🍫CHOCOLATE & WINE EXPERIENCE RETREAT
A Culinary Journey into Pleasure, Awareness & the Art of Happiness
1. The Essence
Journey to Eden: Crafting Sensual Chocolates and Wine Harmony with Anna
Eden & Vine: A Sensory Journey
Where chocolate’s kiss meets wine’s whisper…
Step into a realm where Eden unfurls in every taste. Under the gentle guidance of Anna — an artisan of raw chocolate and sensual creation — you will learn from scratch to craft your own Eden Chocolates: sweet, organic, and infused with the treasures of Cyprus. Each piece is a poem — creamy truffles, the fiery Ginger Heart, hand-crafted and guilt-free, created with love and pure intention.
Then, let your senses deepen as you explore the harmony between wine and cacao. Inspired by Gillham Vineyard’s Wine Culture, this tasting is more than sipping — it is an awakening:
Guided tastings that open the senses and reveal the soul of each wine.
Delicate pairings of raw chocolate and select wines — each combination a new story whispered on the tongue.
This is not merely a workshop — it is an invitation to feel, to taste, to connect. A celebration of art, pleasure, and nature’s abundance, guided by Anna, whose artisan touch transforms simple ingredients into moments of paradise.
"Taste the paradise that lives on earth — where every bite melts into bliss.
The Place
Gillham Vineyard Hotel & Spa – Yesiltepe, Northern Cyprus
A hillside haven where elegance meets the essence of the vine. Tucked away amidst the gentle hills of Esentepe, the Gillham Vineyard Hotel & Spa is a world of quiet sophistication, Mediterranean light, and cultivated pleasure – where every vista tells a story of wine, earth, and soul.
Surrounded by emerald vines and fragrant pine trees, this boutique estate invites guests to slow down and savour life itself. Suites and terraces open onto undulating vineyards, where sunlight glides over the grapes like liquid gold. Every moment carries the rhythm of refinement – from the first morning breeze through the olive groves to the amber sunset over the valley.
The heart of the estate beats with its wine culture. Below the panoramic restaurant lies Gillham's soul – a glass-walled wine cellar, where barrels rest in silence and tasting rituals unfold like sensory ceremonies. Here, guests don't just experience how wine is made, but how passion, patience, and place merge into art.
The DiVino Spa continues the narrative – transforming grapes and wine essence into rituals of rejuvenation. Warm stone, candlelight, and the subtle scent of oak create a sanctuary for the body, as the skin absorbs the antioxidants of the land itself.
Evenings shimmer with understated luxury: sommelier-led tastings, Mediterranean cuisine, and intimate moments under star-studded skies. It is a place where the senses expand, and every detail whispers harmony.
This is not merely a hotel – it is a living vineyard of presence, a cultivated dialogue between nature, craft, and consciousness.
  • 🍇 Award-winning boutique winery and vineyard estate
  • 🍷 Signature DiVino Spa with grape and wine-based rituals
  • 🌿 Suites with panoramic sea, hill & vineyard views
  • 🥂 Gourmet restaurant overlooking the cellar and vineyards
  • ✨ Curated experiences: wine tastings, vineyard walks & wellness rituals
2. The Art & Psychology of Chocolate
The Sacred Elixir
For thousands of years, chocolate has been revered as a sacred elixir — from the ancient Aztecs and Mayans who called it "The Food of the Gods", to modern times where it remains a universal symbol of love and joy.
In nutrition psychology, chocolate is seen as a natural mood enhancer. Raw cacao contains:
  • Tryptophan – a precursor to serotonin, the "happiness hormone",
  • Phenylethylamine (PEA) – the chemical released when we fall in love,
  • Theobromine & Magnesium – natural relaxants that calm the nervous system,
  • Flavonoids & Antioxidants – that protect the heart and brain.
But beyond chemistry, chocolate carries emotional memory — it soothes, comforts, and opens the heart. During this retreat, you'll learn how mindful chocolate consumption can become a tool for emotional healing and happiness.
We explore:
Chocolate & Wine Workshop
A sensorial journey where cacao meets wine. Guests melt, stir, and craft their own chocolate paired with sommelier-led tastings — awakening creativity, sensuality, and mindful indulgence.
Heart-Opening Cacao Ceremony
A guided ritual using ceremonial-grade cacao to open the heart, calm the mind, and ignite inner joy. Breath, intention, and taste merge into one sacred experience.
Culinary Creations & Local Traditions
A journey into Cypriot heritage — from vineyard walks to cheese-making and local pastry art. Each creation becomes a ceremony of gratitude, flavor, and connection with the earth’s abundance.
Vino Therapy Spa Ritual
A luxurious grape and cacao body therapy that polishes, nourishes, and rejuvenates the skin — blending ancient vine alchemy, aroma, and touch into radiant renewal.
