Recorded at Formaggioteca Terroir on April 2, 2024 

“I really wanted to get into the culture and learn the language, which I did. I wasn't just here to visit and superficially sit and watch what was going on around me. I wanted to immerse myself and become like the locals, live like the locals, to know in my own skin what that is like and that's the only way I could understand how to create a life for myself here.” Rebecca Christophersen Gouttenoire


This past April I sat down at Formaggioteca Terroir, one of my favorite spots in Florence, with Rebecca Christophersen Gouttenoire, a Danish-Canadian who chose to make Florence and Tuscany her home.  

In this first part of our chat, Rebecca shares with us her incredible journey to Italy and invites us into the enchanting world of the paradisiacal wine and cheese bar, Formaggioteca, and the bucolic holiday getaway Campo Sasso, the restoration of which was recently featured on HGTV's Fixer to Fabulous: Italiano. We also speak about her work as a wine educator and tour leader with Grape Tours and, perhaps unsurprisingly, dedicate quite a bit of time talking about wine and cheese, two passions we share. 

Rebecca defines herself as a cheesemonger, wine and food lover, and educator. What you’ll learn in this episode is that she approaches her craft, and everything she takes on, with science, passion, and love, and the end result is nothing less than magical.  

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/

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