Spa time

With summer just around the corner, it’s time to check out a few wellness centers with an eye on not giving up good wine and food.

This is the time of the year to take stock of the consequences of seasonal excesses and decide how to deal with them.

For man the first step is signing up at a gym in May, even if we know that that chances of getting into shape through exercise by August is practically nil. There is an alternative, one that involves not gyms by wellness centers or spas. These are places where you can take care of your body and where the word #relax is included in the registration fee because they offer an escape from urban chaos, stress and noise pollution. Here the key concept is “wellness”.

Being a native of the Abruzzo region, I couldn’t not visit La Réserve, Resort Termale e Medical Spa which is located a stone’s throw from the medieval hamlet of Caramanico Terme, a town that symbolizes spa tradition in Abruzzo . Set in the Majella National Park, it is an authentic oasis of peace and tranquility. Aside from all the attention and care one could hope for, here you can also find a cuisine that is light and tasty. In other words, the food is seen as medicinal for the body and the mind and this thanks to Chef Antonello de Maria who spoils his clientele at his restaurant Le Regard located inside the spa. A lot of thought goes into a menu like his, one where the #healthy (one of the most popular on Instragram and always connected to wellness) is the leitmotif in the kitchen to ensure Italians are not denied the pleasure of one of the most important moments of the day.

Aside from the Champagne, the wine list is composed of only Abruzzo producers with a host of wines and vintages to choose from. There are legendary producers like Valentini and Masciarelli who made Abruzzo wine famous outside the region, and classic wines from Cataldi Madonna to Cirelli, along with wines from a slew of small, ‘artisanal’ producers who are adding value to this beautiful region.

A stop in Tuscany  was obligatory and it was at the Resort Fonteverde in San Casciano dei Bagni which has a breathtaking view of the beautiful Val Orcia. Here the focus is on diet and wellness in according to the guidelines set by the portal Medicina 33 and includes emotional wellness as a remedy for stress-related ills.

The center is frequented by many foreigners who together with the Italians floc to the big lunch buffet of seasonal fruits and vegetables, raw and cooked, local ricotta cheese and protein enriched pastas made from ancient grain varieties all of which satisfy the appetite in a relaxing atmosphere. Dinner, on the other hand, sees Chef Salvatore Quarta mix Tuscan tradition with a quest for lightness, without abandoning Mediterranean flavor. The wine list has a definite Tuscan slant to it with some unforgettable and international blends like Ornellaia, Sassicaia and Tignanello. Particular attention is paid to classic Tuscan areas with selections of Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti Classico.

From Tuscany we went north to the Veneto  region and the town of Jesolo and the Almar spa with its majestic pools. Like the others, this is a five-star resort and is a modern structure situated in the Jesolo Lido, which many consider to be Venice’s beach. Although it was only created in 2014, today it is already competing in the World Luxury Spa Awards 2017, the most important international prize for this sector.

The link to vote, by May 21, is: http://www.luxuryspaawards.com/node/add/vote-spa/497672 .

Here they offer a series of wellness activities and therapies and I was most impressed by the energetic sleep massage that is designed for people like me who wish to improve the quality of their sleep or suffer from insomnia, which has much to do with stress.

The restaurant Mediterranea is the reign of Executive Chef Salvatore Pullara who has an excellent CV and was previously chef at the Donnafugata Golf Resort in Sicily. Aside from being involve in daily preparation, he is also able to express his creativity making decorative dishes and vegetable sculptures.

As for the wine, Amar has two sommeliers, Gianfranco Csorba and Roberto Daniel Frank, both of whom are Maître d’Hotel and millennials being respectively 29 and 34 years of age. There are over 300 wines on the list which includes many sparkling wines with both DOC and DOCG Prosecco, a regional showpiece, as well as a host of Franciacorta and Trentodoc wines and, of course, Champagne. Italian producers dominate the still wine selection with many from the host region and a vast choice among organic and biodynamic wines that can also be tasted by the glass.

Wine by the glass is basically the rule during meals at spas because it is a perfect compromise for those who do not wish to give up the pleasure of a good wine in moderation during their quest for wellness.

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