You've fallen in love with the signature handbags, and you might fall in love with the Ferragamo family's cabernets and brunellos, too. Salvatore Ferragamo, grandson to the esteemed Italian footwear designer, has been busy expanding the Ferragamo family brand portfolio into the wine industry and agro-tourism with Il Borro. The estate is part of the portfolio of the family's luxury holdings, including the fashion and accessories business, four hotels in Florence (including the Hotel Lungarno and Nautor Swan, a yacht-building company).

In 1993, the Ferragamo family purchased Il Borro, a villa located in Tuscany, from Duke Amadeo of Aosta, cousin to the heir of the Italian throne. The restored estate and its surroundings reflect the Tuscan lifestyle and produces sophisticated Bordeaux-style wines.

Salvatore recently spent a weekend in Miami pouring his wines at the “Wine Spectator's Best of the Best” event, as part of the 2007 Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival. In a quiet corner at the National Hotel on Collins Avenue, we chatted about pasta restaurants in Japan, homemade pasta in Tuscany, and a giant swimming pool in Tokyo.

Tell me about Il Borro.
About 15 years ago, my father had the opportunity to buy this beautiful estate in Tuscany. We thought of diversifying the family's fashion business a bit, so we bought this estate. We completed restoration about five years ago.

Today at the property we have mainly two types of activity. One is the hotel resort operation dedicated to guests who want to enjoy a Tuscan holiday. And then we have the production of top quality red wines from Tuscany.  

Can you tell me a little bit about the estate?
It's a very special estate. Imagine spending a holiday in a beautiful medieval hamlet perched on top of a hill. The only way to access it is a narrow and tall stone bridge. 

We have about nine artisans who live and work in Il Borro.  So we have the life of a medieval village with arts and crafts. Guests can learn to make homemade pasta and that sort of thing. The restaurant is very good.  It has been rated for the Michelin guide, a very good accomplishment

Of course we have modern conveniences in the villas - flat screen TVs, internet connection. Today, travellers expect much more, and we are providing it.

How much time do you spend at Il Borro?
I spend about six months a year there. The other six months I travel extensively promoting the wine. 

When you're not staying at Il Borro, where do you stay? What are some of your favorite hotels?

In London, actually my mother is English so I go stay with la mama.  In New York, I have an uncle who lives there, so I stay with him. Otherwise, I usually stay with Ritz-Carlton hotels.  One of my favourite hotels is Grand Hyatt in Roppongi Hills in Tokyo, in the Financial District.

What is it about the hotel that you like so much?
The décor is contemporary in style, very clean cut, I like that.  But what is really fantastic is the indoor pool.

In Tokyo!
Yes. You can swim for miles. It's beautiful.

What is your ideal holiday?
To be honest I am an avid sailor. I love to sail.  To rent your own sailboat with friends and sail all over the world for me is the most wonderful type of vacation. 

Where is the last place you visited?
New York.  Today I go onto Atlanta, LA, and then back to New York.

Where are some of your favorite restaurants in New York?
In New York, I think the Four Seasons is fantastic. I also like the 21 Club, and Le Bernardin, just to name a few. Some Italian hideaways”¦Sette Mezzo on Lexington, it's a very good restaurant.  Really fantastic restaurants in New York, I would say.

When you travel, what do you shop for? Have you picked up anythng recently that has caught your eye?
I don't so much.  With today's hotels, restaurants, airports, it's all a very quick in and out. I tend to pick up something for my kids back home, just silly things.

How do you deal with luggage? Do you ship it?
I travel with it. I pack light. The art of packing”¦I think I have it pat down. 

Any tips?
You've really got to think of what you need, where you will be every night, what the events will be and plan accordingly.

What did you do with your time in Miami?
This morning, I had a fantastic walk in the morning down the beach. Went to see some clients. Joe's Stone Crab is a big client of ours. Wonderful food.

We also had the events.  I was busy pouring at Best of the Best, and I didn't get five minutes for myself. Once the event closed, I had a little look around. A chef from Las Vegas (Stefan Kauth of ENVY, The Steakhouse at the Renaissance) offered me some wonderful rabbit. 

Do you promote wines as part of the Ferragamo family?
Being named Salvatore Ferragamo, it's hard to otherwise. In 2003 my uncle Massimo also bought an estate called Castillo del Bosco in the Montalcino area, where they make brunello. I'm actually promoting both wineries at the same time.   

Generally we try to keep the fashion side and wines quite separate. You will not find the name Ferragamo on the bottle of Il Borro and Castill del Bosco for that reason.  It's very important that we do not treat the product as a fashion item. Our wines are treated with great respect and credibility to the final consumers.

We want people to buy the wine because they like the wine, not because it has ”˜Ferragamo' written on it.

You also have a restaurant called Osteria Il Borro in Tokyo.  Do Japanese women who love Ferragamo handbags and shoes make pilgrimages to the restaurant?
That's a good question. Maybe. 

Click here to read Salvatore Ferragamo's address book.

Hyon Jung Lee is a New York-based freelancer who has also written for Forbes.