Just back from the Dolomites

I am a mountain person. I have been fortunate to make "pilgrimages" to mountains that call to me. Some of my favorites have been The Matterhorn (my #1), the Canadian Rockies, the Picos de Europa, the Pyrenees, the Himalayas and the Dolomites. In the presence of those majestic sites, how can one not be filled with wonder and gratitude?

The part of the Alps in Alto Adige are called the Dolomites and combine my other passion - wine. It is like Jeni's happy spot on steroids! The high-altitude vineyards in Alto Adige are extremely steep, dramatic and surrounded by magnificent mountain peaks. The wines of this region are across the board, very good to excellent quality. I believe, for a multitude of reasons, that the level of quality is higher on average than in many other regions of Italy. The food is Alpine with an Austrian and German influence, but with enough of a base in Italian traditions to please everyone.

Having said that, you can understand that creating our recent "Wine and Wellness" trip to the Dolomites was one part selfish and one part "I can't wait to show you all this." It was the first trip I had planned that included wellness as part of the daily regimen, and it won't be the last. There were hours each day when we could choose our own wellness routine, whether it was yoga, hiking, swimming, sauna-ing, steam-rooming, working out or meditating. When you are around others who are

An infinity pool with infinite views

on a happy-high from just returning from

The view from the hotel

a hike in the mountains with fantastic vistas, or from just crawling out of the pool with sweeping views, it is contagious. It also makes for a very happy group.

Despite the excellent wine and food, and warm and welcoming wineries, I believe the atmosphere of the region became the focal point. The panoramas, the clean surroundings, the fairy tale towns, the castles on the hills, the friendly people and our elegant, Zen-like hotel were the highlights.

The hotel wrapped us in a blanket of care and serenity. The family who runs it are third generation hoteliers and it shows. The entire staff seemed to know everyone by name and were eager to please in an unobtrusive way. The views from the hotel were sweeping. The dining room and lobby looked out at the mountain tops. From the outdoor (heated) infinity pool, the scene was accompanied by the sound of cowbells in the valley below. The yoga and sauna rooms made you feel like you were sitting in the middle of a tranquil forest.

The sweet amenities like an always full, wooden bucket of fresh picked apples, local herbal teas in our room, and a restaurant and bar that never closed were the icing on the cake. In truth, I could have spent all 7 days in the hotel, never having left, and had an outstanding week. In fact, several folks did opt out (totally acceptable!) of some of our daily wine tastings and excursions just to enjoy the hotel's serenity.

Hotel lobby

Alto Adige is one of those rare Italian spots that is not over-touristed...for now. With Brad Pitt motorcycling through last year and Elon Musk buying a huge villa there, it will change. For the near future, we still have a window to enjoy one of the most beautiful places on earth that offers a multitude of pleasures for the senses.

I am planning on organizing more trips to this region. We invite you to sign up for our emails to be notified of new trips, and, as always, share this with story with someone who would appreciate it.

I am looking forward to when you can join me on a sensory soul journey to enchanted places in Italy like Alto Adige.

In gratitude,

Jeni

P.S. For a full dose of photos from the trip, check out Moretti Wine Travel on Instagram.