Tenuta TerraRossa

Cesare’s local dinner is not to be missed if he invites you. He’s a very good cook as well as a great host. It’s a generous Calabrian meal, with a seemingly endless stream of homemade local starters, followed by pasta for primi and fish for secondi. A large carafe of very nice wine from his own organic farm is included. Eating under the trees, with little lights scattered around and such a friendly host, felt like the Italian dinner I’d imagined in my idealistic dreams. The whole place gives you a wonderful taste of country life. Tenuta Terra Rossa is tucked among olive and citrus trees, and the old monastery has been transformed beautifully. Early morning is lovely there, with the sounds, scents, and cool air, best enjoyed with coffee on the terrace under the orange trees or beneath the grape canopy. Even the wooden chairs suit the setting better than the plastic ones you often see elsewhere. The rooms are lovely, stylishly decorated with some beautiful old furniture. Staying here felt like striking gold.