Greatest European vineyards to go to
Auberge La Coste, Provence, France
Château La Coste blends artwork, wine and structure for a gourmand getaway set amongst 130 hectares of biodynamic vineyards within the Provence hills. Auberge La Coste is the most recent addition to the Seventeenth-century property, resembling a Provençal village of pastel buildings, fragrant lavender and gently effervescent fountains. Easy rooms have super-sized beds, waterfall showers and eco-friendly tub merchandise, with freshly baked lemon muffins ready for you on arrival. Some supply views of the vines from balconies and little gardens. Take breakfast alfresco on the Auberge’s sunny terrace, then discover the grounds with a guided artwork tour.
Big sculptures (together with works by Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin) and 5 hidden galleries are tucked into the rolling vineyards, turning the panorama into an open-air museum. Study the secrets and techniques of the winery with a vineyard go to and tasting, or strive a chocolate and wine pairing workshop for the surprising marriage of Château La Coste’s pale rosé and fruity darkish chocolate. Pattern extra wines within the well-stocked boutique or decide from the château’s six eating places to dine with wine. At Italian-inspired Vanina, buttery lemon sauce coats crab marubini and salty samphire, whereas pizza dough is fermented for twenty-four hours for optimum flavour. For a extra informal lunch, take pleasure in easy French dishes beneath the dappled daylight of the bushes at La Terrasse, or head to Le Bar de l’Auberge for elevated pub classics together with a superior burger and dame blanche (a vanilla ice cream sundae with scorching chocolate sauce) to complete. The affect of the winery’s Irish house owners is clear from the surprising Guinness faucet current within the bar.
Test charges and availability at chateau-la-coste.com/auberge-la-coste
São Lourenço do Barrocal, Alentejo, Portugal
Hidden away in Portugal’s agricultural heartland, this 780-hectare working property of wildflower meadows, olive groves and vineyards has been owned by the identical household for 200 years. The farming village’s cobbled courtyards and whitewashed buildings are actually residence to a serene, fashionable lodge, full with granite sculpture-lined pool, Susanne Kaufmann spa and dealing vineyard. Restored stone flooring and vaulted ceilings, handwoven blankets and carved wooden furnishings floor visitors within the property’s historical past, whereas Egyptian cotton linen on king-size beds, underfloor heating, bathtubs and extra give rooms and suites all the luxurious you’d anticipate from a five-star lodge.
Heat hospitality is available in abundance, kicking off with a farmhouse breakfast unfold of artisan breads and orange walnut muffins, do-it-yourself honey and jams, cut-to-order Alentejo black pig ham and regional cheeses. Conventional Alentejan dishes similar to lobster rice, asparagus migas and roast cod with beans and sausage are cooked on the homely primary restaurant. Kitchen backyard produce is completed on the grill simply steps away from the place it was picked and served beneath the celebrities at Hortelão through the summer time months. Veal croquettes are paired with natural wine and pennyroyal mint infused beer within the previous olive mill turned lodge bar. The state-of-the-art vineyard produces single-estate wines from 15 hectares of vineyards. New to 2024 are two wine experiences, one for novices and one for these within the know. The latter features a tour, barrel sampling and guided tasting of glowing, reserve and port varieties earlier than a bespoke mixing expertise. Sip in your distinctive mix beneath the shade of the traditional holm oak bushes with a do-it-yourself picnic or take the personally labelled bottle residence as a memento.
Doubles from £306, examine availability at reserving.com or barrocal.pt
Resort Monverde, Portugal
With its wild Atlantic shoreline, dramatic granite mountains and exquisite historic cities similar to Braga and Ponte de Lima, the Vinho Verde area is effectively price visiting, but nonetheless stays beneath the radar of most vacationers. Billing itself as a wine expertise lodge, Monverde is about among the many vineyards of Quinta da Lixa within the Amarante subregion, well-known for its crimson wines. Simply an hour’s drive from Porto, this quietly luxurious lodge gives stylish, trendy rooms with spectacular views, varied wine-based actions in addition to spa remedies, and creative meals made out of native produce, together with an unbelievable all-Portuguese wine record in its attractive restaurant.
