Month: April 2022

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Our wellness philosophy

Our wellness philosophy

OUR WELLNESS PHILOSOPHY

How wine & wellness is good for the body & soul – Q&A with Sarah di San Bonifacio

HOW WINE AND WELLNESS IS GOOD
FOR THE BODY AND SOUL

Q&A WITH SARAH DI SAN BONIFACIO – FOUNDER AND CEO OF
CONTI DI SAN BONIFACIO WINE RESORT

To get under the skin of the evolving philosophy at the resort, we asked Sarah about the project she started now almost twenty years ago. As an English woman living in Italy for a decade, after twenty years of working in the City of London, we felt she might know something about switching gears and making better and more mindful choices!

Q. WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND CREATING THIS RETREAT IN TUSCANY?

The project was really born out of an urgent need to rebalance my life when I was working at Goldman Sachs in the late 90’s. I had decided to convert some of the blood, sweat and tears into an escape. I fell in love with this estate in Tuscany and ever since I have come here to unplug from the crazy back in London!

From the beginning the place was mesmeric and it only ever took 24 hours to completely let go. It was like a spiritual detox being out here and made the subsequent years of work possible. Sharing it with others and creating a destination where our guests can restore harmony and balance to their often busy and stressful schedules became my mission. It took another ten years to finally have the courage to leave my job but aligning my passion and purpose has been the right journey for me.

Q. WHAT DOES WELLNESS MEAN TO YOU HERE IN TUSCANY?

I believe the concept of ethical travel and hospitality has been around for a while. We see more and more of our guests mindfully choosing their vacations. It needs to mean more than just “taking a break.” Our guests tend to have their own wellness objectives around clean eating, eco travel and reconnecting at an emotional level through an authentic and often transformative experience.

Guests arrive here frazzled and leave feeling that both body and mind have been nourished. Our location in Tuscany meets their visceral needs. The Wine Hotel sits within a couple of hundred acres of unspoilt organic vineyards, olive groves and forest. We have organic fine wines that we make on the estate and the immersive wine, food and nature experiences are right at their fingertips. I think there has been a big shift from traditional destinations to unspoilt, virgin locations which are off the grid. A stay with us is often a part of a bigger personal wellness journey.

Q. WHAT WOULD A TYPICAL STAY LOOK LIKE FOR A CITY DWELLING GUEST?

The need to unplug and tap into local life in a completely natural environment has become a big lifestyle goal. Escaping to a private wine estate where they can walk in vineyards and taste wine from the barrels or pick organic vegetables from our garden then cook and eat with them are just a couple of way we help fulfill our guests dreams.

Don’t we all want to make better choices for ourselves and the planet? Our holidays are no exception so a big part of our mission is to help visitors do just that. We tend to think of their time with us as our opportunity to curate a menu of experiences to meet their wellness goals. A couple who arrive from a busy, urban life tend to visit us with an immersive nature experience in mind. From the moment they check in, the unwind begins.

The service has to be attentive and meticulous without being overwhelming-always driven from the heart. You will feel as if you’re the special guest being cared for in the house of a friend. Of course the architecture and the interior design matters – the canvas has to be right and reflect a philosophy of restorative calm and warmth. I’ve tried to create light and airy spaces which connect you to the outdoors – winter or summer.

Q. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE ORGANIC IN THE HOSPITALITY BUSINESS?

We were really determined that any property and land we took on would be organic. This estate is certified organic which means that chemicals have never been used here, not in the vineyards, the olive groves or the fields.

At the core of our mission is to be ethical and sustainable both in the way we care for our guests and also the wine, foods and oils we produce. The restaurant at the hotel is a holistic experience in and of itself. Sitting under the trees watching the sunset eating locally sourced meat and fish and vegetables from the organic garden on site.

To compliment the plate we produce three award-winning Super Tuscan wines from the vineyard stretching out beneath you. We’ve know for a long time that Italian food is already avant garde when it comes to excellence but here in Tuscany, farm to plate takes you to the next level. Its pure medicine, nourishing body and soul.