You will also experience:
Culinary Excellence
Delight in Gillham’s signature cuisine — locally inspired, elegantly plated, and paired with fine estate wines. Each meal celebrates the vineyard’s Mediterranean soul.
Vineyard & Sensory Walks
Guided walks through the vines, connecting body and nature. Learn about grape cultivation, feel the earth, and taste directly where the wine begins.
Signature Treatments
Immerse in Gillham’s award-winning spa rituals, uniting vineyard essence and timeless relaxation. Each treatment blends the power of grape seed oil, Mediterranean botanicals, and therapeutic touch to restore harmony to body and soul.
🍫 "Chocolate reminds the soul how to melt again — into joy."
3. The Spirit & Symbolism of Wine
Transformation & Communion
Wine, too, has a sacred story — one that spans continents, cultures, and millennia. It has always symbolised transformation, celebration, and communion.
In the psychology of pleasure, wine activates not only the taste buds, but also the limbic system, the emotional brain. The ritual of sipping wine — its aroma, texture, and colour — slows time down and allows presence to arise.
You will learn:
  • The ancient cultural significance of wine as a divine element,
  • The science of moderate wine consumption for heart health and stress reduction,
  • The art of mindful wine tasting — as a meditative, grounding experience,
  • And the balance between enjoyment and awareness, avoiding excess whilst embracing beauty.
Through vineyard excursions, tastings, and sunset meditations, wine becomes a metaphor for life: fermented, matured, and full of depth — just like our own experiences.
🍷 "Wine teaches us that everything transforms — and that maturity brings sweetness."
4. Culinary Creations & Local Traditions
The Alchemy of Creation
Pleasure deepens through creation. You will take part in:
Cheese-making workshops
Exploring the alchemy of fermentation and patience
Traditional Turkish pastry classes
Connecting with heritage and earth's abundance
Shared meals
That turn nourishment into ceremony
Each dish, each ingredient tells a story — of gratitude, care, and connection. Every bite becomes a way to come home to yourself.
5. Spa & Sensory Treatments
A Multi-Sensory Healing Experience
Vino Therapy Spa Ritual
Uncork the secrets to radiant skin and profound relaxation with our signature Vino Therapy Spa Ritual. This luxurious three-part journey is designed to rejuvenate your body and spirit.
  • 30-minute Vino therapy massage of your choice
  • Grape seed body scrub
  • Vino body wrap
Your experience begins with a Gillham Blend Massage, utilizing high-quality grape seed oil cultivated from our own estate. This prepares your senses for a unique head-to-toe grape seed scrub, a natural exfoliant that buffs away impurities, leaving your skin incredibly smooth and radiant. The ritual culminates in a luxurious Vino Therapy Wrap, enriching your skin with potent grape seed extracts known for their hydrating, nourishing, anti-aging effects, and ability to neutralize free radicals, leaving you with a youthful glow.
These exquisite spa treatments are more than just pampering; they are an integral part of our philosophy, blending indulgence with deep wellness to remind you that pleasure truly is a path to healing and self-discovery.
Exclusive Add-Ons
Elevate Your Wine & Chocolate Experience
Some experiences are not just additions — they are the soul of your retreat. These signature treatments transform relaxation into ritual and pleasure into rejuvenation. We recommend booking them in advance to ensure your personal sanctuary of indulgence awaits you.
DiVino Rejuvenation Bath Treatment
Your journey begins with a relaxing Gillham Blend Massage using estate-grown grape seed oil, followed by a rejuvenating hydro-massage wine bath — enhanced by a glass of Etel Wine. A celebration for body and senses that leaves your skin silky, your heart calm, and your energy reborn.
✨ Guest favourite – book early to secure your slot.
Oriental Coupage Ritual
Travel through time with a traditional Turkish Hamam — exfoliation, aromatic foam massage, and a Vino Therapy Massage of your choice. A ceremony of purification that melts away stress, revitalises the skin, and awakens deep serenity.
✨ Recommended to begin your retreat journey in full relaxation.
Vino Hot Stone Massage
Experience deep, enveloping warmth as hot basalt stones and grape seed oil melt away tension. This ritual strengthens your immune system, balances energy, and restores radiant flow to body and mind.
✨ Perfect for those seeking deep grounding and long-lasting calm.
Gillham Vino Therapy Massage of Your Choice
Choose your personal style of relaxation:
  • Bali Massage – fluid, full-body release and energetic flow
  • Reflexology – grounding balance through ancient pressure points
  • Swedish Massage – gentle rhythmic serenity and circulation boost
  • Deep Tissue Massage – deep muscle relief and strength renewal
Each treatment uses Gillham’s own antioxidant-rich grape seed oil — a signature element of this vineyard-inspired wellness journey.
