Fine food, wine and villa living
Fine food, wine and villa living go hand in hand, and being able to make the most of the delicious local produce should be a stress-free affair.
Specialist villa website villarenters.com has launched a brand new dedicated GastroVillas collection and also teamed up with celebrity chef Jo Pratt (jopratt.co.uk), of Good Food channel fame, for the perfect solution, with simple, user-friendly yet authentic recipes online for those who are ‘in the mood for holiday food.’
Each recipe is also accompanied by handpicked wine selections from celebrated wine expert Susie Barrie MW (winchesterwineschool.com) for the perfect gourmet experience. For details, go to: villarenters.com/gastrovillas
The GastroVillas featured on the site have all been handpicked for their gourmet credentials, such as proximity to quality local markets or particularly good restaurants, fine kitchens, cooking facilities or dining areas. In France, they include the romantic Echevronne Grange in Burgundy (villarenters.com/58957 sleeps 2, from £865pw), the ultimate choice for a wine and gourmet oriented couple. This restored Burgundian stone house nestles amongst the famous vineyards of Burgundy in an area renowned for its fine food and wine.
At the other end of the spectrum, Villa Alarelle, (villarenters.com/22206 sleeps 14, from £1,500pw), in Languedoc Roussillon, a region celebrated for its ‘confit de canard’ as well as delicious truffles and wild mushrooms, is ideal for a foodie family or group of friends. With a large pool and tennis courts, it is set in an acre of land in the historic wine-growing hillside village of Herault, just 10 minutes away from the Michelin starred Auberge de Pigasse.
In Spain, Villa Camino Estret, Moraira, (villarenters.com/12028 sleeps 8, from £1399pw) is perfect for those looking for dining with a view, enjoying quite magnificent mountain, and valley views from its terrace. It is within walking distance of the village of Moraira, with its two Michelin starred restaurants and 25 minutes from Denia with its famous market selling fresh local meat, fruits and breads, and daily fish auction.
In Italy, budding gourmets can choose to try their hand at pizza with their own pizza oven at Villa Sasso in Ancona (villarenters.com/48797 sleeps 16, from £1550pw). Alternatively, Villa Santoro in Puglia (villarenters.com/5763 sleeps 10, from £2347pw) is a beautifully restored traditional Puglian trullo, or stone house, which is ideally placed to sample some of the superb wines of the region, from the whites of Locorotondo to the strong reds of the Salentine peninsula. Open air weekly markets in the nearby towns offer huge varieties of superb local grown fresh produce, whilst local restaurants range from family friendly trattorias to more sophisticated dining spots.
The recipes, which are downloadable from the website at villarenters.com/gastrovillas, include light snacks and lunch ideas as well as barbeque marinades and main courses and have been devised for the favourite foodie destinations of Italy, France, and Spain. Further destinations will follow. They include a classic paella, prawns with chorizo and padron peppers in Spain; bouillabaisse and moules marinières in France and a choice of risottos, fresh pesto pasta with prosciutto and various salads in Italy. All are flexible and can be adapted depending on what is available locally.
The wine selections have been carefully chosen to complement each dish. In Spain, they include such inspired choices as an Albariño or a Verdejo from Rueda for the paella and a young (‘joven’), possibly chilled, Rioja or a cool, dry amontillado sherry to accompany the prawns and chorizo. In France, Susie has selected a Petit Chablis or ‘garrique scented Roussillon’ to accompany the Bouillabaisse, whilst in Italy, she recommends an Italian Rosé or white Campanian Greco di Tufo to serve with the fresh pesto pasta.
Commenting, Jo Pratt says “I’m delighted to be working with villarenters.com and Susie on this innovative project. For so many people, relaxing with your friends and family over a delicious meal, with a nice glass of wine is an intrinsic part of a villa holiday, as is perusing local markets and buying some of the superb fresh produce. However, you don’t want to spend all your well-earned relaxation time on overly complex recipes. I’ve carefully put together a handful of suggestions for each destination that combine authenticity with ease, and which can be adapted depending on what you have to hand. All that’s left for budding holiday chefs is to give it a go and enjoy the results.”
James Marchant, general manager, villarenters.com, says “We know from research that food is an important element of our clients’ holidays, so we wanted to make their search for the perfect villa that much easier by featuring a dedicated selection of GastroVillas. We have plans to roll out the initiative to other areas, but have focussed on the classic destinations of Spain, Italy and France to whet people’s appetites!”
For bookings and further information, log on to: villarenters.com
