Federico Fellini’s 1960 film “La Dolce Vita” neatly defined the elements of Italian life that make it such a draw for tourists around the world, especially Americans. (In 2023, approximately 7.5 million people from the U.S. landed in Italy.)
La dolce vita translates to the sweet life, and it encompasses the trademark Italian concept of enjoying simple pleasures, like the company of friends, a glass of good Barolo, a heaping goblet of pistachio gelato. It is about the pursuit of authenticity, embracing a slower pace, living in the moment. La dolce vita upends the idea of luxury, and turns it into a moment and a feeling, not an object.
Italian wineries are, no surprise, offering their own brand of la dolce vita, with experiences that embrace connection, wellness and small moments of deep pleasure.
Ready to uncork something extraordinary? Read on to explore some of the most unique wine experiences in Italy – wine and wellness retreats in Italy – paired with some of the best places to stay in Italy.
Best Times to Visit Italy
Wine country in Italy is charming year-round, and while January and February are probably the slowest months, they are also quiet and peaceful times to visit, and may allow you to spend more quality time with producers. For the best weather and the excitement of bud break and then harvest, April through June and September through October are the best months.
Unique Wine Experience in Italy
Planning Your Wine and Wellness Retreat in Italy
How do you define the sweet life? Whether your idea of a good time is hiking through a wolf sanctuary or dancing to a DJ set at a community picnic—and everything in between—Italy’s winemakers have something for you. I’ve laid out these amazing wine and wellness retreats in Italy paired with the best places to stay in Italy.
Madrevite Throws the Ultimate Community Picnic
Madrevite is perched between Umbria and Tuscany, in the hills surrounding Trasimento Lake and Lake Chiusi. Nicola Chiucchiurlotto founded the winery in 2003, with the goal of restoring his family’s wine business and replanting his grandfather Zino’s old vineyards, which date back to 1978. But Chiucchiurlotto is hardly stuck in the past. His flagship wine, Gamay del Trasimeno is dubbed C’osa, a local slang term that translates to “who is daring?”
Everything at Madrevite reflects this desire to honor the past, while delightedly striding towards the future.
The event that best encapsulates Madrevite’s approach is a months-long (May through September) picnic party. Dubbed PicNicco, the events run from 6 to 10 pm, outdoors only, every weekend.
PicNicco blends wine, food, music and nature, and the entrance fee (8 Euros) includes a glass of wine. Food is sold separately and comes from popular local food trucks sharing regional specialties and decadent street snacks. A DJ spins, and the entire party watches the sunset together.
While the event, which was launched in 2020 to offer a safe space for people to come together during the pandemic, initially drew locals. But in recent years, the vast majority of the attendees are tourists. Because all ages are welcome, and four-legged friends are too, at one point, the distinctly Italian mania that comes at large festivals and community events sets in.
Love the idea but need a place to stay? Madrevite also offers a small boutique hotel set amid an olive-tree peppered estate, with flowering gardens and bordered by the forest. Pair this unique wine experience in Italy with one of the best places to stay in Italy.
Poggio della Dogana Offers Pasta Classes with a Celebrity Chef
Poggio della Dogana is nestled on Terra del Sole, a hill that served as a border point in the 16th century between Pontifical Romagna and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. The farm today is right in the heart of Romagna, a slice of Italy as celebrated for its unique food culture, and often referred to as the cradle of Italian food.
Poggio della Dogana rose to fame on the success of its four Romagna Sangiovese, its sparkling Vindice (made with Sangiovese) and its Albana wines.
The winery offers an opportunity to marry Romagna’s rich culinary and viticultural history, with classes led by Erica Liverani, winner of the 5th edition of MasterChef Italia. In the class, participants learn to make cappelletti from scratch.
Cappelletti means “little hat,” and the pasta is traditionally filled with cheese, and is either served in a rich meat broth, or tossed with a cream or tomato-based sauce. The pasta originated in Romagna in the 13th century, and now is frequently eaten on Christmas Eve.
During the class, Chef Erica works one on one with students to make their pasta from scratch, stuff it, shape it into “hats” and then cook it. Once lesson time is over, the feasting begins, and everyone shares the meal they just made, paired with Poggio della Dogana’s wines.
Ready to make your own little hats? Email info.poggiodelladogana@rdcpdd.com for more information. The experience has become one of the winery’s most popular offerings, and books up quickly.
Walk with Alpacas at Ronchi de Castelluccio
Ronchi di Castelluccio was created in 1974 in the hills of Romagna’s Modigliana, with the goal of creating distinct Sangiovese and Sauvignon Blanc wines. Founded by intellectual and film director Gian Vittorio Baldi, many dismissed his plan to grow Sangiovese in the cold, forested hills of Modigliana.