đź’« Advance booking is highly recommended. Our signature spa rituals are in high demand during retreat weeks and complete your sensory transformation at Gillham Vineyard.
6. For Body, Mind & Soul
Pleasure becomes presence
You'll be guided through gentle yoga, breathwork, and meditations that complement the sensory experience. Each practice helps you listen to your body, reconnect with intuition, and feel at peace with your emotions.
Pleasure becomes presence. Awareness becomes transformation. You begin to live with conscious joy — the foundation of emotional and physical wellbeing.
7. Sample Flow
Your Journey Unfolds
5 Days of Sensory Awakening & Inner Alchemy

Day 1: Arrival & Immersion
Arrival in the serene embrace of the vineyard. Guests settle into their rooms, soak in the beauty of the surroundings, and ease into stillness.
We gather in the evening for a heartfelt welcome circle and short program introduction in the meeting lounge — a first connection of souls and intentions.
The day closes with a culinary experience under the Cypriot sky — a farm-to-table dinner featuring locally inspired dishes, lovingly prepared in carnivore, vegetarian, and vegan variations.
Day 2: Cacao & Connection
A day devoted to the sacred heart of cacao — the food of the gods and the medicine of joy. Guests explore its ancient history and nutritional psychology while awakening all five senses through aroma, texture, and taste.
During the Mindful Chocolate Journey, melted cacao becomes meditation — stirred with presence, poured with gratitude, and shared in silence. Each flavor note reveals emotion; each aroma opens memory.
Gentle breathwork and intuitive exercises deepen the connection to heart and body, transforming the act of tasting into a ritual of awareness and pleasure.
The evening closes with a soft circle of reflection — gratitude, laughter, and the lingering sweetness of inner connection.
Day 3: Vino & Vitality
Exploring the sacred dialogue between wine, intention, and the senses. Begin with a guided vineyard walk and sommelier-led tasting, then step into an unforgettable Conscious Wine Ritual — an alchemical experiment revealing how emotion and spoken word transform flavor and vibration.
Guests experience the contrast between wines infused with loving gratitude and those exposed to harsh words, awakening awareness of frequency, energy, and emotional resonance.
The day concludes with free movement, ecstatic dance, and a rejuvenating Vino Therapy Bath Ritual — merging joy, vitality, and presence.
Day 4: Culinary & Creativity
A celebration of taste, craft, and culture.
After breakfast, we embark on a sensory excursion through the heart of Cypriot tradition — visiting a local cheesemaker to witness the art of fermentation and patience. Guests take home their freshly made cheese, destined to pair perfectly with the wines of the evening.
Our journey continues to a traditional Cypriot bakery, where the scent of warm bread and herbs fills the air, and ancient recipes come alive in the hands of a local artisan.
Returning to the vineyard, guests enjoy a leisurely lunch and quiet moments in nature before gathering for a sunset wine tasting — savoring their handmade cheese and the fruits of the land in an atmosphere of joy, gratitude, and connection.
Day 5: Celebration & Farewell
The final day celebrates sweetness, connection, and refined taste.
In the morning, guests return to the chocolate atelier to handcraft their final selection of Eden Pralines — delicate, intention-filled creations to take home as edible memories of joy.
Later, a private Vineyard Consultation & Wine Experience invites guests to explore Gillham’s award-winning wines. Guided by the in-house sommelier, they learn the secrets behind the signature vintages and have the opportunity to select and purchase exclusive bottles to carry their retreat memories forward.
The journey concludes with a heartfelt Closing Circle and a farewell toast in the vineyard — a final celebration of shared laughter, beauty, and mindful pleasure before departure.

(Our extended retreats offer deeper dives into emotional well-being, creative expression, and energy healing practices.)
8. The Science of Happiness through Conscious Eating
How We Eat Matters
Modern nutrition psychology shows that how we eat affects our mood as much as what we eat. During this retreat, you'll learn to transform each meal into a mindful ritual — a sacred pause where pleasure, gratitude, and awareness merge into one experience of wholeness.
Conscious Eating
Eating slowly, with awareness and gratitude, activates a profound physiological response.
Parasympathetic Activation
This triggers the body's natural relaxation mode, supporting internal harmony.
Enhanced Well-being
Optimizes digestion, emotional regulation, and the release of happiness hormones like serotonin and dopamine.
Mindful Ritual
Transforms each meal into an experience of pleasure, gratitude, and wholeness, nourishing both body and soul.
"The way we eat is the way we love — with presence, patience, and reverence."
