Does anyone have any recommendations for a villa to rent in either France, Italy, Portugal or Spain? I realize that's not very specific but this is just the starting point. We are all into wine and cooking (for ourselves). Will do some exploring, hiking, etc. but mainly looking for the perfect base. Trip can be in the spring or fall...want to avoid heavy summer traffic. It may seem strange, but I usually start planning based on the house/apartment we rent and go from there. Any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

There are a number of excellent sites dealing with renting villas. It all depends on your budget.

In Spain we deal with Spain Select and Luxury Retreats, but ther is also Home Away and Owners Direct. In France you can check A&K Villas, Just France, Dominique's Villas, Villas of Distinction and Holiday Chateaux and Castle Rentals. In Italy try Tuscany-Villas or Ville in Italy.

Awesome, Robert, thank you for the information. I have a lot of research ahead of me...but that's the fun!

We rented a beautiful, large villa from Chianti and More in Panzano. It had a huge well equipped kitchen.

Hi,
If budget is a concern, you'll get a much better deal in Portugal and the sights will be equally interesting. If beach is what you're searching for, then you should look for the Algarve region.
You should definitely check the best rental sites:

Homeaway, Airbnb, Housetrip.

Have used Vacanza Bella in Italy in the past with good results. The owner Daniel lives in Rome and has checked out all his recommendations. He has a website vacanzabella so you can review properties to see if there is a fit.

H

gite-de-france is a good place to look

There are lots of large, beautiful properties here in the Dordogne.

The larger the villa and the longer the stay the longer ahead you must book. The best places are booked a year ahead of time.

Yes, we booked our villa a year ahead.