Q. SO WHAT’S THE BIG MESSAGE?

The passion and driving force behind the Wine and Wellness Retreat is to create a sanctuary of personalised well-being. I want to empower guests and make it easy for them to spend a few days with us restoring the harmony we so often are lacking back at home. I think this is where we all feel at our most fulfilled. We’re all trying to prioritise self care and save our sanity at the same time so undisturbed natural environments with transformative experiences you can enjoy with others or alone for some solo reflection are an obvious choice.

 

Some might choose to hike into the hills with a truffle hunter or take out mountain bikes and cycle to some of the incredible Unesco cultural sites which are on the doorstep. Then a private yoga lesson or guided mediation and an in-room ayurvedic massage. We just recommend taking the time to do what makes your soul happy.

 

There’s an amazing simple truth that when we make better ethical decisions we live better lives and it’s one of the best ways to help the environment. Visiting small boutique retreats like ours support local workers, craftsmen and women, farmers, cheesemakers, artisans and so many more…. and of course allows us to preserve a sustainable farming philosophy for the long term. I’ve learnt from my time here in Italy to slow down, stay consciously and to love things that last.

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The business of eating

The business of eating

THE BUSINESS OF EATING

Our friends in the US recount a fine food & wine dining experience!

GREAT NEW ARTICLE: ITALIAN COUNT DELIGHTS THE CAPE REGION WITH EXCEPTIONAL WINES BY OUR NEW FRIEND, BOB YESBEK.

One of the perks of writing and talking about restaurants is the occasional invitation I receive to attend events that pair food with wine. Or beer. Or bourbon. Or scotch. Or tequila, rum … or even mead. You get the idea – if I attended them all, I’d be in ‘round-the-clock detox. 

But some of these generous invites are hard to turn down, and last weekend’s wine dinner at Fish On was one of those. I was pleased to share a table not only with Italian winemaker, hotelier, restaurateur (and Count) Manfredo di San Bonifacio, but also Paul Karp, whose Vintage Imports company made it possible for us to enjoy Manfredo’s wines here in the United States. SoDel Concepts’ corporate sommelier Mike Zygmonski was in attendance, along with longtime Cape Region entrepreneur, restaurateur – and birthday girl – Alison Blyth. These are the sort of invitations that we lowly scribes dare not turn down. 

Each of the five courses was paired with one of Count Manfredo’s wines, and Fish On Chefs Jen Bradour and Raul Rodriguez spent time tasting the varieties that inspired the creative dishes we enjoyed that night. One of my favorites in the di San Bonifacio lineup is the Prosecco. It has a bright, fruity acidity and a (welcome) lack of sweetness that paired perfectly with a charcuterie plate that featured Jen’s house-made mortadella speckled with whole pistachios. The second course included Manfredo’s clean and crisp Pinot Grigio. It stood boldly nose-to-nose with crunchy mini-turnips dusted with sea salt and surrounded with asparagus, peas and eggs. Both the prosecco and pinot grigio are produced in the Veneto wine region of Italy. Though the area sports an impressive variety of reds, it is also known for refreshing whites such as that sparkling prosecco.

One of my all-time favorites has always been the garnet-hued Monteregio sangiovese (the same grape as chianti classico, but more full-bodied). It was expertly paired by Jen and Raul with a crispy soft-shell crab perched on sweet corn polenta. 

I have to admit that the surprise of the evening was the fourth-course offering of the Sustinet syrah, known as a “Super Tuscan.” The term applies to Tuscan reds that may include non-indigenous grapes like Cabernet or Merlot. The Sustinet hails from a small vineyard in Maremma on the coast of western central Italy. This 94-plus pointer (that’s as close as I will get to stepping on wine columnist John McDonald’s feet!) treats the mouth to a cascade of tastes. It’s difficult for me to finish all the wines that are poured at these dinners, but the Sustinet glass was empty when it was wrested from my trembling paws. The wine was the perfect accompaniment to smoked lamb marinating in a parmesan broth over Lupo’s fresh bucatini. 

