare a rabbit terrine or a perfect panna cotta. You might just decide to chill out on the terrace. You will almost certainly make new friends - and you will never tire of the views.

Highs

• The holidays are genuinely all-inclusive: meals with wine, Pilates and cooking tuition, excursions, the lot
• Top notch facilities – the bees' knees as far as Pilates studios go
• The communal set-up is great for single travellers – and there is no enforced sharing
• Meals include fresh seasonal produce plucked from the cascina’s own organic vegetable plot and home-made wines
• Henry, your hosts’ ever-present dog, is the most lovable of pets

Lows

• It seems pricey – until you consider what's included
• The part-of-the-family style won’t suit everyone, and the atmosphere depends very much on the prevailing group dynamic
• Be prepared for a light, Italian-style breakfast - although you won't want any more before an active day ahead
• Henry - well, not everyone likes dogs