Doubles from £175, examine availability at reserving.com or monverde.pt
La Forestiera Planeta Wine Property, Sicily, Italy
Unsurprisingly it’s all about wine on the Planeta Wine Property, simply exterior Menfi in south-western Sicily. As one of many island’s most well-established and extremely regarded wine producers, Planeta has 5 totally different territories dotted round Sicily however Menfi is the place all of it started, again within the sixteenth century. At close by La Forestiera (a part of the property) there are 14 guestrooms set amid regimented vines, plus a restaurant with a menu knowledgeable by its environment – the herbs of the countryside and seafood from the close by coast.
Sip a glass of Nero d’Avola on the pool terrace or go to certainly one of Planeta’s wineries for an in-depth tasting. In addition to the pool, within the hotter months visitors have entry to the Lido Fiori on the seaside at Porto Palo di Menfi, 10 minutes’ drive away. Planeta additionally has huge olive groves at Capparriva producing DOP Val di Mazzara oils – visitors can join a tasting and study harvesting and urgent.
Doubles from £226, examine availability at reserving.com
L’AND, Alentejo, Portugal
This elegantly luxurious 26-suite spa lodge combines modern design and gourmand cooking, set amongst vineyards in Portugal’s Alentejo area, an hour’s drive from Lisbon. A meal within the lodge’s futuristic, pendant-hung restaurant, whose glass partitions body the vineyards, is the large draw. Chef José Tapadejo was born close by in Castelo de Vide, and skilled in Portugal, however he’s additionally labored in Scandinavia, so his dishes are artistic interpretations of Alentejan classics, usually utilizing fermented and foraged elements – native black pork, scarlet prawns and pike-perch, on a cushion of Alentejo’s must-eat migas.Being surrounded by six hectares of vineyards (all natural), you’ll need to style L’AND’s personal wines, made out of a mix of native grapes, similar to Touriga Nacional, and worldwide ones similar to Alicante Bouschet and Syrah. Choose of the bunch is L’AND’s full-bodied Reserva Pink 2016. On web site you are able to do tastings, and winery and vineyard excursions, and the lodge can prepare visits to neighbouring vineyards, too.Doubles from £197, examine availability at reserving.com or mrandmrssmith.com
For extra Portugal journey concepts, uncover our favorite foodie journeys in Portugal.
Torralbenc, Menorca, Spain
A cluster of Nineteenth-century whitewashed farm buildings, with views out over the glowing Med, Torralbenc is now a luxurious lodge, surrounded by 70 hectares of fields, orchards and vineyards within the south-western nook of Menorca. The restored property not solely makes its personal olive oil but in addition produces wine.
Beginning with simply 5 hectares of vines in 2006, the property now has 16 hectares devoted to rising grapes. Its first wine was bottled in 2016 and the property now produces a merlot and syrah mix (all crimson berries and spicy black pepper with a tinge of toasted vanilla), a vibrant rosé from indigenous monstrell and parellada grapes (floral with strawberries and cherries on the palate) and an easy-drinking white blended from sauvignon blanc, viognier, chardonnay and parellada with citrus, stone fruits and floral notes.
Visitors can guide a winery expertise with the lodge’s oenologist, exploring the vineyards on foot or by bike, studying how the wines are produced and having fun with a tasting, with native Menorcan cheeses, among the many vines.
Doubles from £208, examine availability at reserving.com or mrandmrssmith.com
Arilds Vingård, Skåne, Sweden
Due to the area’s fertile soil and comparatively delicate winters, Skåne in south Sweden has, over the previous twenty years, grow to be certainly one of Europe’s most northerly wine-growing areas. In addition to providing wine excursions and tastings, and cosy lodging, this family-run vineyard has a restaurant serving conventional nation cooking that pairs effectively with its personal reds, whites and rosés, in addition to cocktails made with its personal gin.
Easy, well-cooked dishes embrace the likes of fried mackerel, sourced from native fishermen, with boiled potatoes and a mustard and dill sauce, or native brisket with potato muffins and coleslaw.
Doubles from £203, examine charges and availability at arildsvingard.se
Tilia Property, Slovenia
Slovenia is a compact, under-the-radar vacation spot whose range of landscapes has stacks to supply guests who love the outside life. Tilia Property runs a spread of cellar excursions and tastings of its great wines, some performed in English – contact them for particulars. The close by Theodosius Forest Village – with its seven luxurious wooden cabins, some with scorching tubs or saunas, set in idyllic woodlands subsequent to its personal vineyards – makes an ideal base to discover this lovely area, the place choices embrace climbing, biking, kayaking, climbing and paragliding.
