Northern Spain Food & Wine Tour

A wonderful traditional Spanish lunch will be organized for you in an atmospheric winemaker’s “Mesón” Try “Alubias rojas de Ibeas” (red beans), Bacalao gratinado con pimientos secos (cod gratin with peppers) and the mythical local roast lamb (slow cooked in historic wood ovens). After lunch, head to your luxury spa hotel, located in a converted monastery. But first, enjoy a stop in the pretty town of Lerma for a coffee/vino and a short stroll. We suggest the beautiful Parador palace right in the Plaza Mayor, an atmospheric spot to enjoy a glass of wine. Early evening arrival to your hotel and some free time to enjoy a relaxing spa circuit.

Welcome to Spain!

After a morning of wine tasting and strolling through the vines, you will be well ready for some lunch. We will have a special lunch organized for you at a convivial little eatery in a converted ancient mill on the river. This restaurant is revered for its stylish reinterpretations of classics, like suckling roast pig with baked apples, duck foie jazzed up with mango chutney and comforting chocolate and caramel soufflé- paired with local Ribera del Duero wines from estates like Mauro, Aalto.

After lunch, you will visit the medieval hamlet of Peñafiel and enjoy a drive up to the Crusader castle to take in the views over the vast arid plains of the Ribera, take some photos or perhaps peek into the provincial wine museum. Then settle back into your luxury spa resort and enjoy the facilities and terrific onsite dining.

Your second wine tour this morning contrasts with the first, at Bodegas Roda. Roda is quite possibly our favorite winery in Rioja, making modern style wines with less oak and more fruit forward. You will tour their stylish cellar and see the beautiful barrel cellars, before enjoying a private tasting of all their wines- Roda I, Roda II and Cirsion. At this estate, you can also taste their olive oils, made in Catalonia (the owners are Catalans, not local Riojanos). Lunch is next in a pretty converted monastery. Traditional fare is served with innovative presentation and the restaurant is overseen by a Michelin starred chef. You will have a top-tier Rioja wine at lunch today like Torre, Muga or Artadi’s Viña El Pisón.

After lunch, transfer to Laguardia, your base for your stay in Rioja. Check into your adorable little inn, right in the heart of the pedestrianized, medieval hamlet and the rest of the late afternoon is yours to explore this walled village. Don’t miss the two outstanding churches (Iglesia de San Juan Bautista and Iglesia de Santa Maria de Los Reyes), they are gorgeous! Take a walk along the Paseo del Collado, following the ancient wall, and admire the views below in the surrounding valley.

Carry on to the outstanding Torre de Oña estate, this idyllic bodega is a sister winery to the renowned Rioja Alta and apart from their sensational wines, it is utterly beautiful. Your tour will include a wander through the immaculate vineyards and stunning cellar, ending in their delightful dining room for a tasting lunch of tapas and their highly acclaimed wines. After lunch drive to the Marques de Riscal winery to see the impressive hotel designed by Frank Gehry and enjoy a coffee or digestif at the bar. The rest of the afternoon and evening is yours, with your driver available if you’d like to go sightseeing.

Next up is lunch and another great tour and tasting at Señorío de Arínzano, a chateau concept (Pago) estate with and a cutting-edge bodega designed by Spanish architect Rafael Moneo and a beautiful property where vineyards have been planted since the 11th century. This is VIP and a very enjoyable visit. Their oak-aged Chardonnay is delicious!

After lunch, one of Spain’s most picture-perfect castles is next in medieval Olite. Fairly off the beaten tourist track, Olite is extremely cute and also one of the major centers of wine production in Navarra (Ochoa is here, for one) and you can pop into the small little wine museum. Enjoy the walk up to the castle on the narrow, cobblestoned streets. Your driver guide will walk you to the 13th-century castle which you can then discover on your own. You can climb turrets and cruise the ramparts, you might very well feel like “Rapunzel”! Bring the camera today.

Then it is just over an hour back to Laguardia. There are a multitude of wine bars, bistros and recommended restaurants just steps from your hotel.

Hondarribia is just next to the French border and is one of the sweetest villages in Spain with a very appealing old town overlooking the River Bidasoa and protected from invading French forces in the past by its 15th-century walls. Go for a wander and take in the lovely views.

Lunch then is a treat at a Michelin starred Basque restaurant in the fishing port of Getaria, Elkano, specialized in ultra-fresh seafood (most of which is grilled outside). This is a highlight! After lunch, visit this beautiful little port town on your own or with your driver guide. See the sinking church, the colorful boats and follow in the footsteps of Juan Sebastián Elcano, the Spanish explorer from here who completed the first circumnavigation of the world (on the Magellan expedition). If you like fashion, there is a museum dedicated to another famous local, Balenciaga.

In the late afternoon, your driver will drop you off at your luxurious hotel in beautiful San Sebastian. The night is yours to explore on your own. If you want something upscale tonight try the Mirador de Ulia with its sea views, and for something fun, you could go for tapas and pintxos in the old town.

Lunch today is a very special affair, then in gorgeous St Jean de Luz at a smashing venue overlooking the sea, serving refined French cuisine. After lunch explore the captivating village with its fabulous boutiques, port, and beach. We suggest you enjoy a coffee or digestif in the Place Saint Louis. Return to San Sebastian in the early evening and the night is yours at leisure. You are spoiled for choice for restaurants in San Sebastian with top references including Akelarre, Kokotxa, and Zuberoa.

Your next stop is lunch at the fabulous Etxebarri restaurant, located in a beautiful farmhouse in the Basque hills in the two horse hamlet of Axpe. This unassuming looking restaurant and friendly chef have come on the radar for globetrotting foodies and you are likely to run into other diners from Paris to New York here. The Michelin starred chef Bitor Arguinzoniz is Spain’s “master griller” and you will taste a number of vegetable, seafood and meat dishes grilled to absolute perfection. The chef will create the tasting menu for you on the spot, based on the foods you like and you will have some wonderful wines arranged for you from appellations that might include Valdeorras, Rias Baixas, Bierzo, Priorat…. This is a fantastic place to have your last meal on this gourmet tour!

After lunch, you will drive to Bilbao, where you will stay your last night before the flight home tomorrow. The late afternoon is yours to visit the Frank Gehry designed Guggenheim museum and the old town. Check into your hotel just across the street from the Guggenheim and settle in.