Luxury Spanish Odyssey Wine Tour

Luxury Spanish Odyssey Wine Tour Overview:

Highlights:

View images of a Spanish Wine Odyssey

For serious wine lovers who want to visit the best wine regions in Spain as well as enjoy professional and technical wine tastings (vertical tastings, mythical wines, etc), this Spanish wine tour is for you. The wine tour is designed for groups and is perfect for wine clubs, and retailer/importer groups, sommelier groups, as well as for Spanish wine enthusiasts. There is an emphasis on Luxury and fine dining here as well, so it is for wine lovers who want to visit the wine roads of Spain in style. Spanish wine appellations on the tour include Ribera del Duero, La Rioja, Txacoli, Somontano, Penedes and avante garde Priorat - a spectacular wine experience!

The wine vacation begins in Madrid, where your group will spend a few days soaking up the charming atmosphere, some superb dining and a professional wine tasting at Madrid's best wine shop. The tasting will include such famed wines as Alvaro Palacios L'Ermita and Vega Sicilia, along with some outstanding wines from the regions of Toro, Rueda and Rias Baixas. From pretty Madrid, our wine pilgrimage will take us north to the castle filled region of Ribera del Duero (home to full bodied reds made with the Tinta del Pais, "Tempranillo" grape), La Rioja (land of hill top villages and ancient cellars) and Txacoli (an artisan wine made on the seaside in Basque country).

From the beautiful, lush Basque coast (where we will be staying in one of Spain's loveliest cities- San Sebastian), we will drive through the foothills of the dramatic Pyrenees mountains, passing Romanesque villages, lakes and wonderful scenery, to the wine region of Somontano. There, we will visit one of the most unusually designed bodegas in Spain, resembling a Mayan Temple inside. And finally, the last few days of this unforgettable wine tour will be relished in Barcelona and the top regions of Penedes and Priorat. In Barcelona, we'll stay in a converted palace, now a luxury hotel, and apart from wine tasting we will take in sightseeing of this gorgeous city. This is an unbeatable route for Spanish wine lovers!

Arrive Madrid, transfer by luxury vehicle from the airport to your centrally located luxury hotel, a gorgeous converted palace dating back to the 1800's which faces the lovely Retiro Park.

Free afternoon in Madrid to catch up on your sleep, go shopping, have lunch, etc.

Your tour concludes with a welcome 3 course Gala Dinner at a cozy 17th century restaurant, great fun, with Cava Aperitif, red & White Wine and Spanish Digestives

Welcome 3 course Gala Dinner at 17th century restaurant, great fun, with Cava Aperitif, red & White Wine and Spanish Digestives

Overnight:

5* elegant Historic Palace Hotel

Welcome Aperitif, Gourmet Dinner with wines

Meals Included in Price:

Champagne Aperitif (Cava), Dinner (with wine and Spanish digestives)

Transfers:

Madrid Airport- Downtown Madrid

Full Breakfast at Hotel in pretty room overlooking Opera House

Free day on your own to enjoy the Prado Museum (classic painters such as Velazquez, Goya, El Greco Tiziano, Zurbaran, Murrillo, etc) and the Reina Sofia (Modern painters such as Picasso, Dali and Miro), etc.

Evening: Spectacular Wine Tasting of Spain's mythical wines to include: Vega Sicilia, Alvaro Palacio's L'Ermita, Mauro, and 4 other monumental wines from Priorat, Toro, Rueda and Rias Baixas, to take place at Madrid's top wine merchants.

Tonight's dinner is at Madrid's gourmet haunt -Viridiana. Enjoy a nine course feat with wine matching at Abraham Garcia's mythical restaurant.

Overnight:

5* Palace Hotel, Downtown Madrid

Meals Included in Price:

Full breakfast, Spectacular Wine Tasting, Gourmet dinner with wine

Transfers:

None

Full breakfast at your luxury hotel. Today you will drive north across the plains to the Ribera del Duero wine region. Once there you will enjoy a VIP visit to Abadia Retuerta, a top end cellar that boasts a stunning 12th century Romanesque monastery and was recently voted the best red wine in the world! You will be escorted on a private visit of their impressive monastery, the former home of wine producing monks, and the vast vineyards. The visit will conclude with a wonderful wine tasting.

Afterwards you will travel north to Burgos, the birthplace of the legendary Spanish folk hero El Cid, in the 11th century.

Lunch will be a rustic affair in a charming historic restaurant with wood burning ovens. After a delicious lunch, you’ll visit Burgos and its magnificent 13th century Gothic Cathedral.

