Cellar Tours Newsletter
April 2004

"Vacation Days: These ten sexy honeymoon trips are worth the splurge, even if it means scrimping on the hor d'oerve", writes Rima Suqi. "Try something new, a cook's tour. Couples who prefer a well-designed tasting menu to, say, frozen drinks with little umbrellas might want to consider a culinary-inspired honeymoon in Spain, which jet-setting foodies are calling the new France. Cellar Tours (www.cellartours.com) offers visits to prestigious wineries, private cooking lessons with trend-setting Spanish chefs, and accommodations at small, ultra luxurious properties (castles, country mansions, bed and breakfasts at vineyards). More: www.newyorkmetro.com

Located in Northeastern Spain, about an hour and a half south of Barcelona, lies the highly esteemed region of "Priorat" (which is Catalan, the Spanish spelling is "Priorato"). Priorat is considered by many experts and wine lovers alike to be Spain's most exciting wine region, with certain winemakers such as Alvaro Palacios and Rene Barbier, having managed to archive Cult-Like status. Priorat is also home to some of the most interesting cuisine in the country. What better combination for food and wine lovers, to spend a weekend in the beautiful Catalan countryside, learning how to cook traditional and innovative Spanish and Catalan cuisine. Enjoy a complete hands-on learning experience that introduces you to the foods of Catalonia and the wines of the Priorat region in a relaxed and very comfortable atmosphere with all of the amenities for a luxurious weekend. Cellar Tours is pleased to offer our clients luxurious weekends with Catacurian, a Catalan/American run premium cooking school in the heart of Priorat.
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Barcelona is the beautiful capital of Catalonia, Spain’s most exciting region for cutting edge creative cuisine and classic Mediterranean gastronomy. The area is also home to the famed wine regions of Penedes and Priorat. Cava, Spain’s wonderful traditional method bubbly is produced in DO Cava which is geographically inside the Penedes region, about half an hour south of Barcelona. Barcelona itself is one of the oldest cities in Spain, once a Roman stronghold. In the “Barri Gotic” you can see parts of the old Roman wall that once surrounded the city. The city is a delight for “foodies” as there are more wonderful restaurants and hot new chefs here than seemingly anywhere else in the world right now. Disciples and imitators of Ferran Adrià (Michelin starred chef and owner of El Bulli, Spain’s most famous restaurant) have opened their own “culinary workshops” and restaurants in Barcelona. Our food and wine trips take in the best the city has to offer, highlighting unique and interesting places that offer good value for money.
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By Jennifer Drapisch

Segovia is a tremendously picturesque town in Spain's central Castille region and is a delight for the gourmet traveler. It has one of the largest concentrations of Romanesque churches in all of Europe, most dating back to the 11th century. It is home to the famous Alcazar castle, which was the inspiration for Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle and the place where Queen Isabel gave Columbus financial backing for his trip to discover the Americas. Segovia is bordered by two rivers and is a beautiful city full of narrow cobblestone streets. The inhabitants of the town have a penchant for suckling pig and full-bodied Ribera del Duero wines, which are a treat when enjoyed in the atmospheric, traditional "Asador" restaurants in the old town. There are charming, classically Spanish streets, restaurants, and cafes. Segovia has a rich architectural heritage, full of Gothic, Roman and Romanesque styles
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Founded by Adriano Ramos Pinto in 1880, Casa Ramos Pinto has an illustrious history. The winery was initially used to make wines headed only for South America and Brazil in particular, it soon became known around Europe for its high quality wines. Adriano Ramos was particularly gifted at marketing and started a campaign using his famous Ramos-Pinto posters, which to this day grace wine shops all over the world. Mr. Ramos was himself a young artist quite well-known in the artsy circles of the time in Oporto. He founded the company at the tender age of 21, conquered the Brazilian market and brought his brother in to help him run the company back in 1896.In 1918, Ramos Pinto became a Limited Company and management became comprised of Raúl Ramos Pinto, António Cálem, and Joaquim Allen, who turned out to be a very dynamic team. In 1938, Jose Ramos Pinto Rosas took the helm and came to be called "the Pope of the Douro" due to his dedication to the viticulture of the Douro region, particularly in his ambitious pursuit for solutions to mechanize the area and to improve the quality of the production
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Bilbao is the gateway to Basque country and is also the closest international airport to Spain's revered Rioja wine country (about a one and a half hour drive). Traditionally an industrial, slightly rough and tough city, Bilbao was transformed when Frank Gehry's spectacular, Titanium Guggenheim museum was built. There has subsequently been a creative explosion of art, architecture and gastronomy in Bilbao. The Guggenheim's art collection is contemporary and ultra modern. The 5* Domini Hotel, newly opened, faces the Guggenheim Museum and was designed with a similar architectural philosophy. The Domini is sleek, daring and uniquely elegant. The feel of the Domini is minimalist, with a palette of reds, blacks, grays and creams. The roof top terrace has direct views over the Guggenheim and the river, beautiful at sunset while you are sipping your cocktail. As you walk into reception, you see a 50 foot Atrium whose centerpiece is quite literally, an amazing bag of rocks. Only, this bag is shaped like a snake and is five stories high and original to say the least.

