FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:         Rebecca Widness

Widness & Company Public Relations

Tel: (646) 375-2239

E-mail: rebecca@widness-co-pr.com

BON APPETIT! WINVIAN LAUNCHES NEW COOKING SCHOOL IN SPRING 2011 WITH A SCRUMPTIOUS RANGE OF ITALIAN AND FRENCH CLASSES

AAA Five Diamond Chef to Helm the Classroom

LITCHFIELD HILLS, CT – January 2011 - Savor the mouth-watering aromas of bubbling bolognese, melting butter, roasting vegetables, fish and herbs wafting through the new state-of-the-art kitchen at Winvian.  This delicious experience will take place at the property’s new Cooking School at Winvian, the AAA “Ten” Diamond resort in the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut.  The Cooking School will launch in spring 2011. 

From a classic two-hour introduction class on mastering savory pasta dishes or delicious pastries and treats, to more in-depth, longer courses, The Cooking School at Winvian offers a class option for visiting guests and locals alike.  Dishes will evoke the feeling of a cozy French bistro, Italian trattoria or a friend’s vacation home in Provence.  Guests will cook with herbs, salad greens and vegetables from Winvian’s garden and with seafood and game sourced as locally as possible. 

“We want guests at Winvian to relish in relaxation and experience the exceptional food and accommodations.  The Cooking School will teach special dishes that can easily be made by the home cook and taken home as a token of their experience at Winvian,” said Maggie Smith, proprietor of Winvian. 

Executive Chef Chris Eddy, who helped earn Winvian’s restaurant the AAA Five Diamond award - the only new USA restaurant to achieve this honor in 2011 – will lead all classes.  Pastry Chef Gilles Ballay will oversee the pastry sessions.

Winvian Classic Classes, two hours in length each weekend, will be offered on an on-going basis throughout the year, ideal for guests and locals.  Students will learn how to liven up classic Italian recipes in the Pasta Classic Class, and learn how to make just-flown-in-from-Paris-treats in the Pastry Classic Class.

Winvian’s Three Day Classes, 15 hours of instruction, will be a great option for ladies’ getaways, couples looking to reconnect, or groups of friends.  The Wednesday-Friday class will be offered during select weeks throughout the year, with the days devoted to stocks, soups, and sauces, basic French techniques, and protein preparation. Spa treatments may be woven in before and after classes to pamper these aspiring chefs.

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THE COOKING SCHOOL AT WINVIAN LAUNCHES / 2

The Winvian Intensive Cooking School will offer six 8-hour days of instruction over a six week period on consecutive Wednesdays in March and April and again in November through mid-December.  This is another great opportunity for locals wanting to really hone their culinary skills.  The schedule offers in-depth teaching of classic French cooking techniques, concentrating on salads & eggs, hearty soups & stocks, basics of vegetable cooking & bread, classical cooking methods for fish, preparation of poultry dishes, and preparation of red meat dishes.

The gleaming, state-of-the-art kitchen features 550 square feet of space and can accommodate up to 12 students.    State-of-the-art Viking appliances will provide aspiring chefs the opportunity to sample one of the culinary industry’s premier equipment.

Winvian, the private and whimsical AAA Ten Diamond retreat – the property also received Five Diamonds for its accommodations – ideally located just two hours from NYC, houses 18 luxe cottages and one suite on 113 acres of meadows and woodlands.  Nightly rates at Winvian start from $650 for two a la carte (breakfast included) and from $1,250 for two all-inclusive (full breakfast, room service, lunch, picnics, spa snacks, afternoon tea, cocktails, dinner, after dinner petit-fours). A 13% gratuity and 9% CT State tax will be added per night to the room rate.  The entire property is available for special celebrations and lavish weddings with rates upon request.

For additional information on the Cooking School at Winvian and class schedules, or to book reservations, please visit www.winvian.com or call 860-567-9600.

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