Cellar Tours Blog

Are you thinking of popping the question and just can’t think of where to do it or how to make it special?

Do you want to organize the time of her life and cherish the memories of your proposal day forever?

Are you looking for a unique, incomparable, ultra romantic and creative wedding proposal idea?

Well, you have come to the right place! We are incorrigible romantics and have a few ideas that are sure to make her so impressed, she will say “yes”:

1). VERONA, ITALY- ROMEO & JULIET

Spend a night in one of the most romantic historic hotels in Italy- in the courtyard of Juliet’s house in Verona, booking the room “Il Cuore” at the magical “Il Sogno di Giulietta”, overlooking Juliet’s courtyard and balcony. In the morning, go out to your private terrace for a champagne breakfast where she will see a medieval style banner hanging from Juliet’s balcony, saying “Will you marry me?”. Below, a private serenade with local musicians will be the final coup de grace!

2). BARCELONA , SPAIN- JEEP RIDE THROUGH THE VINES & PICNIC

Your Mercedes will pick you up at your hotel in Barcelona and sweep you away to the Penedès wine country, about an hour south. Upon arrival to the wine estate, meet your charming hosts and hop into the jeep to tour the beautiful vineyards. Stop at a the 13th century hermitage on the property, at the hill´s summit and a romantic picnic will be set up for you. When the Cava bottle is popped, you can pop the question while looking out at the vast vineyards and Mediterranean sea in the distance. Follow with a private tour of the estate and celebrate with a glass of their excellent “Honeymoon”, an interesting single varietal wine, made with 100% Parellada, an aromatic Catalan grape.

3). DOURO VALLEY, PORTUGAL- WINE CRUISE

If you or your partner are port wine lovers, there is no better place to spend this special day than in the breathtaking Douro Valley. Stay at the luxury spa hotel Aquapura and about an hour before sunset take a private Rabelo cruise on the Douro River. These are replica Vintage boats traditionally used to carry the wine down the river from Douro to the lodges in Oporto. Sip chilled white port while taking in the views of the vineyards and colonial style Quintas. On one of them, a banner with “WILL YOU MARRY ME?” will be displayed when the boat passes by. When you get back to the hotel, rose petals will have been spread around your hotel room, and a bottle of bubbly awaits…

4). MADRID, SPAIN- WINE, ART AND ROMANCE

For art and wine lovers, Madrid is an interesting destination. Begin the morning with a private guided tour of the outstanding Prado museum with a focus on wine throughout the ages and in art.  To follow, enjoy a supremely entertaining private wine tasting masterclass in a 19th century refined building with exceptionally friendly and knowledgeable hosts. Among the bottles lined on the table, one will have a custom made label saying  “Will you marry me?” Your celebratory toast will be with the stunning Krpta cava.

5). VENICE, ITALY-PRIVATE COOK´S TOUR AND SUNSET GONDOLA

No woman can resist a man who cooks. So, why not organize a market tour and a private cooking class for the two of you as part of your vacation in Italy. Venice is the ultimate romantic destination and you can spend a day taking in a Rialto market tour with gourmet tastings and learn how to cook the perfect Italian meal!  After the lunch with your private and charming chef, tasting your own creations, you will get a diploma. On your girlfriend’s one, it will read “Will you marry me?. Finish this unforgettable day with a gondola ride at sunset with bubbles on board!

6). TUSCANY, ITALY- HOT AIR BALLOON AT SUNRISE

As a day excursion from Florence to Siena, head to the Chianti wine country at dawn and watch the spectacular colors of the early morning over the olive groves and medieval villages as you float over this fairy tale land on your own private hot air balloon. When your champagne toast is served on board,  a note will accompany the tray saying “Say yes and let´s have a reason to celebrate, marry me!” When you land, your driver will be waiting and you´ll spend a day in the wine country including an incredible Michelin starred lunch in a 14th century hamlet.

7). BORDEAUX, FRANCE- SUNSET PROPOSAL AT TOP CHATEAU

Spend a night at a gorgeous Chateau in Bordeaux´s left bank on the “Chateaux Route”, taking in a private dinner in the historic dining room. At sunset, go for a walk on the manicured grounds, and as you are served your aperitif by elegant waiter, the box for the ring will be presented with the wine along with a single rose. Voilà, the perfect moment to propose.

8). CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE-TOAST IN THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE WORLD´S BEST BUBBLY

Take a day tour to Champagne from Paris. After a morning of wine tasting, enjoy a gourmet aphrodisiac´s lunch on a private terrace facing the vineyards. Your waiter will be working with you on this, now when you select the wine, he will come back with a magnum bottle of champagne. On it your fiancée´s name will be painted on it, along with the message of your choice. A variation of the champagne theme can be a private “sabrage” in a champagne cave like at the beautiful Pommery cellar, where you will have the perfect private moment to propose.

9). PRIORAT, SPAIN- HELICOPTER WEDDING PROPOSAL AND WINE TASTING

If money is no object and you want to have the experience of a lifetime, spend a day visiting a top Priorat vineyard Costers del Siurana by private helicopter from Barcelona. When you arrive to the wine estate the owner himself will board the helicopter with you and you´ll get expert commentary on this gorgeous region with its terraced vineyards from the air. Land again and cruise the vineyards by landrover before carrying on to a vertical tasting of top vintages at the winery. An 8 course gourmet feast is next, each course paired with estate wines. When things can´t get any better, the dessert will be presented, with the ring inside the tart. Absolutely fantastic way to propose.

10). ROSS CASTLE, IRELAND- PRIVATE BOAT AND PROPOSAL IN MYSTICAL LAKE

Your driver and vintage Rolls Royce will collect you at your hotel in Ireland´s Kerry or Cork regions and you´ll travel through idyllic landscapes to the ethereal Killarney lakes. Board a private boat at Ross Castle, and once you have sailed tot he middle of the lake, your gourmet picnic basket will be presented. Smoked organic salmon, artisan Irish cheeses, homemade Gubbeen oatcakes and of course a chilled bottle of champagne will be included. Present your lover with an Irish Claddagh ring as the engagement ring…

More great ideas of how to pop the question:

* Treasure Hunt in a Castle

* Horsedrawn Carriage Proposal

* Horseback riding at sunset through the vineyards

* Private dinner in a vineyard

* Venetian Carnival and Masquerade Dance Proposal

More info: Cellar Tours offer fabulous custom designed marriage proposal tours

Spanish “jamón” is known all over the world, and Spain´s seafood is legendary. There is no question that Spain is one of the most fascinating culinary destinations in the world. But often vegetarians worry if Spain also offers enough non meat/fish options for them to have enough interesting and tasty options while touring. The answer is: you have to look for them and do your research, but yes, yes, yes!

Some sample veggie dishes you can find in Spain, particularly in the Atlantic and Mediterranean north include:

* Sautéed Boletus mushrooms

* Mushrooms (champiñones) served “al ajillo” (panfried with olive oil and loads of garlic)

* Marinated and often smoked spicy piquillo red peppers

* Risotto style “arroz” rice dishes featuring Idiazabal cheese (from Basque Country), or wild mushrooms or asparagus

* White asparagus from Tudela

* Pimientos de Padrón- delicious little green Galician peppers roast with sea salt and olive oil. 1 in 10 is seriously spicy!

* Marinated artichoke hearts from Navarre

* Lightly breaded and expertly fried eggplant (a Spanish recipe with Moorish origins)

* Endives with a Cabrales (blue cheese from Asturias) sauce

* Swiss chard in a delicate cheese sauce

* Caneloni stuffed with spinach (Catalan recipe)

*Escalivada- roast eggplant, peppers, onion, tomato dish with tons of olive oil and course salt. fabulous…

* Pisto Manchego- similar to Ratatouille. Warning: sometimes come with tuna, so do ask.

* Gazpacho- that quintessential summer dish is a healthy and delicious cold soup made of tomatoes, bread, garlic, and plenty of variations

* Ajoblanco- another great summer soup made of almonds, garlic, grapes

* Goat´s cheese salad with walnuts and apples (ensalada de cabra)

* Manchego cheese with pinenuts and honey

* all manor of scrambled eggs (”revuelto”) with asparagus, queso, setas (wild mushrooms), etc

* Catalan style spinach (”espinacas catalanas”), sautéed with raisins, pinenuts, breadcrumbs and onion

* Fruit brochettes (pineapple especially)

And of course tapas like marinated olives, pan fried almonds with chili (”guindilla”) and patatas bravas (potatoes with a spicy sauce).

