Custom Spanish Wine Tour September 12Th – September 18Th, 2020
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In conjunction with: Custom Spanish Wine Tour September 12th – September 18th, 2020 Saturday, September 12th – Arrival into Barcelona Upon ariving in Barcelona airport you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel. Founded by the Romans, Barcelona is a beautiful Mediterranean city that offers an impressive number of Gothic, Romanesque, Modernist and contemporary monuments. It is a major economic center and one of Europe's largest Mediterranean ports. Particularly renowned are some architectural works by Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech that have been designated by UNESCO “World Heritage Sites”. Rest and relax after your journey as you settle into your new surroundings or set out to explore the city at your leisure. This evening, we will arrange for you a special welcome dinner in Spanish-style at Fonda España in the center of Barcelona. Set out on a wine and tapas discovery – a lively introduction to this vibrant city and its delicious cuisine. Barcelona has the privilege of being surrounded by some of the most interesting wine regions in Spain and of being part of a long, colorful and exciting culinary tradition. Kick off the trip in true Spanish fashion, away from the crowds and with an amazing and plentiful diversity of wine, as well as Catalan and Spanish tapas and gourmet dishes. Your accommodations for the next 2 nights – Petit Palace Petit Palace Boqueria is a 4-star city center Barcelona hotel in Ciutat Vella, steps from Las Ramblas and Gran Teatre del Liceu. The hotel is next to the Boquería Market in Barcelona perfect for you: discover its incomparable atmosphere. Into The Vineyard – www.IntoTheVineyard.com Email: [email protected] Toll Free: 1 855 848 3899 Suite 200 - 1807 Maritime Mews. Vancouver, Canada, V6H 3W7 2 Sunday, September 13th – Priorat and Barcelona Today, we have two options for the group to enjoy. Option – Priorat Wine Touring This morning, you will be met by your private guide. Set out for a day discovery of the wines of the region. Spend the morning getting to know the incredibly beautiful and rugged Priorat wine region, with it's steep hills covered from top to bottom in craggy vines. We´ll begin with a visit at one of the first and most influential wineries of the modern Priorat renaissance in wine making, Mas Martinet. This also happens to be one for the prettiest vineyards and a fabulous visit. After this wonderful visit, we will head to one of the main villages of the Priorat, Gratallops. This tiny town is at the forefront of wine production in the area. We will head straight to Clos Figueres, a winery, restaurant and inn run by Christopher Cannan and his family. Christopher, who is as talented as her is charming, started his wine making operation in collaboration with Rene Barbier, one of the regions most famous wine makers. Their wines are produced from old vines, without watering the vines and without using insecticides or any other synthetic products. Into The Vineyard – www.IntoTheVineyard.com Email: [email protected] Toll Free: 1 855 848 3899 Suite 200 - 1807 Maritime Mews. Vancouver, Canada, V6H 3W7 3 While there, you'll enjoy a fantastic, traditional lunch in the charming winery. Each dish will be paired with one of their wines, getting to taste their full range. Following lunch, we will head to the little town of Porrera and meet with Paco Castillo-Serrano of the family-run Clos Dominic winery to tour their beautiful vineyards and taste their fabulous vintages. This old-vine vineyard (with many vines over 100 years old) was purchased by Paco and his wife, Dominic, in 1998 when they began to fulfill their dream of creating their own wines. To this day, they manage and harvest their vineyards with help only from family and friends. Once we finish our visit and tasting with Paco, we will head back towards Barcelona. Time permitting and if of interest, we can visit the ruins of Scala Dei, a medieval monastery, along the way. The prior of Scala Dei ruled as a feudal lord over seven villages in the area, which gave rise to the name of the Priorat wine region. Here, we will also visit a local olive oil producer where we can sample their production. Option – City Tour of Barcelona Cosmopolitan cities, like Barcelona, shine with colorful mosaic-embellished buildings and ancient cathedrals, and sleepy beach towns look like they’ve been pulled from a painting. Spain is blessed with many natural wonders, but the crowning jewel must be the splendid Mediterranean coast. Starting just north of Barcelona and stretching all the way down through Murcia, the Mediterranean region has a different air than the rest of Spain. Into The Vineyard – www.IntoTheVineyard.com Email: [email protected] Toll Free: 1 855 848 3899 Suite 200 - 1807 Maritime Mews. Vancouver, Canada, V6H 