Five-Star Experiences with a Gourmet Twist

Greek writer and journalist Nikos Kazantzakis once said: “I felt once more how simple and frugal a thing is happiness: a glass of wine, a roast chestnut, a wretched little brazier, the sound of the sea. Nothing else.” Just as these were the simple joys in Greece in the twentieth century, they continue to endure as timeless pleasures in the modern age. However, the wine in your glass may now be selected from your luxurious villa’s extensive wine cellar and expertly poured by a dedicated wine butler. The chestnuts could be transformed into a velvety purée adorned with mastiha-infused whipped cream and carob slivers, carefully crafted by your personal five-star chef. The after-dinner brazier might take the form of a sunken firepit on a starlit deck. The dining table could be laid beneath the striated shade of a bamboo-roofed pergola, by the beach, on a scenic terrace, or under the branches of an ancient olive tree. Nevertheless, the moon ascending from the sea evokes the same old Greek magic, and the sound of the waves remains unchanged as it laps the shore of your villa’s secluded beach.

At the same time, on the mainland, vast estates with acres of land yield fresh fruits and vegetables from their own organic farms, while villas nestled in the heights of mountainous islands, where goats and sheep traverse from hills to beaches, have access to the tastiest local cheeses and succulent lamb. In the seafood-rich Aegean islands, the local fishermen know precisely who to contact upon catching a prized fish. On Crete, in a remote region famous for its produce and unique banana groves, a beach villa lying in splendid isolation on a vast sandy beach offers private olive oil tasting – a delightful surprise for those unfamiliar with this experience. Afterwards, sip on wines from dynamic young winemakers who use the latest holistic and naturopathic methods, and toast to a day well spent in the Land of the Gods.