Visit Salamanca’s Whispered Luxury at Hacienda Zorita Wine Hotel
It was an afterthought, a stop on the way from Madrid by way of Segovia and Avila to Salamanca. Easy to miss if you weren’t looking for the signpost at the end of a long driveway, mid-vineyard, bathed in a golden Spanish sunset.
Had I known more about this little gem, I would have booked a week-long stay to enjoy all that the Hacienda Zorita Wine Hotel, Spa and Organic Farm has to offer. In addition to a fascinating historical pedigree with a birds-eye view of the events surrounding the Discovery of America.
Rewind to 1336 when the Hacienda was donated to the Dominican Order by Doña Inés de Limoges becoming then a monastery. In that “aha” moment, the Hacienda was given its true spirit of purpose: to provide accommodation and food care – with its own produce- to the professors of the University of Salamanca as well as honorable guests who were passing through. Which it does to this day. And now to all guests.
In 1487, Christopher Columbus spent a long period of time in the monastery where he managed to convince people, together with Fray Diego de Deza, personal confessor to the Queen Isabella I of Castile, of the viability of the new route to the Indies. This was certified at the historic “Valcuevo Conferences”.
haciendazorita.com
Check in was brief and pleasant. The next wonderful surprise? My room. All rooms located in the Casa Grande overlook the Tormes River.
Here, art and history go hand in hand. Each room has its own significance and unique personality.
On this evening, I enjoyed sharing in a private wine tasting held in the building formerly used for worship and devotion. The lighting was muted, the air cool and fragrant with open bottles of area varietals and rich with scents of ripe cheeses. The Hacienda produces and ages its own cheeses as well.
Their spectacular cheese factory, producer of some of the 50 best cheeses in the world, a 12 year old balsamic vinegar aging cellar, an organic orchard, a cellar-barn with hams from Salamanca, the free-range breeding of Verata goats and Churra sheep, as well as water buffaloes from the Douro Valley and of course, the Ibérico pig, the symbol of the “home of pata negra” ham.
The menus are seasonal. Again, a fusion of gastronomy, art and history in a farm to table dining experience like none I have ever experienced. After the wine tasting, there was this. The evening’s menu:
Even the menu graphics. Seriously beautiful.
Then after a glorious night’s sleep and a lovely walk around the property, I explored their spa offerings. Of course they do and of course I did. A broad traveling etc. etc.
Spa services? Oh save me…
I HAD to do the Hacienda Zorita Massage..”little floral sacks of green tea and lavender soaked in hot sesame grape oil and other exotic aromas with stretching, a wrapping massage and vibration to symphony of Tibetan bowls.”
Green tea and lavender? Tibetan bowls? I know. It was.
HACIENDA ZORITA WINE HOTEL & ORGANIC FARM
Ctra. Ledesma, Km. 10 37115 Valverdón Salamanca España
Related Posts
Unraveling The Best and Biggest Mysteries of Machu Picchu
What is Machu Picchu? There is no reference to Machu Picchu in Inca literature or …
October 28, 2024
“Si!” to Peru’s Signature Delicacies, Ceviche and Pisco Sours
My recent Peruvian adventure included a deep, delicious dive into the country’s authentic cuisine with …
October 26, 2024
e-commerce | 25th Feb 24
Wow, wonderful blog structure! How long
have you been running a blog for? you made blogging look easy.
The overall glance of your website is excellent, as well as the content material!
You can see similar: e-commerce and here najlepszy sklep