Exclusive Dinner with Michelin-Star Chef and Renowned Banfi Winery to be Hosted by Vakkaru Maldives

Vakkaru Maldives is thrilled to collaborate with the renowned Banfi winery, Michelin-starred Chef Domenico Francone, and Di-vine Cellars Maldives to bring a taste of Tuscany to the idyllic island paradise this January with an ultra-exclusive wine supper on January 22, 2023.

Chef Domenico will prepare a five-course meal with the best of Italian flavours for the one-night-only supper at Isoletta beach, which will be matched with carefully chosen wines from the Banfi range.

John and Harry Mariani, two Italian-American brothers, launched Banfi in 1978. Through four major pillars that have shaped the company's history and contributed to its success over the past 40 years, pioneering, research, innovation, and sustainability, Banfi has developed a successful and noteworthy history. Of the brand's Italian wineries, The Banfi is likely the most well-known. It produces exceptional Brunello, Rosso, and Super Tuscan wines and is situated in Tuscany, one of the most renowned wine-producing regions in the world, just outside the hilltop village of Montalcino. Additionally, Banfi manages other vineyards in Piedmont and Tuscany that produce a range of red, white, and rose wines.

The magnificent Castello Poggio Alle Mura, a walled and turreted castle from the 13th century, serves as the focal point of their vast vineyards in Tuscany. It has a hotel, a glass museum, an enoteca, and two restaurants, including La Sala dei Grappoli, which holds a Michelin star and is run by Chef Domenico Francone.

Chef Domenico Francone, a native of Puglia, was up in a household with a long culinary history. He obtained experience in a number of prominent Italian and foreign restaurants after graduating from the IPSAR Antonio Turi in Matera, including at German super chef Heinz Beck's starred restaurant Apsleys in London. He received an offer to become the executive chef of Castello Banfi's other restaurant, La Taverna, upon his return to Italy. He then oversaw the opening of La Sala dei Grappoli, a restaurant that in 2020 received its first Michelin Star for providing a seasonal menu of classic Tuscan dishes with a contemporary touch.