Sandra Ferretti, founder of Total Tuscany: Concierge Travel & Hosted Travel Experiences, has expanded her original geographical scope as customers request immersive vacations in specific parts of the country. Of note is the launch this year of “Ultimate Umbria,” which services the region adjacent to Tuscany which tends to get less crowded with visitors.
“Travelers are no longer focused solely on iconic destinations — they want to discover places before they become crowded, to feel connected to the land rather than simply observe it,” says Ferretti, who is American-born and now living in Tuscany. “Travelers are also slowing down. Rather than rushing from place to place, they want to spend time in one destination — walking vineyards with winemakers, sharing long meals, visiting working farms, and experiencing the rhythm of Italian life.”
Ferretti says she is taking on new clients, a boon for any travel advisor who has tried to book new business with a DMC in Europe in a post-COVID world where demand for local destination companies has been incredibly strong.
“We are welcoming new clients for both private luxury travel design and our immersive hosted experiences, particularly Ultimate Umbria,” says Ferretti.
All told, Ferretti’s travel design business arranges custom journeys ranging from 10-day itineraries to one-month immersive experiences, often spanning multiple regions — Tuscany, Florence, Venice, Rome, the Amalfi Coast, Capri, Sicily, and Umbria. (Note: These trips can extend into Switzerland and/or incorporate luxury cruise add-on segments.)
Her new Ultimate Umbria program specifically is an all-inclusive week of food, wine, culture personally hosted by Ferretti and her husband, Phil, who runs the travel company with her.
Umbria, known for its forested hills, ancient stone walls, and dramatic valley views, is known as Italy’s “Green Heart” thanks to its lush landscape. This makes it an ideal launching point from travelers seeking a more rural vibe from their Italy vacation.
“Clients are seeking farm-to-table experiences, meaningful cultural immersion, and a deeper understanding of how food is grown and produced,” Ferretti says, adding that interest in the Mediterranean lifestyle as a path to health and longevity continues to interest her clients, who are also keen on learning about organic and regenerative farming and natural wines.
Ferretti’s clients, who are primarily American, are increasingly drawn to boutique countryside properties rather than large, standardized hotels in Italy.
“Luxury has shifted. Today, true luxury is defined by space, authenticity, nature, food quality, and wellbeing,” she says.
Ferretti’s love affair with Italy was cemented in December 2018 when she and Phil opened a boutique countryside retreat in Tuscany. They were quickly selected for inclusion in three Rick Steves Italy guidebooks, and soon after the couple’s story was featured on CBS Sunday Morning in a segment about Americans returning to the old country and building a life in Italy. And the story was the epitome of authenticity. As she and Phil immersed themselves into the Italian lifestyle, they found themselves changed.
“We didn’t simply host guests — we became part of the land. Over time, we developed deep relationships with winemakers in Montepulciano and Montalcino, regenerative farms such as Podere Il Casale, olive growers, cheesemakers, artisans, and families whose traditions stretch back generations. These relationships became the foundation of our work and our expertise,” said Ferretti.
After Covid, they took their Italian hospitality a step further by creating an immersive hosted experience called Total Tuscany, which is an all-inclusive journey rooted in food, wine, culture, and authentic human connection. They cooked with a chef, visited farms and worked the wine harvest in Montalcino.
The couple began producing their own olive oil, harvesting each season, and it is now available to guests and directly to consumers through their website.
In 2024 and 2025, Ferretti and her husband continued hosting their immersive programs as demand grew significantly. During this time, they transitioned out of boutique hotel operations and fully into luxury travel design, expanding Total Tuscany Concierge to operate throughout Italy.
The desire for authenticity is one of the most exciting trends Ferretti has seen in Italy lately. “Travelers want connection — meeting winemakers, visiting working farms, learning traditional cooking, and understanding the rhythm of Italian life,” she says.
Having this understanding of how much clients love the slow flow of life in Italy helps her create meaningful itineraries for first-time visitors to the country. They often want to see everything at once, but Ferretti recommends otherwise.
“My role is to gently guide them toward a richer, more meaningful way to experience Italy. Rather than moving constantly, I encourage guests to slow down and spend three or four nights in one place, allowing time to truly feel a destination rather than simply pass through it.”
She is currently working with a first-time traveler spending five nights in Tuscany and five nights on the Amalfi Coast — “not rushing, but immersing deeply through food, landscape, and culture,” says Ferretti. “Her days include hands-on cooking, vineyard walks, cheese farm visits, picnics overlooking the countryside, and meaningful encounters with local artisans and producers whose traditions span generations.”
She also suggests first-time visitors spend a full-day cooking with Chef Ryan Hanley, a private chef in Cortona; walking the land and enjoying farm picnics at Podere Il Casale; or spending several hours at a historic vineyard like Avignonesi or Podere le Ripi, learning the philosophy behind the wines. “These longer, immersive experiences allow guests to step into Italian life — not as spectators, but as participants,” she says.
Some of the more extraordinary experiences she has planned for clients include a private hot-air balloon ride above the Val d’Orcia (a stunning countryside in southern Tuscany that borders Umbria) at sunrise. Upon landing in a golden wheat field, they found a table topped with glasses of chilled prosecco waiting for them.
She also designs driving journeys through Tuscany — Ferraris and Lamborghinis, thanks to a partnership with Driving the Dream, a company in Siena that provides luxury car rentals and guided tours.
If a vintage Fiat, Alfa Romeo, or a classic Vespa from the 1950s is preferred, they can be provided for slower country rides through the Tuscan landscape. ATVs are also available; these trips can all conclude with a countryside picnic with Prosecco overlooking the vineyards.
Private boats and yachts can also be secured for cruises along Capri and the Amalfi Coast, across the Mediterranean and Tyrrhenian seas, and along the coastline of Sicily and Cinque Terre.
Ferretti’s mantra is that luxury in travel is not about excess, it’s about access to the vineyard, the kitchen, the family table, the hidden road, the story behind the wine, and the soul of a place.
“At the end of the day, luxury is not about hotels, cars, or even destinations — it is about how deeply you experience a place. The laughter around a long table, the smell of crushed grapes during harvest, the quiet moment in a vineyard at sunset — that is where Italy lives,” says Ferretti.