How about a rare 2009 Chardonnay from respected Burgundian producer Pierre-Yves Colin Morey? Or a unique 2011 Syrah from the award-winning South African producer Eben Sadie? You can hardly find these beauties in the UK. But finding a treasure trove of them in the Maldives at incredibly low prices, gifted by an experienced team of sommeliers, elevates even the dreamiest holiday into a truly transcendent experience.
There are more than 132 resort islands in the Maldives – but there is one clear choice for wine lovers, and that is Constance Halaveli.
It is a 25 minute seaplane ride from the capital Malé and has powder white beaches, crystal clear turquoise waters and luxury villas just like other idyllic resorts. But it’s the 27,000-bottle wine cellar on this tiny, 300-meter-wide (985-foot) island that sets it apart. If you want Montrachet with its manta rays and wines by the bucket and spade on the bucket list, then this is your wine paradise.
On my first morning, after a hearty breakfast and a liter of coffee to combat jet lag, I go barefoot for a tour of the cellars just a few meters from the beach. Outside, a bacchanalian sanctuary of empty bottles – all the big names (Krug, Cristal, d’Yquem), but also trendy producers from the Jura, Switzerland and New Zealand. Fascinating. Head sommelier Sree greets me with a friendly smile. He opens a heavy door – and I’m in vino Narnia. Numerous bottles are stacked against the walls, interspersed with old maps and wine memorabilia.
In the first room there is an impressive selection of big labels – vintage champagne, First Growth Bordeaux, Grand Cru Bourgogne and Super Tuscans. At the heart of the room is a reclaimed keg table – the focal point for the team’s internal training. Sree leads an unusually large team of five sommeliers, all dedicated to providing guests in the 57 water villas and 29 beach villas with Michelin-starred wine service.
Charlotte Kristensen checks in at Constance Halaveli (above) in the Maldives, which has a 27,000-bottle wine cellar
Shown at left is a floating lunch of house champagne that Charlotte enjoys at her mansion. The photo on the right shows Charlotte at her “lagoon tasting” with head sommelier Sree – one of the many wine experiences that can be booked at Halaveli
Constance Halaveli’s winery, which Charlotte describes as “vino Narnia,” complete with vintage maps and wine memorabilia
Charlotte writes: “There are over 132 resort islands in the Maldives – but there is one clear choice for wine lovers and that is Constance Halaveli.”
The sommelier team is young, friendly and extremely competent. “Did someone say ‘Riesling’?” one of the team members enthusiastically joins in as he eavesdrops on our conversation about a famous producer from Alsace. Close and trusting relationships are the focus of their actions. They tell me that some guests like to stick to the familiar, so quality rosés from Provence, Sauvignon Blancs and Riojas top the list. Other guests have a preference for classic super premium wines.
Sree tells me about a guest who sent €50,000 (£43,000/$53,000) of wine for a week-long holiday with friends. Another sent him a WhatsApp message from the airport looking for two bottles of Petrus – a rare wine that costs an average of a whopping €4,000 (£3,500 / $4,249) per bottle!
But it’s the small family producers that Sree and the team talk about passionately – Domaine Vacheron from the Loire Valley, David & Nadia from Swartland in South Africa and Tenuta de Terre Nere from Sicily to name a few. And you might be surprised to know that the prices of these boutique wines are remarkably reasonable.
Sommelier Sree tells Charlotte about a guest who emailed to save €50,000 (£43,000/$53,000) worth of wine for a week-long holiday with friends
Charlotte lives in a Beach Villa (above) at the resort, which has 57 Water Villas and 29 Beach Villas
How do you do it?
Wine culture runs from top to bottom at this hotel group, which has several properties in the Indian Ocean. The winery has been run for nearly 20 years by respected and renowned sommelier Jerome Faure, whose wine programs have received numerous awards. His wine contacts around the world have enabled him to build remarkable wineries with wines bought directly from producers, cutting out the middlemen and passing the savings on to guests.
Every evening, after a leisurely day of swimming, reading and relaxing in the spa, I am taken on a different and enchanting wine tour with the sommelier team.
I eat at each of Halaveli’s three restaurants. The Jahaz buffet restaurant is located right on the beach and has a different theme every night, accompanied by a tasteful live guitar performance. The Maldivian night of spicy delights served with an aged off-dry New Zealand Riesling is a hit.
The resort’s opulent Presidential Villa is set amidst lush greenery and white sand
The beachfront villas line the resort’s impressive 854-metre pier
Constance Halaveli is a 25-minute seaplane ride from the capital Male
“Each evening, after a leisurely day of swimming, reading and relaxing at the spa, I am taken on a different and enchanting wine tour with the sommelier team,” writes Charlotte
Neighboring Meeru specializes in freshly caught fish and fine meat cooked on an open fire grill. The local toothfish is sensationally lightly fried with a herb butter sauce, together with a white wine from the Arbois in the Jura.
The ultra-fine dining Jing Restaurant is located halfway across the hotel’s impressive 854-metre jetty. Here I relax on an unforgettable evening – a sparkling sunset, sharks and Saint-Aubin. Jing serves food to write home about (not just for Instagram) – impeccably seared, thick scallops, impeccably crispy yet juicy tempura tiger prawns, and for main course, a rich and silky black miso cod – all 10 the 10
In the middle of the week I go to a lagoon tasting – one of the many wine experiences that can be booked at Halaveli. With my dress tied with a hair tie and water up to my knees, I taste four wines while baking in that glorious 5pm sun. A rich and salty Chardonnay from Burgundy’s lesser-known Cotes d’Auxerre region, then two South African whites – a honey-rich Chenin from Hemel-en-Aarde and a spicy Viognier from Walker Bay. To conclude, a fragrant but approachable Barolo-style red wine from the Langhe region of Italy.
Wine culture is top-down at the hotel group run by Constance Halaveli, reveals Charlotte, which owns several properties in the Indian Ocean.
On another occasion, a bespoke 7-course meal paired with soulful wines in the candlelit wine cellar provides the ultimate wow factor. I won’t forget the Maldivian Rock Lobster Roulade, served with caviar, brioche, hollandaise and a splash of bisque, along with a 2016 Puligny Montrachet.
On my last night I am delighted with Sree’s choice – a bottle of Crozes-Hermitage by the late and much admired Alain Graillot. A few nights earlier, as we swapped stories of past visits to the cellars of Rhône craft winemakers, I said that I was madly in love with Rhône Syrah. He remembered.
And that’s what it’s all about. Such one-of-a-kind travel experiences are the result of a team that genuinely cares about sharing the stories of the wines and winemakers to create something very personal for the guest. While so much of everyday life is washed away in the swell, the best vacations – like a special bottle of wine – leave an indelible memory of a unique time and place.
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James is an author and travel journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a love for exploring new cultures and discovering unique destinations, James brings his readers on a journey with him through his articles.
