Clay, our host, was incredibly welcoming and knowledgeable about the area. He's very connected in the Barolo community. Clay is an award-winning photographer of food and wine and the flair with which he has chosen and decorated his home in the hills just outside Barolo are testament to his artistic eye, from the dramatic view of the valley that we enjoyed by the pool to the top floor living room. The setting was truly idyllic. There were 8 of us in the house and we felt that it was spacious and you could be private when needed and enjoy one another's company during more social periods. Bathrooms, showers, kitchen and bed were all very comfortable and functioned efficiently. Cleaning was done at request, which suited us perfectly (we tended to dine out at the many amazing restaurants in the area, all of which seem to know and like Clay, which makes sense given his profession). He left us a great and thoughtful welcome basket with specialties and produce of the region. We ended up dining with Clay a few times, which was great and I am sure we'll stay in touch. All in all, a very gratifying selection and a terrific vacation, esp for those who don't want to be in the hustle and flow (most of us were from NYC or London or DC and wanted a little quiet/solitude, which made this a perfect spot!).