9. What You Will Take Home
Gifts for Your Soul
Deep Understanding
Of chocolate & wine from both ancient and scientific perspectives
Practical Tools
For emotional balance through nutrition psychology
Mindful Rituals
Eating & drinking rituals for everyday joy
Renewed Confidence
Body confidence, heart openness, and inner calm
Profound Gratitude
A sense of gratitude, softness, and abundance
10. The Essence in One Sentence
This retreat is not about indulgence — it's about awakening.
Chocolate opens your heart, wine opens your soul, and together they remind you that joy is your natural state.
Anna Stelmach – The Alchemist of Chocolate, Breath & Emotion
Anna transforms the act of tasting into a journey of awakening.
As a Chocolatier, Breathwork Coach, and Nutrition Psychologist, she bridges science and sensuality, guiding participants to rediscover joy through the language of the senses.
For Anna, chocolate is far more than a delicacy — it is a living ritual of transformation.
In her workshops, the process of melting, stirring, and molding chocolate becomes a meditation in motion: a sacred dialogue between breath, texture, and intention.
Each gesture slows the mind, softens the body, and opens the heart — releasing serotonin, endorphins, and oxytocin, the natural messengers of happiness.
Her expertise in nutrition psychology adds depth to every experience. She reveals how mindful indulgence and conscious pleasure can rewire the nervous system, restore hormonal balance, and awaken a state of inner harmony.
Through breathwork and sensory awareness, Anna teaches participants to experience taste as emotion, aroma as memory, and creation as healing.
Her sessions are infused with artistry — colored by her background in visual communication and creative therapy.
Every workshop she leads feels like a symphony of flavors, scents, and sounds — where the alchemy of cacao meets the poetry of presence.
During the Wine & Cacao Retreat, Anna invites guests to:
  • Craft their own artisanal chocolate in a glass-walled atelier overlooking the wine barrels.
  • Experience chocolate as a meditative and heart-opening ritual.
  • Breathe, create, and taste with full awareness — reconnecting to the joy of being alive.
Anna’s presence embodies warmth, creativity, and mindful pleasure.
She reminds every participant that true luxury lies not in consumption, but in conscious experience — where chocolate becomes medicine for the soul and breath becomes the bridge back to bliss.
Olivera Miloradovic – The Bridge Between Science, Soul & Sensuality
Olivera unites neuroscience, mindful nutrition, and emotional awareness into one coherent philosophy of wellbeing. As a Certified Nutrition Coach, Patented Happiness Hormone Trainer (Germany), and Project & Retreat Manager for TourPlus Cyprus, she designs transformative experiences that harmonize body, mind, and emotion through knowledge, awareness, and joy.
With over two decades of holistic practice and a three-year education in Natural Medicine, she brings profound understanding of how hormones, mindset, and nourishment interact to create emotional balance and vitality. As the founder of a pioneering vegan café and early collaborator with Veganz, she helped spark Europe’s plant-based movement in 2013 — redefining food as an expression of consciousness and gratitude.
In the Wine & Cacao Retreat, Olivera leads the Cacao Ceremony and Morning Meditations on Presence and Gratitude. Her engaging talk on Water & Consciousness explores how science and mindfulness meet in the sensory experience of taste. Through her Gratitude Wine Experiment, guests discover how intention and emotion subtly shape perception and pleasure — transforming simple moments into deep awareness.
Beyond her expertise in nutrition and psychology, Olivera has guided meditative and self-awareness practices since 2003. Her approach blends grounded science with emotional intelligence — helping participants reconnect with themselves through mindful eating, breathing, and authentic presence.
Her work reminds us that happiness is not a coincidence, but a chemistry — one that can be activated through awareness, appreciation, and the art of living consciously.
Your Path to Transformation: Wine & Cacao Retreat – The Art of Conscious Pleasure
Gillham Vineyard Hotel & Spa · Northern Cyprus
The TourPlus Wellness Series invites you
More than a retreat — a journey into the alchemy of taste, intention, and transformation.
Born from the union of wine culture, cacao wisdom, and sensory mindfulness, this program unfolds as a living symphony of pleasure and presence. Each sip, each breath, each creation becomes a bridge between science and soul — a rediscovery of how awareness turns indulgence into art, and art into healing.
The Symphony of the Senses
Every element — aroma, touch, sound, and flavor — is precisely orchestrated to awaken your body’s inner chemistry of joy.
Here, pleasure becomes a pathway to balance, and the act of tasting becomes meditation.
Through mindful rituals, creative expression, and the beauty of Gillham’s vineyards, participants reconnect with the harmony that lives within and around them.
This is not just relaxation — it is refinement of the senses, a reawakening of gratitude, and a gentle remembrance that joy itself is medicine.
This unique retreat experience is curated by TourPlus Cyprus,
under the expert direction of Olivera Miloradovic,
Head of the Wellness & Retreat Division.