Nearly ten years after visiting Constance Hotels & Resorts in Mauritius, I returned to explore two of the group’s Maldivian resorts: Constance Moofushi and Constance Halaveli. Both are celebrated for their wine lists, and the visit offered a chance to see not only what guests experience, but also the work behind the scenes.
After a long flight to Malé, a short seaplane journey brought us to Moofushi, on Ari Atoll. The resort’s team had taken care of check-in while we waited at the airport, and soon we were standing in clear, shallow water among colorful fish and harmless baby sharks, tasting Etna white wine.
The tasting was one of several informal wine events organized by the resort’s team. Head sommelier Madu Karunarathne and a colleague introduced guests to less familiar regions and grape varieties, explaining the basics of tasting and food pairing in a relaxed, accessible way. The team’s enthusiasm for Italian and South African wines was evident throughout the stay, with bottles from producers including Tenuta delle Terre Nere and David & Nadia.
Moofushi’s cellar contains more than 500 references. Around 125 wines are included in the all-inclusive package, while nearly 400 more are available to buy at prices that feel reasonable given the cost of shipping and local duties. The selection balances celebrated names and classic regions with distinctive, lesser-known wines and good-value discoveries. At a dinner on the beach, the all-inclusive list ranged from bottles from Alentejo, Anjou, Aix-en-Provence, Vouvray, Wairarapa and the Western Cape to wines from well-known producers such as Alheit, Ata Rangi, Massolino and Dr Bürklin-Wolf. The broader list includes an impressive Champagne selection, from grower producers to renowned houses and prestige cuvées.
The smooth service rests on substantial work behind the scenes. A daily tour offered a look at storage and operational areas, as well as the complex supply effort required to keep a remote island resort running. We also learned about staff life on the island, and found time for yoga and snorkeling.
The marine environment brought the resorts’ sustainability efforts into focus. Thin Nadi Soe, a sustainability executive, described projects to restore coral and recycle materials, including food waste and used coffee capsules. The resort also supports local schools and residents. The team recognizes that more must be done as climate change and extreme weather pose growing challenges. On the wine list, organic and sustainable bottles are identified by their certification logos.
Halaveli
Midway through the visit, we left Moofushi reluctantly and took a short boat ride to Constance Halaveli, also in Ari Atoll. The resort was undergoing a discreet renovation, with updated villas featuring new furnishings and a softer, warmer palette. Halaveli feels more secluded than Moofushi, but offers plenty of activities, including cocktail-making, a cooking class with executive chef Hameed Siddiq, yoga and massages.
We spent two evenings at Jing Restaurant, where head sommelier Sreejith Menon leads a four-person team. Its wine list shares many strengths with Moofushi’s but is much larger, with around 1,600 references. The Champagne selection includes mature vintages of Deutz Blanc de Blancs, Gosset Celebris, Dom Pérignon, Krug Clos du Mesnil and Salon. By-the-glass options include rare Bordeaux and Burgundy, as well as sweet wines such as Château d’Yquem, Oremus Tokaji Aszú and Klein Constantia Vin de Constance. Organic, biodynamic, kosher and vegan wines are clearly identified.
Our final evening brought a simple pleasure: an outdoor film beneath the stars, with chilled beer and white wine and comfortable seats.
The success of both resorts’ food and wine programs owes much to Jérôme Faure, Constance’s corporate sommelier. Since joining the group in 2004, when he was one of only two sommeliers, he has helped build a team of more than 100 wine specialists across nine hotels and resorts. The group’s wine program now spans roughly 3,500 references. Faure maintains close relationships with producers around the world and brings around 30 of them to Constance properties each year for events such as the Paulée and Festival Culinaire.
Though the resorts are scattered across the Indian Ocean, their wine programs make them feel closely connected to the wider fine-wine world. That connection is sustained by a shared commitment to giving guests of all levels of wine knowledge memorable experiences—with expertise, warmth and a sense of fun.