SoDel Concepts’ association with the di San Bonifacio family began serendipitously with the late Matt Haley’s choice to enjoy a dinner at a small boutique winery and hotel in Tuscany. Manfredo tells the story best in his delightfully broken English: “A server came up to me and said, ‘There’s an American chef in the dining room who wants to see you.’ My first reaction was to go into the kitchen and ask my chef what he did wrong.” Though Matt did not drink, it turned out that his companion at the time was loving the di San Bonifacio wines. Matt asked Manfredo where he could source the wines in America, and was told that they were not available. 

After a few months, Matt called Manfredo and asked why the wines were still not available stateside, and Manfredo admitted that he didn’t have any contacts with an importer. Matt’s exact words were, “I’ll call you back in 10 minutes.” Manfredo was even more surprised when Matt actually did call him back in 10 minutes. Matt had contacted his friend Paul Karp from Vintage Importers. When Manfredo tells the story, he politely recounts that “Matt reached out to Paul.” Paul’s version is a little different: “Matt TOLD me to import the wines,” he smiles. As the owner and operator of multiple restaurants, Matt was not a shy person. And thanks to his and Paul’s efforts, the popularity of the di San Bonifacio wines has grown around Delaware and now extends into Pennsylvania and New Jersey. As a boutique winemaker, they only produce about 35,000 bottles of reds and another 30,000 to 35,000 bottles between the prosecco and the pinot grigio. In the world of wine, that is a very small production. Hence the word “boutique.” 

One of the stars of the show last week at Fish On was the dessert course. The brainchild of Corporate Pastry Chef Dru Tevis, a strawberry olive oil cake was drizzled with a wine and berry compote, and topped with pistachios, almonds and an amazing dulce crumb redolent of creamy caramel. The Count’s Docet cabernet blended seamlessly with the rollercoaster of taste and texture that Tevis created. 

Count Manfredo’s family has been in Italy for 1,100 years. In fact, records of the very first di San Bonifacio date back to the year 852. Wines were produced and consumed locally, until Manfredo’s generation began to bottle and label them for sale. Thanks to Matt’s last-minute decision to enjoy dinner at a tiny restaurant surrounded by vineyards in Tuscany, all of the SoDel Concepts restaurants carry various di San Bonifacio wines; the entire line can be enjoyed at Lupo Italian Kitchen in downtown Rehoboth Beach.

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A Tuscan affair

A Tuscan affair

A TUSCAN AFFAIR

In-depth review from menstylefashion.com

AUTHORED BY ZIGA COLJA FROM MENSTYLEFASHION.COM

It all starts where the road ends. At the top of a hill, with views as limited as the sea at the end of one’s horizon.

 

This horizon though, overlooking the cypress trees, beholds until it drops into the blue Tuscan waters. Which explains why the climate here is in a zone of its own. One is surrounded by hills with a Mediterranean breeze. Perfect.

Conti di San Bonifacio is a small, privately owned Tuscan Vineyard and Wine Resort Hotel, nestled in the beautiful hills of the Maremma region in Italy.

The estate was purchased by owners Count & Countess, Manfredo & Sarah di San Bonifacio, in 2002. A restoration project began to renovate the old farmhouse that stood on top of the commanding hills, into the beautiful villa that stands today. In 2003, Manfredo & Sarah set to work to plant 7 hectares of vines on the estate grounds in order to achieve their dream of producing Organic Super-Tuscan Wines.

Conti di San Bonifacio now produces three hand-crafted organic wines, from a mixture of varietals planted on the estate, including Sangiovese, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, with the first harvest in 2006.

The Restaurant

The Restaurant at Conti di San Bonifacio Wine Resort offers Tuscan cooking at its finest. We source all of our ingredients locally, and support the practices of sustainable farming and agriculture. The cuisine we offer within the resort combines a respect of the local ingredients and traditions with an innovative twist, with a continuous search for products at zero km.

We grow our own herbs on the property, press our own olive oil from our olive groves, and make our own organic wine from our vineyard. Our cooking reflects the spirit of tradition in which the raw material is enhanced by a permanent respect of natural flavours, the research of old recipes in which we inspire our new creations and the willingness of always improving ourselves. Read the full review here.