Wine away at Villa Europa's Spa Do Vinho in Brazil
It wasn't the cushioned wooden lounge chair, the thick robe, the citrus-infused water or the soaking pool looking out on the rolling green countryside that truly spoke of relaxation.
No, it was only when I discovered that all of the magazines were in Portuguese that I finally shut off my head and indulged in the unique sensory experiences offered by a French spa in the heart of Italian wine country in southern Brazil.
(Julianne Will/For the Sun-Times)
Villa Europa Hotel and Spa Do Vinho, which opened last year, is in a part of Brazil that turns stereotypes on their heads. Serra Gaucha, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, was settled by Italian immigrants in the late 1880s. The hills here are covered in grapevines managed by those families. It's much more similar to Europe than to Rio de Janeiro -- Europe on a budget, that is. The dollar does far better against the Brazilian real than the euro.
In honor of the Italian culture in which the hotel is rooted, directors Aldemir Dadalt and Deborah Villas-Boas Dadalt furnished the lobby with antiques from area families; the rooms feature modern furniture with a nod to Italy and all things wine.
And in honor of the vineyards that surround Villa Europa, the Dadalts created the fifth French Caudalie spa in the world, employing grape products such as seeds and stems in its vinotherapy treatments.
The half-day "Invitation Package" (about $166, or 392 Brazilian reais) is an introduction to the procedures. It includes a bath, wrap, facial and choice of scrub or massage. Of the four bath choices available, I selected the 20-minute "bain barrique" in what is essentially a jet tub outfitted to look like a wine barrel.
The therapist added a shot glass of crushed extracts from the grape seed, stalk and pulp, said to have a mild exfoliating effect, and a spritz of "draining" essential oils that scented the water. Whatever the intended results, it certainly is relaxing sitting in the alternately hot and cool water and staring out at the blue sky and green hills.
Afterwards, I dragged my lazy self to the waiting area made up of an indoor pool surrounded by round stones and circled by wooden chaise lounges. A wall of windows opened to a sunny outdoor patio dotted with wooden rockers, and the warm indoor air was tempered by the cool breeze. I sipped citrus water and dozed, reassured that a therapist would track me down and check my schedule, which was put in a plastic sleeve and tucked into the pocket of my robe. It sidesteps the language barrier, which in turn boosts the relaxation factor by subtracting the possibility of chit-chat.
Next up was the massage. The list of options is a page long. I chose the hourlong "massage vigneron," said to recreate the steps of the winemaking process. No one squashed me with their feet, but the therapist did use a rounded "winemaker stick," applying pressure on my back with the end of it and rolling the stick up and down my legs. This whole-body massage with grapeseed and essential oils is supposed to activate the circulation and leave you bursting with energy. I failed miserably, still relaxed enough to feel foggy as I crawled off the bed and was helped into my cozy robe.
The wrap that followed did wake me up, though. In the 20-minute treatment "envelopamento energie," a therapist glops a warm mixture of bentonite clay -- crushed grapeseeds, pulp and stalks -- and grapeseed oil all over your body, then wraps you like a messy burrito in plastic and heated blankets. After I had cooked long enough, the therapist returned to the dim room and helped me slip and slide into a shower. I rinsed off all the goo, but my skin still felt like silk.
I ended with the "grand soin du visage" Caudalie facial, the one-hour "cult Caudalie treatment." If this is a cult, I'll drink the Kool-Aid. The technician cleaned every pore and massaged my hands and feet as well. I felt rested and radiant.
If you can ever bring yourself to leave the spa, the hotel itself offers plenty of diversions. There's a fitness center and, on weekends, a children's recreation lounge and movies. An outdoor pool and hot tub offer enticing views from landscaped patios. You'll find a game room above the bar area and a library, too.
The restaurant, Leopoldina, serves French-Italian specialties, such as green salad with pear and prosciutto parma or partridge agnolotti with blueberry sauce. Room service is available as well, including a spa-like grilled fish with rice and vegetables -- but in rich, hazelnut butter. Villa Europa has more than 550 different wines in its cellar, including VE Merlot, made by nearby Miolo Winery exclusively for the hotel.
An estimated 150,000 people each year visit the Vale dos Vinhedos, a valley at the heart of Brazil's wine-growing Serra Gaucha region as well as the country's first "geographical indication." That means wines from this valley that have met certain standards can state that on the label. Nearly 90 percent of Brazil's wine comes from Serra Gaucha, so most visitors come to tour the 30-plus wineries here, which are generally open daily.
Miolo is just down the hill from the hotel; Casa Valduga, Salton and other wineries in the region are a short drive away. They welcome guests to take tours or eat in their on-site restaurants. Studios featuring the works of painters, cheese-makers (including the Italian pecorino) and other artisans line the winding roads.
Bento Goncalves is the nearest city, a wealthy enclave of 100,000 with hip clothing boutiques and a clean, quaint downtown. The major industry aside from wine here is furniture.
Of course, this still is Brazil, so along with your pasta and cappelletti soup you'll find as much meat-from-a-spit as you can eat at churrascarias, such as Castelo Benevenutti, between Bento Goncalves and Garabaldi (www.giuseppe.com.br/en/index.htm).
Indulge in too much, and you might need to return to the spa for the "massage sauvignon," using "techniques that improve blood circulation of regions of the body where there's fat accumulation, helping to reduce measures and fighting cellulites."
The spa notes that it only provides visible results if done regularly. I'd be happy to comply.
Julianne Will is a locally-based free-lance writer.
GETTING THERE: Both United Airlines and TAM fly direct from O'Hare to Sao Paulo. From there, TAM flies into Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul. Villa Europa can send a car to pick you up at the airport in Porto Alegre, which is a nearly two-hour drive. They'll transport as many as four guests at a time for a total of $85 (200 Brazilian reais) each way.
VISA: You will need a visa in addition to your passport to visit Brazil. See the Web site for the General Consulate of Brazil in Chicago at www.brazilconsulate chicago.org/en-0-0-0.html. Follow the instructions precisely to gather the necessary documents and allow at least three weeks to process the application. If you apply in person at the consulate, a tourist visa costs $130. If you apply via courier or mail, it costs $150. Visas are valid for five years.
VILLA EUROPA HOTEL: The standard rate for a basic room at Villa Europa is about $216 (510 reais); prices might be lower in the off-season, from April through June and September through November. Ask about availability and rates by e-mailing reservas@spadovinho.com.br. The Web site, www.spadovinho.com.br, is in Portugese, but the plan is to add English pages as early as next month.
SPA DO VINHO: Spa appointments fill quickly on weekends during the busy months: December-March and July. (Our summer is their winter, and many Brazilians from the north travel to Serra Gaucha in July to experience snow.) It makes sense to schedule your spa treatments before you arrive or immediately upon arrival. One-hour massages cost about $76, and there are plenty of treatments and packages to choose from. I opted for the "Invitation Package" for $166. It's a half-day package made up of a bath, wrap, scrub or massage and facial.
LANGUAGE: If you want to hire a translator, contact Beatriz Glauche, director of the local language school Window Centro de Idiomas, at windowbg@ital net.com.br. The fee is $130 for the day. If you need a car, too, the price goes up to $200.