Huts from £184, examine availability at reserving.com
Village Castigno, Hérault, France
Within the small village of Assignan, Village Castigno is a whimsical boutique lodge peppered between previous village homes. On heat evenings the light hum of Nina Simone flows from the open home windows of La Petit Desk, whereas chef Pablo leans out of the window, choosing contemporary rosemary and sage. Visitors, employees and locals from the village loosen up within the central sq. with a glass of vin rouge whereas youngsters chase one another down slender paved alleys till bowls brimming with mussels are dropped at the desk and all goes quiet.
Across the village are 42 hectares of winery, all of which produce natural wines. Take an hour and a half’s open buggy journey across the vineyards with Marc and discover scorching springs and gorgeous views, earlier than a tasting within the newly opened wine chai (wine retailer). Our favorite was the Terra Casta, a crimson wine with a peppery flavour (derived, as sommelier Charlotte defined, by means of pure infusion from the wild sage, jennifer and thyme that develop in bushes subsequent to the grapes).
Doubles from £112, examine availability at reserving.com
The Good Life, Syros, Greece
The villas and studios at this aptly named natural retreat every include kitchens (assist your self to plums, peaches, figs and lemons from the farm to pep up your vacation breakfasts). Visitors congregate round a big outside kitchen within the evenings to cook dinner and share tales, and as soon as per week they’re invited to affix a (complimentary) communal dinner – assume barbecued beef fillet with a spread of pitta breads and salads – accompanied by beneficiant quantities of Greek wine. Grapes within the vineyards are additionally used to distil juice for tsipouro (just like Italian grappa), and visitors are given a small bottle to take residence with them.
Be a part of the grape-picking holidays for decrease lodging costs, lengthy lunches within the vineyards and sundown wine tastings, with a full introduction to conventional and newer, lesser-known Greek wines.
Villas from £207, examine availability at reserving.com or expedia.co.uk
Son Brull, Mallorca, Spain
Visitors at gastronomic bolthole Son Brull can ask the kitchen to pack a gourmand picnic in the event that they’re heading out to hike or bike across the surrounding hills. This elegant finca, or farmhouse, within the foothills of the Serra de Tramuntana, dates again to the twelfth century however the strategy to meals and wine is bang updated.
The kitchen backyard, the place chef Rafel Perello sources the elements for his creative menus and cookery courses, brims with home-grown herbs, salad leaves and greens, whereas the bushes surrounding the lodge are laden with oranges, lemons and figs. The lodge has its personal natural winery: pair its wines with dinner within the fine-dining restaurant, 365, the place seasonal eight-course tasting menus showcase native Mallorcan elements. Extra informal, bistro-style, eating may be had within the bar (with its historic olive press) through the winter or on the terrace in sunnier months.
Doubles from £530, examine availability at reserving.com or mrandmrssmith.com
Il Borro, Tuscany, Italy
Il Borro is a real working property, set within the stays of a medieval village in Valdarno valley, a wilder, extra rustic nook of Tuscany. Grapes are harvested fully by hand and brought to the vineyard, 700 olive bushes present oil, and fields of buckwheat are a playground for honeybees, who repay the hospitality by creating a novel bittersweet, barely spicy honey. Hectare after hectare of natural veg present the lodge’s three-floored osteria and Tuscan bistro with the last word kitchen backyard.
Each September, visitors at Il Borro can participate within the wine harvest and feast alongside the employees and house owners (the glamorous Ferragamo household) at this 800-hectare property. Assume bottles of the property’s wines plonked on lengthy make-shift banqueting tables beneath white parasols, and an enormous porchetta crackling away on a BBQ arrange subsequent to vines of San Giovese grapes able to be harvested for the following classic.
The lodge has village cottages in addition to a number of farmhouse suites – albeit farmhouses that include infinity swimming pools, vine-covered terraces and eating rooms the place you’ll be able to whip up your personal meals from the veg and eggs in Il Borro’s natural produce packing containers (prime up with a visit to Arezzo market).