The Domini's 145 rooms (10 of which are superb suites) are very Zen, with space age furniture, extra large beds, and a lot of light. The rooms facing the Guggenheim have unforgettable views. The Domini hotel has 2 restaurants, one called "Splash and Crash" which is a Jetsons-inspired diner style watering hotel. The other "Beltz the Black" is almost painfully trendy with effortlessly handsome staff, a client base of soccer stars, models and actors, and a head chef (Ramon Berriozabal) who is this year's winner of the Spanish Gastronomy Prize. Cellar Tours clients, in fact, ran into David Beckham last month, while the Real Madrid players were in town for the Bilbao match. While we normally recommend wine country hotels in this section, the Domini is so unique and fabulous in our view and is close to wine country, so this month we decided to bring you information on one of our favorite "Designer Hotels".

contact details for hotel:
Gran Hotel Domine Bilbao
Alameda Mazarredo, 61, 48009 Bilbao, Spain
tel: 34 944 253 300
fax: 34 944 253 301
Web: www.hoteles-silken.com
email: booking@hoteles-silken.com

By Jennifer Drapisch

Spanish cheese is very rich in diversity, with many intense aromas and intriguing textures. For centuries cheesemaking has been an artisan craft and tradition. Spain has so many unique microclimate's and quality methods of production that it has created its own Denomination of Origin for its Cheeses! This DO, similar to Spanish wines, gives the customer a guarantee of quality and authenticity. Many cheese styles grace the menus in Spain in main dishes and as Tapas, small snacks enjoyed with drinks in the evening. Manchego, made with 100% ewes milk, is an aged cheese. It can be found semi-cured to cured. It is made primarily in La Mancha. It is one of the most well known of Spain. Manchego is characterized by its shape by its traditional molds. It is shaped in a circle but has zig-zag patterns across the sides of the cheese and a wheat-ear pattern of the top and bottom.
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Tucked away in a tiny wine country hamlet, one hour from Barcelona, Cal Xim is a winelover's dream come true. Santi, the effervescently charming owner has an unbelievable wine cellar, with a varied range that includes top international names such as Grange and Opus One and the best Spanish wines available today, from Vega Sicilia, Pingus, Roda, Clos Mogador to Finca Dofí. Apart from big names, Cal Xim's cellar also contains interesting, more boutique wines such as our favorite sweetie, Albet I Noya's elixir "Dolç Adriá", and small batches of "Garage Wines" from Priorat and Montsant such as Mas Igneus, Clos Martinet and Clos de l'Obac.

So, you've got your wine list covered, now for the food. Santi has the most delicious roast artichokes on the Planet Earth, no kidding. The small stone, villa style restaurant has a huge woodburning stove right in the dining room, where upon your order they will roast your duck, rabbit, lamb and all color and shape of Mediterranean vegetables. A sublime meal at Cal Xim would begin with Santi's great selection of Catalan cheeses, carry on with fresh anchovies from the Cantabrian coast and the house salad (with a lovely almond based sauce), next would come the sweet roast artichokes and the meal would culminate with the roast lamb. To finish off, Santi's Crema Catalan (Catalan version of Crème Bruleé) is to die for. If you are wine tasting in the Penedes, surfing in Sitges, or just looking for a day out from Barcelona, Cal Xim comes highly recommended.

Cal Xim
Plaça Subirats, 5 Sant Pau d'Ordal - 08739 Barcelona
Tel. +34 93 899 30 92
Email: restaurant@calxim.com
Web: http://www.calxim.com