Afterwards check –in to your beautiful hotel in Burgos which is a stunningly converted monastery, Enjoy a free evening on your own to explore this historic little gem.

Overnight:

4* Wine Luxurious Historic Hotel

Meals Included in Price:

Full breakfast, Lunch with wine

Transfers:

Madrid - Sardon del Duero - Burgos

Full Breakfast at your luxurious Hotel

From Burgos, travel to the beautiful wine region of La Rioja. Your first stop is in medieval Briones where you´ll enjoy a private visit to the outstanding winery, Miguel Merino. Miguel is one of the most charismatic wine personalities in Spain and a visit to his winery is a special treat, and you will taste his superb wines. Follow a visit here with a peek around this darling medieval hilltopped town including their gorgeous cathedral with its Italian organ and ancient monk's music scores.

Lunch is in a converted wine cave where you will love the traditional Riojan cuisine such as baby lamb chops, spicy roast piquillo peppers and smoked Idiazabal cheese. Top Rioja wines such as Roda will accompany your lunch.

After a convivial wine lunch, you’ll transfer to the enchanting medieval village of Laguardia, where you will overnight. Free evening to discover this village on your own. Don´t miss a walk along the ancient wall with views of the Cantabrian Mountains and of the valley blanketed by vineyards.

Overnight:

4* Wine Hotel in La Rioja

Meals Included in Price:

Full breakfast, Lunch with wine

Transfers:

Burgos - Briones - Laguardia

Full buffet breakfast in the wine hotel

Today you will explore La Rioja even deeper and will enjoy some walks in the vineyards where you can appreciate the soil types and have a closer look at the grapes. You will begin with a visit to the hacienda style single estate of Finca Valpiedra, where you´ll begin with an overview of the region while enjoying views over the Ebro River. A visit to their pretty cellar and a full tasting of the Martinez Bujanda wines will follow.

Carry on to the ultra fashionable Remirez de Ganuza winery located in the medieval village of Samaniego where you will taste some of the bets wines on this tour!

Lunch is nearby at a gourmet haunt located in the dramatically fortified historic village of San Vicente de la Sonsierra.The cuisine here is creative and provides a nice contrast to yesterday´s traditional lunch. In the late afternoon, transfer back to Laguardia.

Dinner on your own in the atmospheric medieval village, where a multitude of gourmet restaurants abound.

Overnight:

4* Wine Hotel, La Rioja

Meals Included in Price:

Full breakfast, Gourmet Tasting Lunch with wine

Transfers:

Laguardia- Fuenmayor - Samaniego - San Vicente de la Sonsierra - Laguardia

Full Breakfast at Wine Hotel

Transfer Laguardia-Zarrautx (Basque Country) for a delightful visit to small, family owned beautiful winery in Txacoli wine country.

Lunch is in Getaria, at the most famous seafood restaurant on the Basque coast. The village is a lovely, historic fishing village with the freshest seafood in Northern Spain, grilled outside. This will be one of the highlights of the tour!

After lunch, we’ll head to the delicious village of Hondarribia, located on the French border. This village is one of the most picturesque in Spain and you’ll visit the old town and the photogenic port. In the late afternoon, transfer to San Sebastian, Spain’s gourmet capital.

Check in to your absolutely gorgeous luxury hotel. Afternoon and evening free (There is a Spa close at the hotel, and you are right on the beach close to many restaurants, bars and nightlife)

Dinner on your own at any of the multitude of “Tapas ” and “Pintxos ” bars or Michelin starred restaurants in San Sebastian.

Overnight:

5* Luxury Belle Époque hotel

Meals Included in Price:

Full breakfast, Seafood Lunch with wine

Transfers:

La Rioja- Getaria- San Sebastian

Full Breakfast at lovely seaside Hotel

Free day in San Sebastian to enjoy the spa, the fascinating Aquarium or the beach. This is a good mid tour break for you to rest and catch up on your sleep, perhaps do some shopping or just enjoy a leisurely lunch on your own.

Tonight you will enjoy an unforgettable gourmet Dinner at 3 Michelin Starred

Akelarre, which apart from amazing cuisine also offers dramatic views over the Atlantic ocean. Pedro Subijana is the celebrity chef and you’ll meet him tonight. Your tasting menu is six courses and paired with some of the best wines in Spain.

