Indulge Yourself at The Spa and The Cave

Jul 20, 2023

By Damaine Vonada

Posted On: Jun 7, 2023

Rare is the destination with a setting so idyllic and an ambiance so serene that you relax and unwind as soon as you drive onto the property. Gervasi Vineyard, a winery resort on the northern edge of Canton, is one of those remarkable places.

View of South Vineyard and Still House

Indeed, if you stand on the hill beside Gervasi's south vineyard and look beyond its well-tended vines to the stucco walls and spire-topped bell tower of its Still House, you easily can imagine you're in Italy instead of northeast Ohio.

More than a decade ago, local businessman Ted Swaldo – whose mother's maiden name was Gervasi – and his family acquired Canton's last working farm and began transforming it into a Tuscan-inspired winery. Today, Gervasi is a multi-faceted, 55-acre oasis of beauty and sophistication designed to celebrate life's moments great and small.

The Piazza

It not only produces a wide variety of award-winning wines and spirits, but also offers distinctive dining and imbibing venues; upscale accommodations at The Villas (a set of all-suite retreats) and The Casa (a boutique hotel); and charming gathering spots that range from The Still House's café and cocktail lounge to The Piazza's seasonal patio and bocce courts.

Although Gervasi has achieved both Select Registry and AAA Four-Diamond status, the Swaldo family continues to add memory-making activities and amenities. Just this spring, Gervasi opened a specially constructed, dual-purpose building boasting two new facilities: a deluxe spa on its main level and an underground tasting room and wine barrel cave in the basement. The debut of The Spa and The Cave, in fact, so enhanced the property's cachet that its name was changed to Gervasi Vineyard Resort & Spa.

The Spa. Photo courtesy of Gervasi Vineyard

Having enjoyed Gervasi's unique set of culinary, lodging, and leisure attractions numerous times, I was eager to check out The Spa and The Cave. Gervasi marketing director Andrea Hartman kindly agreed to give me a personal tour of The Spa, but since it strictly safeguards the privacy of guests, we visited early in the morning before it opened.

As we watched technicians preparing The Spa's treatment rooms, Andrea pointed out its state-of-the-art equipment, elegant décor, and tasteful finishing touches like custom-made containers and accessories. The Spa's attention to every posh and pampering detail was obvious, and when I met operations manager Brooke Zarconi, she explained that the Swaldo family's vision was "to create an elevated spa experience that is high end and luxurious."

Tranquility Lounge at The Spa

That elevated experience begins in the bright and sunny Tranquility Lounge, where comfortable furnishings and niceties like warm neck wraps and complimentary refreshments – including, of course, Gervasi wine – help guests settle back and slow down before their massages, facials, and body treatments.

Couples Suite at The Spa

The Spa even provides intimate, made-for-two Couples Suites that wow guests with air baths, steam showers, and romantic treats such as chocolate covered strawberries. "The Couples Suites," said Andrea, "are wildly popular for occasions like weddings and anniversaries because they're an experience people won't have anywhere else."

After The Spa, I went down to The Cave for a wine tasting and barrel room tour. In Italy, wine has been stored and aged in caves for centuries, and with a barrel vault ceiling and dramatically dark interior, The Cave's subterranean tasting room definitely gives a nod to that tradition.

Tasting Room at The Cave

The wine tasting proved to be quite convivial and educational, thanks to curved tables that encouraged socializing and the knowledgeable "wine ambassadors" who guided their guests every swirl, sniff, and sip.

At each table, everyone's place already was set with two stemmed glasses – one for white wine, one for red – and artfully arranged "Vasi" cups brimming with antipasti. After we watched a video about Gervasi's "grapes to glass" approach to winemaking, the tasting commenced with Bellina, a "pretty" Chardonnay.

Bellina wine tasting at The Cave. Photo courtesy of Gervasi Vineyard

The wine ambassadors demonstrated how to tilt our glasses to discern Bellina's pale gold color; to swirl our glasses to release the wine's bouquet; and to smell the wine before tasting in order to appreciate its fruity aromas. Then we took the first sip, gradually detecting Bellina's citrus and honey flavors and following our ambassador's suggestion to pair it with the Asiago cheese in our Vasi cups.

We tasted three more wines – Romanza, a slightly sweet Rosé made with Zinfandel grapes; Serenata, a ruby-colored Malbec with a melody of fruity flavors and aromas; and Nebbiolo, a bold, tannin-rich red wine that goes well with meats and dark chocolate. The ambassadors led us through each pour, cheerfully answering questions, listening to our preferences, and delighting us with nuggets of information – who knew that Malbec grapes thrive in volcanic soil? – about the art and science of making wine.

Barrel Room at The Cave

Afterwards, we viewed the oak barrels where new wines mature and develop their character. An ambassador showed us the French oak barrels where Gervasi cellars the Bellina wine we'd tasted, then she directed our attention to large terra cotta vessels called amphora in which sherry is slowing aging.

The amphora looked like something handed down from ancient Rome, and they certainly symbolize the splendid sense of heritage and genuine hospitality that make Gervasi Vineyard Resort & Spa an incomparable getaway.

For more things to do in Ohio's wine country, check out #OhioTheHeartofitAll at Ohio.org.

*Hero photo courtesy of Gervasi Vineyard