3W7 4 The enchanting capital of Spain’s Catalonia region, is known for its art and architecture. This morning, with your guide, you will visit the infamous Sagrada Familia, with its fantastical architecture as designed by the famous Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. Throughout the morning, you’ll also have the opportunity to explore the various neighborhoods of the colorful city from the Gothic quarter to the lively Las Ramblas and Paseo de Gracia. For lunch, your guide will take you to one of our favourite restaurants in the city to enjoy the traditional dish, paella, by the seaside. The rest of the afternoon will be yours to enjoy and explore at your leisure with your new-found knowledge. Dinner at your leisure this evening and overnight at your accommodations. Monday, September 14th – Barcelona to La Rioja Today, after checking out, your private driver will bring you to the station to board your train headed towards Logroño. The ride is ~4.5 hrs. Logroño is a city rich in history and traditions which have been preserved since the Middle Ages. The Pilgrim's Route to Santiago de Compostela made this one of the most important towns on the route, leaving an interesting monumental legacy closely linked to the traditional passing of the pilgrims. Into The Vineyard – www.IntoTheVineyard.com Email: [email protected] Toll Free: 1 855 848 3899 Suite 200 - 1807 Maritime Mews. Vancouver, Canada, V6H 3W7 5 Arriving into the city, you will be met by your guide as we set out for a tapas tour to enjoy lunch today. After your delightful lunch experience, depart with your guide towards your accommodations in La Rioja. En-route, we will visit a producer such as Artadi for a tasting. The man behind this transformation is Juan Carlos López de Lacalle, a highly respected personality in the world of Spanish wine. His obsession with quality led him to explore the potential of terroir and to vinify separately the old cooperative vineyards based on their soils, aspects and altitudes. The winery owns 85 hectares of vineyards entirely devoted to Tempranillo for the reds. Your guide will bring you to your accommodations for check in at the conclusion of the day. Enjoy dinner at your leisure this evening and overnight at your accommodations. Your accommodations for the next 2 nights – Palacio Tondón The Ebro river becomes tortuous as it runs through Briñas, a little gem located in La Rioja which dates back to the Roman period. Narrow streets dotted with stately homes, including this 16th century palace with views of the Tondón vineyards, from which it takes its name. Palacio Tondón is a unique architectural complex surrounded by vineyards and mountains where tradition and history are combined with innovation and sustainability. Into The Vineyard – www.IntoTheVineyard.com Email: [email protected] Toll Free: 1 855 848 3899 Suite 200 - 1807 Maritime Mews. Vancouver, Canada, V6H 3W7 6 Tuesday, September 15th – La Rioja Wine Touring Today you will be met by your guide who will take you to visit two Rioja wineries for tours and tastings. Some of the wineries we will consider today include: Valenciso Winery - A small family winery making only reserve wines. After fifteen years of shared work in a prestigious and centenarian cellar of Rioja with strong international presence. Tempranillo grapes from old vineyards with low yields, new barriques - predominantly French oak - having one third renewed annually, cork "flor" quality - the highest level - and a long savoir faire marked by fondness and dedication only applicable to small cuvées. Bodegas Muga - Located in Haro, Bodegas Muga is not only one of the best wineries in La Rioja, but it’s also one of the very few still making its own barrels, and which keeps in their cemeteries, bottles from the time of their founders. Baigorri Winery – This modern winery sits atop the hillside giving stunning views of the vineyards. Designed by the architect Inaki Azpiazu, Bodegas Baigorri is seven stories deep. The building was designed to blend into the natural environment, as well as to facilitate its unique method of wine- making – using only gravity to move the grapes. Enjoy a traditional Riojan lunch in a winery today. Typical Riojan dishes are potatoes or bean soup with chorizo (paprika sausage), roasted lamb chops where sarmientos (dry grape vine branches) are used to roast the meat giving it a unique and delicious flavor, meat stew cooked with wine, cod with peppers and tomatoes and many more. Into The Vineyard – www.IntoTheVineyard.com Email: [email protected] Toll Free: 1 855 848 3899 Suite 200 - 1807 Maritime Mews. Vancouver, Canada, V6H 3W7 7 After lunch visit the Wine Culture Museum Dinastia Vivanco in Briones. The museum is situated in the heart of the vineyards adjacent to the Bodega in Briones, a unique and historic location in the Rioja Alta, on the outskirts of Sierra Cantabria.