Luxury La Rioja Wine Tour Weekend

La Rioja Luxury Wine Tour Tour Weekend Overview:

Highlights:

View images of La Rioja & Basqueland

Looking for a wine tasting weekend in La Rioja Spain, or just a few days visiting wineries as part of a larger wine tour of Spain? We offer Luxury Wine Weekends, starting and finishing in the cutting edge Basque city of Bilbao. The weekend focuses on La Rioja wine and Basque cuisine, and also takes in top art museums and fairy tale castles. You'll sleep in a medieval hilltop village in a vineyard-covered valley, with the dramatic backdrop of the silvery Cantabrian Mountains for 2 nights. Your last night is also a treat, and your hotel is located right on the half moon bay of lovely San Sebastian. In San Sebastian, you'll enjoy the famed "Tapas" and "Pintxos" of the charming old town, and above all the gorgeous coastline. If you love fine wine and dining, architecture and art, then this weekend is for you!

- Arrive to Bilbao airport, a beautiful, white geometric structure designed by famous Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.

- You will be collected by luxury Mercedes/ Coach and your bilingual wine guide who will first take you to the spectacular Guggenheim museum, a giant titanium ripple of undulating waves, designed to resemble a fish. After a visit to the amazing museum, you'll enjoy a walking tour to the old town from the Guggenheim. Enroute, you'll see the Santiago Calatrava bridge, winner of many architecture prizes, the Norman Foster designed Metro entrances (very futuristic) and the lovely Belle Époque town hall. Lunch today will be a treat, at a charming mother-daughter run restaurant serving the best seafood in Bilbao.

- After lunch, you'll enjoy a visit to the village of Olite, one of the prettiest villages in Spain. It has a 14th century castle, which you can enter, even climb up the Rapunzel-like turrets. You'll have a digestif or coffee in Olite, before continuing on to your destination for the night, a medieval village in wine country. Dinner on your own to enjoy.

Overnight:

4* Wine Hotel, La Rioja

Meals Included in Price:

Lunch with wine

Transfers:

Bilbao airport- downtown Bilbao- Olite (Navarre)- Laguardia (la Rioja)

- Full buffet breakfast (excellent here) at your wine hotel

- Today is a wine tasting extravaganza! Your first visit is to a new-wave winery designed, yet again, by Santiago Calatrava, with an unbelievable giant wave of a roof and a beautiful tasting room overlooking Laguardia. After a short visit (the winery is tiny) you'll travel through the narrow vine covered roads to the village of Fuenmayor, where you will visit a colonial style Finca, single vineyard estate. Finca Valpiedra is one of the most prestigious in Spain. A vineyard walk and chat overlooking the Ebro River will proceed a full tasting of the wines served with "Tapas" snacks.

- After Valpiedra, your last stop will be to Marques de Riscal, one of the most prestigious wineries in Spain. You'll receive a private tour of the ancient caves and old bottle caves, as well as a VIP tasting where you will even receive wine gifts. Afternoon free to relax or take a siesta!

- Tonight's dinner is supremely special, in an old castle with a pre-dinner cocktail in the turret at sunset, unforgettable!

Overnight:

4* Wine Hotel, La Rioja

Meals Included in Price:

Full breakfast, tapas style lunch, Gourmet dinner with wine

Transfers:

Rioja wine country

- Full buffet breakfast (excellent here) at your wine hotel

- After a day of wine tasting, today you will relax! From La Rioja, you'll travel north into the green, misty Basque lands, to the aristocratic town of San Sebastian. In San Sebastian, your guide will lead you on a fun walking tour of the old town, taking in the beautiful walks along the sea, a visit to the 13th century Santa Maria church, the beautiful town hall (where you can still see bullet holes from the civil war) and an array of classic tapas bars. In each tapas bar, you'll taste a different specialty, paired with Basque cider or Rioja wine.

- After lunch, enjoy free time. There is a spa 5 minutes walk away with thalassotherapy, saunas and even a gigantic Jacuzzi that seats 20 and overlooks the Bay of Biscay.

- Tonight is your farewell dinner, at a charming small restaurant serving haute Basque cuisine, in the old town. Phenomenal.

Overnight:

4* Belle Époque hotel, in a room with sea views, perfect location

Meals Included in Price:

Full breakfast, tapas style lunch, Gourmet dinner with wine

Transfers:

La Rioja- San Sebastian

- Full breakfast at the seaside hotel.

- Depending on your flight times, you can spend free time in San Sebastian or take in a lunch at a nearby cute fishing village, before heading back to Bilbao airport.

- This concludes the Gourmet Wine Tasting Weekend of Bilbao and La Rioja. Salud!

- End of services.

Meals Included in Price:

Full breakfast

Transfers:

San Sebastian- Bilbao airport

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 La Rioja Wine Tour Weekend :

If you are interested in this Luxury Wine Weekend, contact us today for 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