It’s 100% Tempranillo with 10 months in a combination of new American oak (65%) and French oak (35%).

This wine is robust, with nice berry flavours, and ready for consumption now. The price is good, too.

Salita Dei Crescenzi, 31 Tel. 06.68803034

One afternoon, having succumbed to a traveller’s cold, we found ourselves in need of nourishment without the will to cook. The night before we had passed Armando al Pantheon and checked for an available table: they were full up. The place has that typical Roman ambiance and an attractive menu that sticks in the mind; we thus returned for lunch and found one open table.

It turned out to be a charming restaurant, one room, with high ceilings and a clear view into the kitchen. Armando is also listed in the Slow Food guide to Italian osteria. We had but two pasta dishes–spaghetti with truffles (19 euros) and ravioli al Armando (9 euros) and both were excellent. The spaghetti a very simple preparation of dried pasta perfectly cooked al dente with olive oil, salt, and shaved truffles. The ravioli a delicious construction with champignones and a light-handed cream sauce with cheese.

A second visit again proved the primi to be of unwavering, very good quality, freshly prepared, through the secondi—as is so often the case—fell somewhat short. Three of us enjoyed the Spaghetti alla Claudio (with garlic, extra virgin olive oil, mushrooms, and saffron), Cicoria in padella (as a contorni), and Scamorza al tartufo, though the Anatra alle prugne (Duck with plum) left much to be desired—dry and uninspired.

The article lists Trout Point’s Nova Scotia Seafood Cooking School, which has offered culinary vacations every year since 2000 alongside other food-related vacation experiences such as Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Master Course in New York City and Copenhagen’s Noma, rated 2011’s “World’s Best Restaurant” by San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards.

The article says: “Jaunt to this Relais & Chateux hideaway three hours outside of Halifax to learn how to select and prepare seafood from water to table.” Trout Point is singled out for teaching specialty techniques, such as hot and cold smoking”as well as “take-home tips for your local fish market.” The cooking vacations consist of 2-night, 3-day all inclusive packages, including cooking instruction and field trips.

Trout Point Lodge offers 8 rooms, 2 suites, and 2 cottages on the banks of the Tusket River adjacent to the Tobeatic Wilderness Area. It is Nova Scotia’s only member of Relais & Chateaux and won the Parks Canada Sustainable Tourism Award in 2007. The National Geographic Society singled out Trout Point’s culinary programs for praise in its worldwide Geotourism Challenge: The Power of Place.

The stylish and verdant boutique hotel Le Quartier Francais will provide one of the most super overall accommodation experiences in South Africa, with its 2 dining venues–including the acclaimed Tasting Room–tasteful decoration, and abundant green spaces. Le Quartier’s 4 Quarters suites provide abundant space, dressing room, and a dedicated pool & butler.

Be sure to take a short drive to sister property Moreson Vineyards and the restaurant Bread & Wine, where sumptuous, perfectly prepared lunches accompany house wines.

Featuring such celebrated chefs as Patrick O’Connell, Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, 85 InspirationalChefs is a beautifully illustrated compilation of menus and 184 signature recipes created by the North American chefs of Relais & Châteaux, including Vaughn Perret and Charles Leary of Nova Scotia’s Trout Point Lodge. The second book, Chefs at Home, includes simpler recipes that these chefs choose to cook when they’re at home.

85 Inspirational Chefs retails for $60 and Chefs at Home retails for $30, plus shipping/handling. Both are available on www.relaischateaux.com or at any Relais & Châteaux property.

The books drip with culinary grandeur, providing the reader with an insider’s taste of some of the most memorable dining destinations on the continent, through masterfully photographed recipes and chef profiles. Published by Network Book Publishing Limited, they also include insights from these acclaimed Relais & Châteaux chefs, all of whom boast an enviable collection of Michelin stars, Zagat ratings and numerous industry accolades. Perret & Leary contributed recipes such as Haddock with Gumbo Sauce and Roasted Red Pepper Soup.