Overnight:

5* Luxury Belle Époque hotel

Meals Included in Price:

Full breakfast, Gala Dinner with Wine at Akelarre (Michelin starred)

Transfers:

Dinner Transfers

Early Breakfast at Hotel

Transfer San Sebastian-Jaca (scenic route). Jaca is a midway point between San Sebastian and Somontano, and is one of the prettiest villages on the way there. We will stop at a café in historic Jaca for a coffee and stretch

Arrive to Somontano for your winery visit to Enate. The winery is amazing, modern, totally different. The wine labels are commissioned by famed Spanish artists, and boasts a wonderful art gallery and Mayan temple style cellars. Lunch will be in the cellars at the winery with top wines, of course!.

Evening arrival to Barcelona. Our hotel is a luxury palace right in the Beverely Hills of Barcelona, the Eixample. You will be located in the most glamorous neighborhood of Barcelona near most of the best Gaudi architecture and dinner will be on your own to enjoy at any of the nearby charming eateries such as the wonderful Jean Luc Figueres.

Overnight:

5* Palace Hotel, Barcelona

Meals Included in Price:

Full breakfast, Lunch with wine

Transfers:

San Sebastian- Jaca- Barbastro- Barcelona

Full Breakfast

Morning on your own to enjoy Barcelona.

At noon we will be collected at the hotel by our luxury vehicle and expert local guide and enjoy a tour of Barcelona followed by a gourmet tapas lunch.

We will begin at the Parc Guell, an enormous park landscaped by Gaudi with many of his mosaiqued architectural masterpieces in the park. Follow on to the Port and up into Montjuic to enjoy views over Barcelona. Lunch is a fantastic tapas and wine lunch in the medieval Borne quarter. After lunch, enjoy the rest of the day and evening on your own.

Overnight:

5* Palace Hotel, Barcelona

Meals Included in Price:

Full breakfast, Lunch with wine

Transfers:

Walking and Driving Tour of Barcelona

Full breakfast at your ultra luxurious hotel

You will visit the Mediterranean wine region of Penedés today. The passionate wine family at Parés Baltà will be expecting us and we will take in a priveledged vineyard tour followed by a tasting of their best cavas, and still whites and reds including their cult wine Absis. This is an unforgettable experience.

Lunch will be at a gourmet eatery in the seaside village of Sitges, and you´ll get to do some sightseeing after lunch.

Late afternoon transfer to Barcelona and free evening.

Overnight:

5* Palace Hotel, Barcelona

Meals Included in Price:

Full breakfast, Gastronomic Lunch paired with wines

Transfers:

Barcelona - Pacs del Penedes - Sitges - Barcelona

Full breakfast at your luxury hotel

This morning, we will travel to the last wine region of this tour, Priorat!

Located in the absolutely beautiful protected park of Montsant, this region is different to any of the other regions you have seen. The vineyards are grown on terraces reminiscent of the Douro Valley and the soil is called “Llicorella” a crumbly slate. You will visit the fine wine estate of Costers del Siurana run by the energetic and charming Carles Pastrana. An entertaining visit of the winery will be followed by a spectacular tasting of the best wines including Clos de l´Obac and red dessert wine Dolç de l´Obac.

A simply fabulous gourmet lunch will follow in the hamlet of Falset, run by the bubbly Antoni Bru. You might run into Swiss, Italian or American Foodies here, so famous is this hole in the wall eatery.

After a tasting menu, you´ll transfer back to Barcelona (about a 2 hour drive) and enjoy the last evening on your own. A farewell gift will be waiting for you in your room.

Overnight:

5* Palace Hotel, Barcelona

Meals Included in Price:

Full breakfast, Gourmet Lunch with wine

Transfers:

Barcelona- Gratallops- Falset- Barcelona

Full breakfast at your luxury hotel

Transfers to airport or your next port of call in Barcelona.

This concludes your unforgettable Spanish Wine Odyssey tour!

End of service.

Overnight:

none

Meals Included in Price:

Full breakfast

Transfers:

Barcelona- Airports

What's Included:

What's Not Included:

Prices:

This is a SAMPLE TOUR ITINERARY. Please note that our chauffeured luxury tours have the following starting prices:

More Information on this Luxury Wine Tour in Spain:

If you are interested in this Luxury Spanish Wine Vacation, contact us today for more information and specific pricing (which depends on group size and specific requirements). All tours are available year round upon request for your private group of minimum 2 people. If you would like us to customize a luxury gourmet tour for you, contact us with your requirements, and we can send you a free itinerary and quote with no obligations. We organize cooking packages and wine tours from 1 day, to weekends to longer food and wine discoveries throughout Spain, Portugal & Italy.

Email us at: info@cellartours.com