Here is a terrific list of vegetarian restaurants in Spain

And info on Spain´s gastronomy and A-Z Food Glossary.

When ordering in restaurants, a word of advice is to tell the wait staff that you are medically and seriously “allergic” to meat/seafood as often bits of chorizo/jamón, even fish are thrown into veggie dishes without letting you know.

Happy travels!

We just spent a week in Bordeaux on a fabulous site inspection and can´t praise this graceful and friendly city highly enough. Called the “Mini Paris”, Bordeaux is an absolute must for wine lovers and equally interesting for foodies, architectural buffs and history lovers.

Here is a quick list of the top ten things you can´t miss while visiting Bordeaux:

1. The Regent Hotel- hot, new, very glam

2. The Châteaux of the Left Bank

3. Romantic Saint Emilion

4. Lunch at cozy La Tupina

5. Cap Ferret´s shabby chic oyster haunts

6. Thierry Marx´s 2 * Restaurant at Cordeillan Bages

7. Biking through the vineyards at Franc Mayne

8. Dinner at Le St James in charming Bouliac- what a view!

9. Sand Dunes near Arcachon

10.Chapon Fin- an institution

GOURMET HOTSPOT IN BARCELONA

We asked local Barcelona gourmet guru and professional travel writer Tara Stevens to recommend a fabulous eatery in Barcelona for our most special clients looking for a memorable lunch, and here is what Tara shared with us:

Fonda Gaig-

Thoroughly enjoyed this. Service was a delight, aside from the sour faced puss manning the till when we left. Señora Gaig was particularly welcoming. The place is vast, creamy decor with lovely plump, red, leather armchairs at each table laid with linen and Riedel glasses, so that you really feel inspired to sit back and get stuck in. Actually, my friend and I spent half of lunch snuggling deep into these fabulous creations declaring how wonderful it all was. Felt luxurious without being stuffy. There’s no music (piped or otherwise) and they’ve got excellent white sound so you’re not disturbed by other tables, but equally there’s a good sense of space here. Don’t feel crammed in at all. Overall atmosphere is really very laid back, the staff pleasant without being overly fussy (which I find perfect).

The food is very traditionally Catalan – canelones (superb), wood cock on the specials (ultra gamey, but definitely a winner for a lot of folks), a boring ensalada de huerta (but then, salad is salad and we needed something green), excellent plump, sweet scallops with friend artichoke quarters. Great bread, less good oils and vinegars, and a substantial though not wildly interesting wine list (if you look hard you’ll find some interesting boutique wineries like Baigorri, but generally pretty much what you’d expect) and interestingly enough the Catalan wines seem to have a higher price hike than those from Rioja or Ribera, say.

Our bill came in at €136, and I left a €10 which is a lot for lunch. However, we choose a mid-range wine €31.60 for a Marques de Vargas 2004, and the woodcock was pricey being a seasonal game bird. A quick gander at a couple of other bills on leaving told me that €100 for two was more standard.

All in all though, I left feeling I’d had a treat, largely because you feel so cosseted sitting there. Compare this to a few weeks ago when I ate at Fermí Puig’s Petit Comite, and felt ripped off by the time I’d finished. And they invited me. But really, who charges €13 for a potato?

Fonda Gaig to sum up-   it’s new, of the moment, a great destination for a long lunch or dinner, very relaxed, very Catalan and super comfortable. Best of all they’ll get to rub shoulders with genuine uptowners as opposed to destination diners.

Trekkers and romantics heading to the Amalfi Coast in August check this space-

Each year the association GEA organizes an excursion on the Sentiero degli Dei (close to Positano and Montepertuso) at nighttime to celebrate the summer full moon. This year the trek is scheduled for August 6 at 6PM at the Fiume della Noce ( s.s. 163 bivio per Montepertuso- meeting point in Positano. The approximate arrival time to Bomerano at 7PM; then you will visit Biscotto Grotto and Nocella hamlet to  experience a marvellous stroll in the heart of Monti Lattari in the Amalfi Coast.

For information info@associazionegea.com Tel + 39 898122004 / +39 3286157969