Article written by Chiara Cappelina. Click here to read the original article.
Find your soulful pathway this summer in Custoza (Verona, Italy) replenishing your spirit with an instructor-led Wine Yoga session among the vines in Monte del Frà winery. The silence of the vineyards and a discipline that stimulates the well-being of body and mind – while tasting red wine – will let you find your inner peace & focus on your own health and wellbeing.
Imagine the kind of deep relaxation you experience during a yoga class. Now add a glass of fragrant and perfumed red wine. Here are the ingredients of “Wine Yoga among the vineyards at sunset”, a multi-sensory experience in which body and spirit regenerate, that is proposed by Cantina Monte del Frà (via Custoza 35, Sommacampagna ) in collaboration with the gym “Move It 360” on August 5, 19, 26 and September 2 and 9 a few kilometers away from Lake Garda.
This is not a normal yoga class followed by a tasting in the cellar. You’ve never experienced yoga while tasting wine in a setting like this. Shortly before sunset, the oenophile Yoginis are gathered (respecting the necessary spacing), on the top of the hill dotted with the vineyards surrounding the company in Custoza and, in the midst of the vines that house the Garganega, Trebbiano and Cortese (Fernanda) grapes, they relax, exercise their minds and bodies and sip red wine.
Wine Yoga session at Monte del Frà
Led by Yoga instructor Irene, the class is a journey, creating a fluid Yoga experience from opening to closing, in a routine designed to connect with the surrounding environment composed by the vines that frame the landscape, the olive trees that surround the estate and the Lake Garda that embraces them in distance. The lesson takes place through Hatha Yoga positions that involve all body parts and the use of everyone’s glass of Bardolino DOC to balance them; then while stretching and feeling the vibrations of yoga, you are guided through the tasting practice finding the wine olfactory characters and sensorial qualities and trying to understand how the scents change during the session.
At the end, lying on their yoga mats, participants will be able to admire the sunset over Terre del Custoza and have a further toast at the aperitif that will follow in the cellar.
The combination of wine with yoga became a fitness trend a few years ago in the United States, offering a double key to awakening energy and decreasing anxiety and stress. The practice of yoga and wine tasting are complementary to each other: Wine Yoga combines Yoga’s relaxing and de-stressing benefits with red wine’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ones. A perfect combination that brings a new balance between body and mind, linking two apparently opposite worlds, yet both of very ancient origins.
A discipline, the one of Wine Yoga, of which Monte del Frà has been an ambassador in Italy since 2019 fostering an initiative that aims to boost the practice of well-being and disseminate knowledge of the Garda hinterland and the production areas of Bardolino and Custoza DOC.
Cantina Monte del Frà is a family-owned business (Bonomo Family) established decades ago since 1958, when forefather Massimo, driven by a passion for wine, moved to the hills of Custoza and rent a few hectares to produce best quality wine. Cantina Monte del Frà stands on Lake Garda’s morainic hills, 15 km from Verona’s centre. The establishment of Cantina Monte del Frà was based a goal incubated and hatched by the sons Eligio and Claudio. The two sons oversaw the winery and the third generation: Marica (daughter of Eligio), Silvia and Massimo (sons of Claudio).
When Silvia, owner and brand ambassador of Monte del Frà, noticed how much Wine yoga sessions were becoming popular in the US she become intrigued by the concept. When presented with the possibility of hosting Wine Yoga sessions at her winery among the vineyards she seized the opportunity. “The vineyard is a perfect setting for a quiet and inspiring Wine Yoga session, aligning with Monte del Fra’ ethos of being guided by nature. Anyone is welcome to join us for these events whether you are a yoga pro or beginner” Silvia Bonomo said.
Monte del Frà Bardolino DOC was tasted while practicing Yoga
The Monte del Frà winery bases its philosophy on producing high-quality wines in respect of the territory in a tradition of sustainable agriculture. The winery extends entirely into the territory of Verona. From Sommacampagna, the birthplace of the winery and the production area of Custoza and the award-winning Custoza Superiore Cà del Magro crosses the Lugana and goes as far as Fumane, in the Valpolicella Classica area, wherein 2006, Tenuta Lena di Mezzo was acquired.
In its tasting rooms, adjacent to the wine shop, the Cellar is dedicated to welcoming wine lovers from all over the world with a richer and more articulated hospitality project that includes wine experiences and discovery tours of the territory in the name of sport, culture and gastronomy. “There are other wineries that will do yoga sessions, but I don’t know of any winery that consistently has a Wine Yoga practice,” Silvia Bonomo said.
The calendar of all Wine Yoga sessions and the other outdoor experiences offered by the winery, from picnic in the vineyards, wine & bike tours, tasting in the vineyards and much more are available on Monte del Frà website.
“All of our events are perfect for those who want to add a little something extra to their wine tastings session and will make a great day out in the vineyards with family or friends for a relaxing start to the weekend” Silvia Bonomo commented.
Next autumn, more exclusive experiences will be added to the agenda of events at Monte del Frà. Why not joining and immerse yourself in a worry-free day of wine-led relaxation?
You may also like: “The Custoza wine” and “Five Things To Do At Lake Garda“