It’s still the northernmost region planted to Sangiovese in Italy, but Vittorio Baldi’s vision proved prescient, and now the winery is considered an exemplar of terroir-driven, fresh and elegant Sangiovese.
Today, the winery is led by Aldo and Paolo Rametta, brothers who are as passionate about regenerative agriculture as they are about great wine.
To honor both their love of Ronchi di Castelluccio’s wines and the land on which they’re grown, the Rametta brothers offer the opportunity to walk with their herd of alpacas through the estate, followed by a full wine-tasting. The peaceful time with the alpacas compliments the experience of tasting wines made with such care from specific parcels of the land.
The experience is customizable, and available by reservation only. Email info.ronchidicastelluccio@rdcpdd.com for details.
Have a Spa Day, Hunt for Truffles & More at Ratti Winery
Ratti Winery in La Morra is considered one of the icons and pioneers of Barolo. Founder Renato Ratti brought the Burgundian concept of single vineyard farming and winemaking to Italy. By doing so, he helped set the stage for a stylistic shift from mass-market plonk to elegant, age-worthy wines in Barolo, and elevated the entire region on the world stage.
Now run by Renato’s son, Pietro, the winery is as deeply committed as ever to crafted magnificent wines, with a side of la dolce vita.
Pietro created Villa Pattono Relais (a short drive from the winery) to allow for complete relaxation in wine country. Set on top of a hill in Costigliole d’Asti and surrounded by vineyards and ancient trees, the villa, which was built in 1700, maintains the elegance and charm of the original estate, with additional amenities.
Villa Pattono offers a wellness center with a Turkish bath, Swedish sauna, yoga sessions, chromotherapy, plus completely customizable itineraries that take visitors into the countryside with a roster of bucket-list worthy experiences, from truffle hunting to golf on the Monferrato hills. This wine and wellness retreat in Italy is also one of the most unique wine experiences in Italy.
And if you never want to live Villa Pattono, we don’t blame you—an on-site, seasonally driven restaurant with dishes like Carnaroli risotto with toma cheese, fragola grapes and trout eggs, makes that possible (while you’re staying there at least).
Get Physical in the Vines at Villa Sandi
Villa Sandi is located between the DOCG area of Prosecco of Valdobbiadene and the DOC area of the Montello and Colli Asolani wines. The winery is worth a visit for the stunning architectural craftsmanship of the Villa alone. A Palladian-style masterpiece, it dates back to 1622, and embodies the link between art and agriculture in Veneto.
The Moretti Polegato family owns and operates Villa Sandi, and in honor of their love of the territory and its many nuanced traditions, they created Villa Sandi for Life, a comprehensive program designed to protect the environment, boost biodiversity, limit water use and use renewable energy.
But a big part of Villa Sandi for Life is also the winery’s social commitment, with a series of programs designed to embed visitors in nature. The winery created its “Gym in the Vineyard” program in 2018 to share their space with the local community, and offer a clean and healthy area for people to be active. In the years since, visitors from near and far have come to enjoy the fitness trail. Free, no appointment needed.
If you’re looking for less of a physical, and more of an emotional or intellectual experience, Villa Sandi also offers the Opere Experience, which includes a tour of Villa Sandi (including its vast network of centuries old underground galleries), the Villa itself and a candlelight tasting of wine. Reservations required.
Either option is a fun and unique wine experience in Italy.
Hike with Wolves in Valle Reale
Valle Reale is a winery located in Abruzzo at the intersection of three national parks: Gran Sasso, Monti della Laga and Majella. This remote region is known as the lungs of Europe for its vast natural resources and concentrated forested area. The organic and biodynamic wine-farm was founded in 1998 by Leonardo Pizzolo with the goal of farming Montepulciano d’Abruzzo in a completely unspoiled mountainous region.
What began as an intellectual and viticultural experiment has evolved into a project lauded for its top-quality wines made in an utterly distinct setting. And if you want to visit, a stay is practically mandatory because Valle Reale is so remote.
The guest house (more are being prepared, and should be available in the coming months) is a step back into another time. (No television, but don’t freak out: there’s WiFi). The 3-bedroom home is completely surrounded by the vineyards, perched at 2,700 meters above sea level, with access to epic hikes and bike rides right outside the door, including walks through Molise National Park, a key preserve for the Apennine wolf. (Molise offers wolf tracking excursions for the hardcore). It is one of the most unique wine experience in Italy.
And while the region is remote, and the winery is even more so, this is Italy, so there are six Michelin-starred restaurants nearby.
In Italy, life is sweeter, but it also feels deeper and more authentic.
Kathleen Willcox writes about wine, travel and culture from her home in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. She is keenly interested in sustainability issues, and the business of making ethical drinks and food. Her work appears regularly in Wine Searcher, Wine Enthusiast, Wine Industry Advisor and many other publications.