A secluded haven in the hills of Piemonte, perfect for exploring northern Italy!

Hi, I'm Stephen, I'm retired a actor and teacher from the UK who is attempting to escape from Brexit to my haven in the woods of Piemonte.
I love the quiet life with my dog Billy, who is a friendly, furry and energetic border collie/German shepherd cross.
I love cooking Italian dishes on my wood burning stove or 'stufa', using wood gathered from my land. I am very impressed by the high quality local and seasonal produce in Italy, allowing me to create the flavours of the local cuisine.
The excellent local red wine: Barbera D'Asti is readily available in the area, and I have secured mutually beneficial relationships with local winemakers, and there's little I enjoy more than pairing all their wines - including an excellent Chardonnay with the food I cook. Sharing good food and wine with good people is, I believe, one of the greatest pleasures in life.
Obviously I love theatre and cinema, and I'm mad about music.

Asti is in the middle of a triangle formed by Turin, Milan and Genova, great cities each of them, with excellent museums, palazzi, architecture, restaurants and other enthralling cultural attributes.
Also, the Alps are close enough for a day trip, and on a clear day, the snowy peaks are visible from my place.
The Italian riviera coast is just over an hour's drive away too, or about an hour on the train from Asti.
I chose this particular part of Piemonte because it's surrounded by the UNESCO World Heritage areas of Monferrato and Langhe, but my house is secluded in the woods and hills, offering a peaceful, at-one-with-nature feeling, while being only ten minutes drive from the centre of the large and bustling market town of Asti, home of Barbera D'Asti, Moscato D'Asti, Sacla pesto, and the famous sparkling wines of the region.
The BnB unit is in a separate house, which while it's a new build, gestures towards the local traditional architecture.
The local people are very friendly, welcoming and passionate about the region, it's food, wine, and of course the famous white truffle, which the local truffle hunters find with their dogs each autumn.
The local wine festivals are a real treat in the spring and early summer, and then there are the food festivals centred around truffle season in the autumn.

It is the peace and surrounded by nature element of my haven that attracted me to this particular house.
An early 19th century traditional Piemontese farmhouse, 'Cà del Panate' was one of the first houses to be registered in the Mongardino comune. The name came from the fact that this is where the oven was, where all the villagers brought their dough to bake their bread. The old oven is long since gone, except in the memories of the local people.
In keeping with tradition I have renamed the house as 'Cà del Bosc' in Piemontese, which translates as 'House of the Woods'
It's almost like I manifested this place. The moment I arrived, and walked into the glade, I realised I was destined for guardianship of this magical enclave. And on my first clear day here, seeing the snowy peaks of the Italian Alps from the windows of 'Bosch' made my heart leap!
There are so many unique elements to this property, not least the fact that it is located within a hectare of private woodland, which guests are encouraged to wander through, or to sit quietly in. The land forma an natural amphitheatre and includes our own hill!
The geology and woodland offers an impression of seclusion, yet we are just ten minutes drive from the centre of Asti for shopping, restaurants, bars, cafes and gelaterias, beautiful churches and interesting museums, and boasts excellent transport links to the rest of Italy and beyond.
I love welcoming like-minded peace-loving, empathetic and compassionate people here, lots of my friends are musicians, artists and activists. They love it here too!