Doubles from £372, examine availability at reserving.com
Lyrarakis, Crete
Holidaymakers heading to Crete shouldn’t miss the gorgeous family-owned Lyrarakis vineyard, set in heavenly countryside and solely half-hour’ drive from Heraklion, the island’s capital. Famed for nurturing indigenous and forgotten grape varieties, Lyrarakis gives varied choices to tour its lovely natural vineyards, go to the cellar and wine museum, and discover the vary of fabulous wines at guided tastings. It additionally serves glorious native meals, which you’ll take for a dreamy picnic to take pleasure in among the many vines and olive bushes. Keep on the fabulous Inotropes lodge close by (Lyrarakis can prepare transfers from the airport or native inns), whereas historical past buffs shouldn’t miss a visit to Knossos, simply 12 miles away, to see the exceptional stays of the palace complicated that was on the centre of the Minoan civilisation, and the house of the legendary Minotaur.
Doubles at Inotropes Resort from £78, examine availability at reserving.com
Chêne Bleu La Verrière, Southern Rhône
Established in 2005, Chêne Bleu is a relative newcomer to the area nevertheless it has shortly established itself as a premium producer of daring, spectacular wines made out of its personal biodynamically farmed grapes. Keep at La Verrière, a medieval priory on the coronary heart of the property that’s been fantastically restored and comes with a pool and an excellent restaurant utilizing native elements.
There’s a vary of wine tasting choices, in addition to classes in cookery and beekeeping, and different actions may be organized too. A very particular place within the tranquil coronary heart of the Southern Rhône.
Test charges and availability at reserving.laverriere.com
Castello Banfi Il Borgo, Tuscany
Set on Montalcino’s largest wine property, by a medieval citadel, this glamorous Italian lodge has been formed from a hamlet of former property staff’ homes. Romantic, historically styled suites – with terracotta flooring, vintage furnishings and linen-canopied beds – and classical Tuscan cooking (programs are additionally obtainable) make it standard with honeymooners nevertheless it’s the property’s Brunello that pulls in visiting gourmands; within the on-site enoteca/ wine bar native sheep’s cheese and prosciutto may be paired to the property’s wines.Doubles from £762, examine availability at reserving.com
Resort Marqués de Riscal, Rioja
Not a winery, however a lodge to go to for wine lovers. Nearly twenty years on from its opening this Frank Gehry-designed architectural showstopper nonetheless amazes visitors on their first strategy. However there’s extra to this upmarket Spanish lodge than its gleaming titanium construction. In addition to its two eating places – Michelin-starred Marques de Riscal Restaurant and the extra informal Bistro 1860 – there’s a wine bar the place, alongside small plates of Iberian ham, chorizo and croquettas, visitors can strive superb vintages from the Marqués de Riscal cellars in addition to greater than 200 worldwide labels, a lot of them obtainable by the glass.Doubles from £557, examine availability at reserving.com
Butul Household Farmstead, Istria, Slovenia
Within the lush inexperienced hills above Slovenia’s quick shoreline, Butul Household Farmstead is a family-run winery and farm. Set in an oasis of olive, pomegranate and fig bushes, beehives and vines, it gives B&B lodging in addition to meals. Every little thing right here is made out of scratch: the breakfast unfold consists of three-day fermented bread, home-preserved anchovies, tangy pickled aubergines, thick honey, and fig jams. Style the property’s Istrian wines, together with the standard orange wine. Eager ambassadors of a sluggish Mediterranean lifestyle, the Butuls are a real illustration of Istrian Slovenia.
Doubles from £99, examine availability at reserving.com
Andrássy Rezidencia Wine & Spa, Tarcal
In Hungary’s historic Tokaj-Hegyalja wine rising area (excursions of native vineyards may be organized), this five-star lodge and spa (remedies are tailor-made round vinotherapy) has received a following amongst modern-day wine buffs searching for much less mainstream tastings. Whereas its restaurant gives trendy interpretations of Hungarian classics, it’s the accompanying wine pairing decisions that almost all visitors are extra involved about – the record runs to 80 totally different Tokaj wines from 25 totally different growers.Doubles from £155, examine availability at reserving.com
Extra journey guides
Greatest Morocco meals tripsBest French meals tripsBest Spanish meals tripsBest Portuguese meals tripsBest European vineyards to go to and stayBest foodie metropolis breaks by trainBest Spanish hotelsBest Italian hotelsBest nation home inns within the UKBest Scottish inns
