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TerraVina - They're Back! Gerard & Nina's new Masterpiece!

Hotel TerraVina - Launches Monday 20th August 2007

I’ve been saving this announcement until it is close enough to the launch date to ensure that anyone who understands my excitement will be able to get over there before they’ve forgotten my enthusiasm and put it in that mental space reserved for things you might do ‘one day’.

And so now with great pleasure I can reveal that the irrepressible talents of husband and wife team Gerard and Nina Basset have been brought together in a wholly owned masterpiece called Hotel TerraVina, which is aptly named, given Gerard’s unparalleled reputation as one of the world’s leading Sommelier’s and Nina’s grounded aptitude for both style and business. (For those of you who somehow missed the Hotel Du Vin phenomena which the two built from scratch to one of the finest collection of boutique hotels in England, Gerard and Nina are revered in many circles as probably one of the best hotel partnerships this country has seen for many generations.)

Gerard not only possesses superb restaurant expertise, but is also a well-recognised wine specialist. He holds Master Sommelier, Master of Wine and Wine MBA awards. In 1992 he won the Best International Sommelier for French Wines (Paris), in 1996 he won the Best Sommelier of Europe (Reims) and in the World Sommelier Championship he has finished twice 2nd in 1992 (Rio de Janeiro) and in 2004 (Athens) as well as 2nd equal in 2007 (Rhodes).

After qualifying from Westminster Hotel School, Nina started her career in Paris and then on returning to England, went to work at the famous Chewton Glen Hotel (where she and Gerard met). She went on to become the youngest AA Hotel Inspector (at the age of 21) and left to help set up the first Hotel du Vin in 1994 in Winchester. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality.

I visited them both the other day to see the renovations of their new baby in Woodlands and was delighted to see that Nina’s reputation as an uncompromising perfectionist remains unblemished. This previously once tired hotel which has been in the same hands for several decades has been transformed into a cross between a fine English period property and the kind of place you’d normally expect to find at the end of a long Mediterranean Cypress (Cupressus Sempervirens) flanked drive in Italy with the style and attention to detail to match. From copper guttering to just the right type of sympathetic wood panelling on the extended areas, you can instantly sense that this place is going to be very special indeed.

Inside, when I was there, the glass surrounded boardroom and stunning blend of contemporary and period features was being developed on the ground floor and the restaurant and decking area overlooking charming gardens was just taking shape. Gerard has been able to create a statement out of the dining experience with an open kitchen and cellars, whose array of wines from all over the world must make any connoisseur compelled to visit. In the bedrooms, Nina has excelled of course, with fine Italian porcelain complimenting elegant and original decor, as well as some rooms incorporating their own outside veranda’s and/or Victorian baths within the rooms themselves, and in a sophisticated and evocative way. (I did find myself imagining a weekend away from work and children and some quality grown up time as I was shown from room to room.)

Gerard and Nina are endeavouring to make the hotel as ‘environmentally friendly’ as possible and they are members of the Green Leaf Tourism scheme, run by the New Forest National Park. The hotel uses local, organically-grown lavender for the hand-made toiletries as well as eco-friendly housekeeping products, while in the kitchens, organically-grown free-range local produce is always the preferred choice. Gerard and Nina are delighted to share their venture with guests, old and new.

Before leaving I had the great pleasure also of meeting Rory Duncan, whose Denzel Washington good looks will probably encourage a few ‘ladies who lunch’ through the door alongside those who are already aware of his ever burgeoning career, following great successes with One Aldwych and Driftwood in Cornwall. I really liked Rory, who is one of those rare characters that remains totally focused on and immersed in what he loves most, namely food. I of course mentioned awards and glory which will inevitably flood his way but he, in his attractive self-effacing manner, merely commented that such things would be great for the TerraVina but of no special consequence to him personally. I remember exactly the same kind of attitude from a fleeting conversation with Eric Clapton once who as a true artist is of course only interested in performing and not necessarily the rewards that have gone with it. I’m no expert, but I think Rory is definitely one to watch and I can’t wait to sample his new delights!

So who do I think will go to TerraVina? Well quite apart from the bun fight I envisage from the boardroom executives of the largest marine companies trying to secure the place for the Southampton Boat Show, I imagine it will attract those who like understated elegance, sophistication in just the right context and of course those who appreciate real style. (I intend to go there anyway, before anyone says anything!) I also have a sneaking suspicion that the location just off the road between Lyndhurst and Southampton is too good an opportunity for a whole host of ‘Yummy Mummies’ who will be combining trips to West Quay with the perfect lunch and a Diet Coke moment if they can persuade Rory out of the kitchen. Similarly, once word gets out, then I anticipate a growing following of those for whom romance still blossoms, on weekend escapades and I wouldn’t be surprised also if some of those big city deals aren’t one day clinched in that glass

boardroom as well.

TerraVina officially opens tomorrow and I for one can’t wait to experience the finished article and report back here accordingly. Congratulations to Gerard and Nina who’ve put heart and soul into the place and we at LDC would like to wish you every success for the future. JS

Hotel TerraVina, 174 Woodlands Road, Woodlands, Netley Marsh,
Southampton, Hampshire SO40 7GL, United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)2380 293 784 Fax: +44 (0)23 80 293 62