Recorded at Formaggioteca Terroir on April 2, 2024
“We call it a retreat because we want people to get away from what they’re normally doing and thinking. You don’t have to be a foodie to go there, but you’ll probably leave as one”. Rebecca Christophersen Gouttenoire on Campo Sasso
In part two of my conversation with Rebecca Christophersen Gouttenoire we speak more about leaps of faith, chance encounters, and the fortunate twists of fate that have brought her to where she is today. We also chat in greater detail about Grape Tours, the Tuscan, Italian, French, and beyond wine tours that she and her husband conduct and which she has happily been doing since 2004. Home restoration fans will also be pleased to hear that we dedicate quite a bit of time to talking about Campo Sasso, the restoration of which was recently featured on HGTV’s Fixer to Fabulous: Italiano. In addition to talking about the ins and outs of restoring an historical property in Italy, Rebecca shares with us what it was like to be on TV, featured in such an ambitious project. Finally, we discover more about what Rebecca and her family are trying to create with their approach to food and wine education, production, and hospitality and the many ways that Campo Sasso is a truly singular place where tradition and innovation meet. Recorded at Formaggioteca Terroir on April 2, 2024
Biography
In 1995 Rebecca left Denmark for Florence pulled by an interest in Italy and Italian culture and in search of work. Her path, and her passions for food and wine, led her to the hospitality sector. During her career she has worn many different hats and has always been very intentional about the importance of learning, growing, and evolving in her field. There is little that Rebecca Christophersen Gouttenoire can’t and doesn’t do. With her husband Pierre, she is co-founder and co-owner of Grape Tours, Formaggioteca Terroir, and the newly refurbished Tuscan dream getaway, Campo Sasso, which she defines as the consolidation of their family and their various ventures. A renovated old farmhouse in the Chianti Classico area, Campo Sasso was recently featured on the HGTV home restoration 6-episode series Fixer to Fabulous Italiano. It is now open for what Rebecca defines as retreats with an array of food and wine experiences that enable you to get under the skin of Tuscany. They also just launched What’s Cookin’ at Campo Sasso? An independent cooking show where various chefs and foodies share delicious recipes.
Links
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-christophersen-gouttenoire-b86a1b168/ https://www.facebook.com/rebeccainflorence
https://www.instagram.com/rebeccagouttenoire/
Campo Sasso
https://www.camposasso.com/
https://www.instagram.com/camposasso/
https://www.facebook.com/camposasso
https://www.camposasso.com/fixer-to-fabulous-italiano
Formaggioteca Terroir
https://en.formaggiotecaterroir.it/ https://www.instagram.com/formaggioteca/ https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=formaggioteca%20terroir
Grape Tours
https://www.tuscan-wine-tours.com/ https://linktr.ee/Grapetours
https://www.tuscan-wine-tours.com/grapetrotters
https://www.youtube.com/@lifeisgrapeintuscany
https://www.instagram.com/grapetours/
* My sincerest apologies for the allergy-induced coughing fit. While we edited out the others, one was left in to maintain the flow of our conversation.