“These books are an inspirational work of 85 chefs who, as part of the Relais & Châteaux family, are united by what makes them different,” said Patrick O’Connell, President of North American Relais & Châteaux delegations and Chef/Proprietor of The Inn at Little Washington. “The chefs all share a passion for hospitality and offer their guests a unique sense of place through their cuisine. Now, for the first time, they have collaborated in sharing some of their most exquisite creations.” Other Canadian contributors included Restaurant Toque of Quebec and Langdon Hall of Ontario.

Recipes included in 85 Insperational Chefs range from the technically challenging and groundbreaking to the classic and traditional, making the collection perfect for the culinary expert as well as the novice cook. Those in Chefs at Home are designed to be executed by beginners. Each selection reflects the enthusiasm and dedication of each chef

to combine textures, flavors, and nature’s fresh produce, and now with the ability to duplicate in one’s own home.

About Trout Point Lodge

Open since July, 2000, Trout Point now stands among the premiere vacation destinations in Atlantic Canada. Amidst a unique and pristine wilderness setting, the Lodge has a demonstrated commitment to both sustainable- and geo-tourism practices combined with a high level of comfort and dining. In 2009, Trout Point was among 10 finalists worldwide in the National Geographic Society’s Geotourism Challenge “Power of Place.” It was named among the 16 best independent hotels in Canada by the London Sunday Times Travel magazine.

About Relais & Chateaux

Established in France in 1954, the mission of Relais & Châteaux is to spread its unique “art de vivre” across the globe by selecting outstanding properties with a truly unique character. The Association is a family of hoteliers and Grands Chefs from all over the world who share a passion for and a personal commitment to ensuring their guests are privy to moments of exceptional harmony, an unforgettable celebration of the senses. For more information on these and all Relais & Châteaux members, visit www.relaischateaux.com.

About Network Publishing

Network Publishing Limited has a reputation for producing high quality, individual, consumer and trade magazines in the UK in the food, hospitality and jewelry sectors, including Michelin-starred chefs and leading independent retailers. Through its various publishing arms, its titles include the highly regarded UK magazine, Yes Chef! and the Relais & Châteaux UK and Ireland guide.

Air Canada seems to always advertise fare sales that sound great, but when you look for them, they’re simply never there–perhaps having vanished quickly as bargain-hunting Canadians snapped them up, or perhaps they never truly existed. Air Canada’s normal fares can’t compete.

Swiss, on the other hand, offered seamless and rapid ticket purchase at competitive prices, and so far the Swiss experience has provided exactly what we were looking for–with good food and service to boot!

Granada is a city of Miradors–public open spaces where once can relax and take in the view of the Alhambra, the Generaliffe, and the majestic Sierra Nevada.

The place whose symbol is a pomegranate exudes its authentic Mediterranean and unique historical past: the grapes are heavy on the 50-year old vine that helps shelter part of the front terrace; gentle breezes blow anticipating the coolness of night time, and the olives are just forming, firm, still with their pale greenness; the rosemary grows like a weed in the patio garden, as do the beautiful Cymbidium orchids.

Late summer is still a time for cave dwelling–a traditional form of habitation in Granada, remnant of Arab and perhaps earlier times. The hand-dug hard-clay caves stay cool and fresh even when its 42 degrees outside. Many on the European bohemian circuit visit Granada because of the myriad caves to be had, squatted in for a spell. Ours, by contrast, come with a deed and a ventilation system.

Last night, on the search for a decent place to sup at 10pm, we found a perennial favourite serving dinner–the incomparable Bar Kiki, just beside the San Nicolas church and its gigantic aljibe, or water deposit. Mozarabic style foie gras, a mixed salad, and a fritura or fresh fish, cazon en adobo, and squid, all perfectly crisply fried in the region’s best olive oil. A local Granada wine made with little-known Vijiriego and Sauvignon Blanc provided a perfect, light, floral compliment to the food. Service was excellent, partly because we’re know there, as “los vecinos.”

The blind wine tasting featured Chateau Lynch-Bages white followed by 4 red vintages, capped off with a Chateau Rieussec Sauternes!