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debtGood food, and the enjoyment of it, is inextricably linked to Italian culture, and as a wine lover who’s never met a carb I didn’t like, visiting Italy was wonderful. But when I come home from my trip, I often feel lethargic from overeating, rather than the post-vacation glow I was hoping for.
Located at the heel of Southern Italy’s rustic boot, Puglia is known for its expansive coastline, ancient olive groves, rolling wheat fields, scorching sun, and numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites. Renowned for its wine, olive oil, and bread production (nicknamed “the breadbasket of Italy”), Puglia’s hotels have grown to offer a variety of activities that complement the Mediterranean lifestyle. I headed there to test the balance between wine and health and see if I could return from my vacation refreshed and rejuvenated. Of course, I wanted to eat and drink with the sea views of the Italian coast, but I also wanted to enjoy the local, healthy side.
My first stop was Masseria Torre Maizza, a five-star hotel of effortless elegance designed by hotelier and interior designer Olga Polizzi. Just over an hour’s drive from Bari’s airport, the immaculate 15th-century fortified farmhouse towers above an ancient olive grove.
Your room’s private plunge pool overlooks the nine-hole golf course, so you can practice your swing with ocean views or take a leisurely stroll to admire the views before heading to Carosello restaurant, where humble Puglian traditional cuisine is given an upscale twist, elevating organic vegetables, local cheeses and artisan pastas into haute cuisine rich in taste and style.
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Many Italians attribute their ability to eat a lot and still stay healthy to the quality of the ingredients. The hotel’s general manager, Franco Girasoli, says the chef goes to the market every day at 4 a.m. to source fresh seafood, including plump pearly scallops and sea bass that melts in your mouth. At breakfast, I sipped orange juice overlooking an orchard of freshly picked citrus fruits. Behind the trees is a small but well-equipped outdoor gym, beside which is a stunningly beautiful 20-metre swimming pool. Dragonflies flitted across the surface, azure like the water. The attention to detail was so perfect that I half suspected the colour combination was deliberate. As I swam in the pool, a golden-tanned lifeguard with a dazzling smile knelt at the water’s edge and offered me a platter of fresh fruit skewers. If this is wellness, I’m in it.
Feeling a little extravagant, we went to the hotel’s Bougainvillea Bar. Aperitivois undoubtedly one of Italy’s greatest traditions – the theory being that a few drinks and a snack will “open” your stomach, or prepare you for a meal. The bar lives up to its name, set in the middle of a bougainvillea-filled courtyard where tiny hummingbirds flit among the vibrant purple flowers. I had a classy but powerful martini with burrata cheese, ripe tomatoes and a small pizza topped with slices of prosciutto and local wild honey. It all felt perfectly in tune with the surrounding landscape and the well-heeled clientele, from older couples still going strong in their romance to families stuffing their faces into bowls of their signature dishes. Cacio e pepe Melty shrimp tartare.
Reluctant to leave such a charming place, I head south for an hour and a half through the countryside, past Lecce, the “Florence of the South,” on my way to Salento and the enchanting Don Totu. To say the entrance is unassuming would be an understatement. Navigating the deserted backstreets of a town that seems almost closed off, I double-checked to make sure I was in the right place, but wasn’t sure until the doors slid open to reveal the wonders inside.
An aristocrat’s old mansion is now a charming six-bedroom hotel with vaulted chandelier ceilings and palatial grounds, lawns, a pool, a bar, secluded corner seating areas dotted with lemon trees, and, despite the tinkling of bells and the occasional barking of a dog beyond the walls, you’ll feel like you’re in your own private oasis.
Romantic rooms with four-poster beds and billowing white gauze curtains are scented with jasmine and are connected by cream-stone staircases to terraces, courtyards and terraces dotted with succulents, olive trees and candles.
Every morning the chef bakes the most delicious cakes for breakfast, from coffee cake to an exquisitely fluffy lemon sponge dusted with icing sugar, the ricotta is so fresh it’s still warm on the table. During cocktail hour, drinks are available on request and wine tastings can also be arranged, but if you can’t wait that long there is a small private “Honesty” wine cellar.
Picnic-style lunches can be pre-ordered, but the hotel does not serve dinner, so we opted for a five-minute walk to a local restaurant in the evening to bring a pizza to our private terrace and enjoy views of the gardens as the setting sun bathes the roofs. Hiking trails are nearby, and guests can use the hotel’s bikes, e-bikes and scooters to explore the surrounding area. Swimming beaches and local vineyards are just a 25-minute drive away.
I visited two very different wineries about 20 minutes apart. Castel di Salve is one of the oldest in Puglia, founded in 1885 and offering a real glimpse into wine history as the first in Salento to age and bottle its wines. Castel Frisari only just got started in 2016, the dream of two brothers determined to preserve the agricultural culture around their 17th century family home and to share the beauty of the local grape, Negroamaro. They started tours and tastings in June. It’s a love story to this wine, offering a red, a rosé and two irresistible sparkling wines.
Don Totu offers free poolside yoga lessons every morning, and Yoga in Salento is a popular nearby retreat that attracts some of the world’s most respected yoga instructors and celebrity clients; actress Sadie Frost recently visited and declared it the best vegan food she’d ever eaten, according to founder Francesca Maniglio.
After my gym workout, I headed to the private hammam, which can be booked an hour in advance, for ultimate relaxation with a steam room and a warm bubbling pool with jets and a small waterfall. I felt so relaxed that I was half-hypnotized by the swifts soaring above the pool, and then fell asleep in the garden.
I indulged in local cuisine, seafood pasta, crusty bread and fine wines, but left this rustic, enchanting corner of Italy feeling refreshed and invigorated. I walked, swam, hit the gym, pampered with yoga and found my zen in the spa. Post-vacation blues may set in, but for now, even after all that indulgence, I feel refreshed and rejuvenated. Maybe Puglia holds the key to curing my carb addiction after all.
How to do it
Masseria Torre Maizza has rooms from £1,080 per night and Don Totu from £295 per night (exclusive hire is also available).
Tours and tastings at Castel di Salve start from €25 (£21.15) per person, while tours and tastings at Castel Frisari start from €30 (£25.40) per person.
read more: Italy Travel Guide – Everything you need to know before you travel
