Casale Santa Rita

Rita, Franco and Oliver (their Lhasa Apso dog) were incredibly warm and gracious hosts. They made us feel like members of the family, leaving us with warm memories of our chats in their beautiful garden. I had trouble making restaurant reservations on-line and Franco made all of them for me, including hard-to-get ones. We had the upper floor apartment with spectacular views. It is spacious and is well appointed. We were provided with every breakfast fixing imaginable. The grounds of the Casale are spacious and beautiful, without being in any way pretentious. The location of the Casale Santa Rita is superb. They are in the Collio wine region, with the beautiful backdrop of the Dolomite Mountains. I think the white wines from the Collio in Friuli are probably the best white wines in Italy, and some of the best in the world (Franco knows the Jermann Winery people nearby, great for a visit). Even if you're not into wine, the drives through the Collio hills are simply wonderful. The added bonus is that you are 1/2 kilometer from the Goriska Brda wine region of neighboring Slovenia, with particularly good red wines and equally beautiful countryside. The backdrop for the Goriska Brda wine region is the beautiful Julian Alps of Slovenia, making for very scenic rides on good roads. The Collio region also comes with superb food at unpretentious restaurants such as Al Postiglione and La Subida. I can't think of a place where I would rather spend vacation time than the Casale Santa Rita in the Collio region of Friuli, Italy. All of this comes at a very reasonable cost.