While I knew the wedding of my friends, Al and Kat, would take place in the Puglia region of Italy, I was not expecting how amazing the hotel was.
Arriving at Masseria Torre Maizza, the stark white of the main building and fence around the property stood out against the backdrop of the adjacent golf course that featured more olive trees than I ever knew possible. I knew we were in for a treat during our three-day stay here.
Being here for a wedding meant the entire area was filled with wedding guests, many of whom I had not met yet. We came in from all over the world and this location was the perfect place to meet new friends while drinking amazing wine and eating food that I still dream about years later.
The resort, which is east of Fasano and south of Monopoli, had several suites on-site, ranging from small hotel rooms with a terrace to studio-style suites like mine to the larger suites that the families of those getting married were in during my stay.
The room my friend and I were in was everything I wanted in an Italian room, from the small seating area and fireplace to the terrace with two lounge chairs looking out to the golf course and huge olive trees. I loved being there and wish I could have enjoyed the room a little longer.
However, because I only had a short time here, I knew I needed to head to the beach for a bit to check out everything outstanding I’ve heard about the Adriatic Sea. A shuttle took me to the beach and while there were only a few of us there since it was early October and not necessarily “beach season”, the setup was outstanding.
I grabbed a glass of crisp white wine from the bar area and headed to a lounge chair to relax and read for a bit. My Southern-Americanness was showing as I stood along the shoreline barely getting my feet wet in the chilly water while all of the Europeans who were at the beach with me took a swim.
I will fully admit, going to the Gulf of Mexico most of my life has spoiled me and I am perfectly fine dipping my toes in cold water instead of freezing just to get a swim in!
Later that evening was the welcome party for the wedding, which started off on the roof of the main restaurant and event space. We had amazing unfiltered views of the area.
The food for both the welcome party and the wedding the next day was all prepared in-house. When I say it was the most amazing spread I’ve ever had at any event, I wouldn’t be doing it justice.
The cured meats, Italian cheeses, hand-made pasta, simply and perfectly cooked fish along with the sliced beef and lamb were just the tip of the iceberg of amazing dishes to choose from. The staff was outstanding and gave us a taste of every type of food we would find in a restaurant in Puglia.
The next day was the wedding on the beach where I spent the day before and the reception back at the resort. The staff did such a beautiful job with my friends’ wedding and after the quick bus ride back to the resort, we were ready to celebrate.
The party started with a cocktail reception, a huge spread of cured meats, cheeses, and olives from the trees located around the property. Music accompanied the event and we were able to do a little dancing and wine-drinking before the sit-down dinner the staff had prepared.
Dinner was another outstanding event with more food than I needed to consume. However, there was no way I was passing up the offerings here. Pasta, chicken, steak, and more plus the most amazing wine combined with the love in the room celebrating Al and Kat.
Afterward, we spent nearly all-night dancing to a DJ, the live band, and another DJ. The resort had amazing event space and places to sit and relax in between songs we were jamming to. We hung out by the pool talking to new friends before heading up the stone steps to the area known as the “dance floor” for our event.
The night ended around 5 am local time and we took what seemed like a very quick nap before grabbing coffee and heading back to Bari to take the train to Rome. The three days here flew by.
While I was here for an event, I would love to come back to Masseria Torre Maizza to experience more of the local culture. Biking the area, trying my hand at a round of golf, and taking advantage of the outstanding chefs working here is definitely going to be on my agenda. This area of Italy is definitely a “must” for any travel agenda.
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