Out & About February 2017

Whether you’re looking for a quick romantic getaway to Europe or a more adventurous escape further afield, Sarah Woodthorpe has some luxurious suggestions

T he Feast of Saint Valentine is a the simple, sensual pleasure of food. Nothing shouts romance like a culinary feast for the senses. Bailey Robinson can help you arrange the gastronomic adventure to satiate even the most epicurean of connoisseurs, so indulge your inner bon vivant and fall in love over food this Valentine’s Day. The truffle is among the most valuable foodstuffs in the world. Its powerfully evocative scent – warm, earthy and musky – stimulates, bewitches and befuddles the senses like nothing else. celebration of romantic love, a day for honouring our loved ones and one that invariably finds us indulging together in

Cavas Wine Lodge

and join a professional truffle hunter and his dog to search for what the composer Rossini called the ‘the Mozart of fungi’. The tiny, landlocked region of Matarrana in north east Spain is an enchanting, little- known rural idyll that encourages comparison to Tuscany. Home to olive groves, terraced vineyards and medieval villages, the region’s delicious wines, cheeses and distinctive dishes can be savoured at local restaurants that, being off- the-beaten-track, offer tremendous value. Stay at La Torre del Visco, a restored 15th- century tower house set majestically on the brow of a river valley and a member of Relais & Chateaux. The hotel is renowned for its superb restaurant, serving slow-cooked specialties and huge breakfast platters, with most of the produce sourced from the estate’s lovingly-maintained 90-hectare organic farm. Explore the estate and take a cookery class in between romantic walks and cosy evenings in front of the fire. Alternatively, Mas de la Serra is an isolated, converted farmhouse with fabulous views over the surrounding countryside. Your Peruvian hosts, Luis and his chef-wife Jenny, provide delicious, comforting food with a South American twist, such as ceviche and lamb casserole. If the Pisco Sours don’t inspire your inner raconteur, perhaps the cellar’s unexpected stash of single malt whisky will; the hotel’s owner is Alasdair Grant of the Scottish whisky-making dynasty.

Galvanise yourself after an evening of gratifying excess and go hiking or fossil- hunting, visit the nearby Vente d’Aubert winery or try a cookery class. For more than just a taste of South America, head to Argentina , the land of pampas plains, cattle and gauchos, who are not just horse whisperers but arguably the best barbecue chefs on the planet.

Black Truffle

Head to Norcia in Italy this February for the National Black Truffle Festival and revel in a romantic Valentine’s Day extravaganza. Enclosed by 14th-century walls in the heart of the beautiful Umbrian countryside, Norcia is one of Italy’s finest gastronomic centres, home of the Italian black truffle and renowned also for its wild boar, mountain cheeses, wine and salami. Stay at the luxurious Palazzo Seneca, a converted 16th-century palace and the ultimate destination for lovers of all the simple pleasures. Indulge in sensory heaven with a guided menu showcasing the region’s specialtiy truffle dishes at the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant, Vespasia. Join chef Emanuele Mazzella for a cooking class and learn how to prepare this delicacy at home, then walk off the evening’s excesses

The team at Cavas Wine Lodge, a luxurious boutique hotel and vineyard in the foothills of the Andes, are consummate hosts. The cellar is stocked with the finest vintages and the restaurant is uncompromising in its pursuit of excellence. Chef Federico Castro was born and raised in Mendoza and believes unconditionally in the flavours, tastes and traditional foods of his native land. Five hundred years ago Mendoza was the southernmost limit of the Inca empire and today dishes such as steak with chimichurri, Andean potatoes, salsa criolla and baby goat with vegetables retain the stamp of this truly indigenous South American cuisine. Chef Castro and his team offer cooking classes while the spa has some stimulating treatments,

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