Cooking or culinary holidays, vacations, tours in Spain:

Cooking in the Andalucian Sierras
. . . a taste of the Spanish good life

Finca Buenvino is a beautiful, family-run inn known for its stunning setting, warm welcome and superb home cooking. As well as the main house there are also three self-catering cottages, each beautifully equipped with two en-suite bedrooms, bathroom, living room with wood-burning stove and (in summer) its own private filtered swimming pool.

Finca Buenvino is the perfect place for a break - Ryanair's daily, direct flights from Stansted to Seville make it an easy travel option. British Airways also has daily flights from Gatwick, as do Iberia from Heathrow. Aer Lingus fly twice a week from Dublin. Finca Buenvino is only a few minutes' drive from the lovely town of Aracena and less than an hour from Seville city centre.

The house is set amongst 70 hectares of mixed forest, chiefly composed of sweet Spanish chestnut trees and cork oaks. There are also fruit orchards and olive groves on the property. There is a small stream running through the valley, the Arroyo Buenvino, which gives its name to the property. Sam and Jeannie, your hosts, keep Iberian pigs from which they make their own home-killed and cured Jamon Serrano, as well as salchichón and chorizo. Depending on the season they also grow most of their own organic vegetables.

The house is filled with an eclectic mix of furniture, paintings, pottery and books. Bedrooms are all distinctive whether due to hand-painted walls, oriental hangings, a bath tub with a view, or a fireplace. The small, winter dining-room is pine-panelled and entirely candlelit, and dinner is taken together with fellow guests. Sometimes neighbours come in to join our guests for dinner. Breakfast is served between nine and eleven in the conservatory, with its wide-ranging views over rolling countryside, or we are happy to bring you breakfast in bed for a small extra charge.

In winter, log fires, afternoon teas, central heating and cosy rooms will make you feel at home. In spring, the valley below the house is filled with white heather, primroses and the song of nightingales.

At Finca Buenvino, when the main tourist season comes to an end, they like to share the intimacy of the late Autumn, Winter or early Spring with small groups of friends who have an interest in hands-on cooking.

The days can be brilliantly sunny and brightly cold, for Finca Buenvino is high in the Western Andalucian Sierras. At other times it will pour with rain or the property will be lost in mist. It is a time for regeneration and for walks and hot baths and good food and drink and pleasant conversation. It is a time to share ideas in a warm kitchen or whilst sitting in the living room with a big log fire blazing away and a glass of Oloroso Sherry to hand.

You might be harvesting the chestnuts (early November) and having them fresh to roast on the fire before dinner . . . they are delicious with salt and butter and a glass of strong Jerez or Montilla wine!

Individuals or couples are welcome to participate, and become part of a 'new family’ for a few days, but the most fun is to get a group of good friends together to share the experience. The courses are limited to a maximum of six cooks although non-cooking partners are more than welcome.

Learning that Mediterranean cooking goes beyond the well-known French and Italian influences can be an eye-opener for some people. Here at Finca Buenvino they sometimes use traditional Southern Spanish recipes which are a legacy of the Caliphate of Cordoba. North African Mahgrebi influences can be felt in the use of spices and nuts and the interplay between sweet and savoury. You will learn to cook with pulses and nuts:

• Spinach and chickpeas flavoured with Cumin

• Butter Beans and Clams with Tomato

• Iced Garlic and Almond Soup

. . . and more.

You will learn to cook the hearty roasts and cocidos and game dishes of winter, and the light cold soups of summer. You will learn about the use of ground and roast nuts or bread fried in olive oil for thickening stews.

Fruit is used in savoury meat dishes such as:

• Rabbit with Apricots, Spinach and Pinenuts

• Quails with Quinces

• Chicken with Olives and Lemons

You will cook the traditional Paella and the less well known Black Rice, made with Squid Ink. At Finca Buenvino they will put a new twist on the refreshing Mediterranean milk and egg desserts:

• Pannacotta with Saffron

• Rosemary Sorbet

• Cardamom and Honey Ice cream

• Rosemary, White Wine and Chocolate Cream

• Ginger Custard Creams

Come and share the fun!

Aracena, Andalucía and Spain

Finca Buenvino is located just outside the beautiful town of Aracena in Andalucia (Huelva province) in south-west Spain, very close to Spain's border with Portugal. Due to its location in the mountains, the climate is moderate to cool.

The Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche Nature Reserve was formed in 1989 by the Andalucian Government in order to preserve the countryside, villages and way of life of this unique area. Hills, thickly wooded with sweet chestnut and cork oak, give way to small groves of olives or walnuts and orchards of apples, plums, peaches and figs. Wild, rocky escarpments are covered in cistus and heather. Stone-walled mule tracks meander from village to hamlet and are perfect for walking or riding. In Spring, the wild flowers carpet the meadows and clumps of peonies grow in the shade of the chestnut trees.

Whitewashed villages with cobbled streets hang from the side of a hill or nestle in a valley. In autumn, chestnut pickers fill their baskets in the woods, as mules stand patiently to be loaded with sacks for the return journey to the village.

Los Marines is not a major tourist destination, so you can expect a quiet and relaxing visit, and a taste of the 'real' Spain.

Finca Buenvino is less than an hour from Seville but is located deep in the heart of the Sierra de Aracena - a beautiful nature reserve of hills, thickly-wooded with sweet chestnut and cork oak, small groves of olives or walnuts, orchards of apples, plums, peaches, figs and pears and lovely lakes. In other words, it's idyllic. The wild rocky escarpments are covered in cistus and heather and stone-walled mule tracks make meandering from village to hamlet a delight. There is a wonderful variety of wildlife and the house itself has a stunning hill-top location overlooking the green and blue hills of the Sierra Morena.

The house is a much-loved family home, filled with an eclectic mix of furniture, paintings, pottery and books. The bedrooms are all distinctive. The conservatory enjoys panoramic views and the two terraces are perfect for al fresco dining.

The pool sits on the top of a mountain and cascades into the view. There is also a large pavilion with bar, sitting room and a good barbecue. The swallows swoop into the pool to drink the water as the sun sets over the hills.

Accommodation

Five delightful rooms are reserved for guests:

• The Pink Room:
  Twin-bedded with an ensuite bathroom. The bath tub has a spectacular view out over the tree-tops.
  
  
• The Yellow Room:
  Double-bedded (Queen-sized) with a small sitting / dressing room in which there is a sofa bed. There is also a private bathroom (not ensuite).
  
  
• The Bird Room:
  Double-bedded with fireplace and spectacular view. There's a private bathroom across the landing.
  
  
• The Green Room / The Blue Room:
  Usually let as a family suite, includes one small double room and one single or twin bedded room. There's a shared bathroom between the rooms.

The drawing room, conservatory and dining room are used by guests and owners alike. There is an excellent GPRS signal at the main house for both Vodafone and Telefonica users. Laptop owners with the correct card will find a swift connection to the Internet and email.