Food & Wine

Italian agriturismos often take centre stage for the foodie traveller. These will whisk you away to the rolling hills of Umbria or the wine valleys of Tuscany for farm-to-table food. Lunches merge with evening meals in those parts, with a smorgasbord of rich porchetta meats, beef carpaccio, and Milanese risotto scented with jasmine and saffron.

Over in France, you can holiday on the grounds of prestigious wine estates in Bordeaux or Provence. These are often grand properties that date back centuries; you can tell because they sport medieval spires and Gothic entryways and come enfolded by undulating fields of old-growth vines. Enjoy a food and wine tour of the local area to appreciate the gastronomy of France in the best way.

Other places fuse adventure pursuits with gourmet cooking for truly memorable luxury holidays. Pick a chic catered ski chalet in Verbier or Chamonix to be rewarded with broiling bowls of bouillabaisse and hearty Swiss fondue when you return from a day on the slopes. Or, for a touch of luxury and romance in the snow, enjoy bespoke cheese and wine events or champagne and oyster evenings in your chalet.

Jet east to the palm-fringed atolls of the Maldives or the islands of Thailand, and European cooking is replaced by spice-plumed curries and ginger-scented noodle dishes. You’ll still spend most of your time soaking up the rays on white-sand beaches, but you can also learn the intricacies of Asian cuisine with lessons from private chefs or local gastronomy tours.

Choose a luxury villa to fill your trip with epicurean delights. In a flurry of full-bodied Montepulciano Vino Nobile, garlic-laden escargots, and Greek octopus steeped in lemon and olive oil, they offer getaways primed for food and wine aficionados.