In Conjunction With : Presents: Northern Spain Wine Tour Madrid - Ribera del Duero – Rioja – San Sebastián H: Hotel |B: Breakfast | L: Lunch | D: Dinner |WV: Winery Visit Day 1. September 1st, Friday – Arrive to Madrid Upon arrival, look for a sign board with your name for private transfer at Madrid airport. Hotel check-in. At 7.30PM meet your guide at your hotel and set off to begin with your evening Tapas Tour for dinner. Historical Madrid tapas tour: You will discover hidden spots, in the very heart of Madrid, each of which has something special to offer, be it a typical dish, a specific type of wine or its atmosphere. Visit to four tapas bars where you would have some tapas and wine or other drink. Tour of the area where you will learn about some of Madrid’s most characteristic places. Wine and food enough for dinner. Expected to be finish at 10.30PM Night in Madrid. (H, D) Your hotel for the next 2 nights in Madrid Hotel Villa Real***** Villa Real is an exquisite 5-star luxury hotel located in the heart of Madrid, in the Plaza de las Cortes, in front of the Congress of Deputies and only a few minutes from the Puerta del Sol. An ideal setting for exploring the Madrid and discovering the charming surroundings. Thanks to its long history and quality service, this is considered to be a classic among Madrid’s luxury hotels. Its 115 elegantly decorated rooms, have balconies or terraces with amazing privileged views of the Parque del Retiro, the Botanical Gardens or the Paseo de la Castellana. 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 Day 2. September 2nd, Saturday – Madrid. Enjoy some free time this morning. Explore on your own the famous museums such as the Prado, the Royal Palace or sit in the Plaza Mayor and have a Café Cortado. Or sleep in and catch up after the long flight. Meet your guide at the hotel for 11:30AM for a traditional Spanish cooking class. The class itself has a duration of 3h, The cooking school is located in a market and you will have a guided walk in the market before the class. You will learn interactively to prepare Spain’s flagship dishes, such as paella, and tortilla, and afterwards lunch will take place with the already prepared dishes and paired with different wines. Late afternoon and evening at leisure – suggested time to further explore the museums, fantastic shops and other visits. Night in Madrid. (H, B, lunch cooking class) Day 3. September 3rd, Sunday – Segovia and Ribera del Duero Meet you guide this morning at 10AM in the lobby. Check-out and begin the drive from Madrid to Segovia (~1,5h). En-route, visit to the millenary town of Segovia, declared World Heritage by UNESCO, where you will admire the two thousand year old roman aqueduct (best preserved in the world), the astonishing Alcazar castle, the cathedral and the old quarters. 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 Enjoy lunch in one of the best asadores (restaurant specialized in roasting meat) of Segovia where you can tray the famous tender suckling pig, the traditional dish in Segovia. This will be paired with locals wines that were made to perfectly match the dishes served. Continue from Segovia onward to Riberia to the hotel and hotel check in, expected arrival at 4:30PM. Free time at the hotel to enjoy the renowned pools and SPA. Dinner at leisure or as an option we can arrange for those members of the group intersted to go to Fuente Acena. Night in Ribera. (H, B, L) Your hotel for the next 2 nights in Ribera del Duero Monasterio Santa Maria de Valbuena Hotel & SPA This Hotel and SPA is the newest 5 star hotel in Ribera del Duero. It is located in the Golden mile, in the heart of Ribera del Duero and in one the best preserved Cistercian monastery of the 12th century in Europe. The rooms respect the old cells of the monks. It has a large thermal pool, contrast water circuit, an outside pool and offers extensive spa services. 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 Day 4. September 4th, Monday – Ribera de Duero. Enjoy a wonderful spread for breakfast in this ancient building before meeting your guide at 9.30AM to set off and explore the famous wines of the region. Morning winery visit and tasting at Aalto Winery. This is a modern winery that belongs to two wine people in Ribera, Mariano Garcia, the former winemaker of Vega Sicilia and owner of Mauro and Javier Zacannini, the former head of the regulatory council. State of the art facility built to make only high quality wines. They have 42 hectares of land premium in three sub regions of the Ribera del Duero, two in the province of Valladolid and one in the province of Burgos. Of these, 32 are located on slopes farms replanted with old clones of Tinto Fino. The remaining 10 acres, vineyards over 60 years they acquired in the province of Burgos and the very low yields they obtain 2500 kg / ha. Harvesting is done manually in small boxes.. Continue with a wine tasting in an underground cellar from the 16th century. The cellar is in a premium wine vinoteca specialized in Ribera del Duero wines and has the one of the best collection of Vega Sicilia in Spain. The historical Cellar Don Carlos is an underground cellar from the 16th century located in the center of Aranda de Duero. The owner, Fernando Ortiz, will receive us and present some small producer’s wines including his own, Lara O Wines. He is a somellier and winemaker with a deep passion for old wines. He also enjoys discovering the unknown Ribera wineries focused on small productions and really high quality, that make your eyebrows rise when you taste it. We´ll have a tapas lunch with the wine tasting while he presents insights about his local regions wine and food. Afterwards you’ll head off to for a 4PM visit and tasting at Emilio Moro. 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 Emilio Moro is a family-owned winery making wine for over120 years! The family owns 144 acres of vines in Pesquera de Duero, looking over the Duero River from an elevation of 700 metres. The 3rd generation Moro, Emilio started working in the winery with his father at 14. In the late 80's he had a meeting with his four children and they decided to increase the commercial end of the winery. Emilio planted new vines, grafting the centenarian vines onto the young ones. In 1989 when Bodegas Emilio Moro was finally a reality, they launched their first wine, gaining the status of DO. Nowadays they own 173 acres where they grow their indigenous grapes, Tempranillo and Tinto Fino. As an alternative to the winery visit head to the famous landmark you can see from the vineyard. Go up to the castle of Peñafiel with its amazing views of the Duero Valley and its Plaza del Coso used as a bullfight during the fiestas. Return to your hotel, expected arrival at 6PM. Night in Ribera del Duero. (H, L, 3 WV) Day 5. September 5th, Tuesday – Burgos and Rioja After breakfast, check out and at 9.30AM depart from your hotel. The first visit this morning visit is at Valsotillo Winery. This is a traditional family winery with cellars from the 17th century where the owners show the winery and accompany you during the wine tasting. Ismael Arroyo is better known for the name of his wines Valsotillo. Ismael Arroyo is the founder of the winery, who started the family bodega in 1979 in Sotillo de la Ribera. This small winery is one of the most attractive in the region because it 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 holds an impressive 17th century gallery dug in the mountain, which is currently used as excellent aging cellars. Here the wines are slowly aged at a near constant temperature of 11-12 degrees Celsius with a total absence At 1.00PM there will be a short visit followed by lunch in Portia Winery. This is the new winery belonging to Faustino group, one of the largest in Spain and the makers of the world famous Riojan wines Faustino and Campillo. Designed by Sir Norman Foster, one of the world premier architects, the winery is almost entirely constructed of four materials that are intrinsic to the wine making process: steel, oak, glass and concrete. It is a trefoil design, with each of the three legs housing one part of the winemaking process: grape reception and fermentation in the first, barrel ageing in the second and bottling in the third. This is one of the most impressive modern wineries in the world. Continue to Rioja (~2h20min). Hotel check in, expected arrival at 6.30PM. Night in Rioja. (H, L, 2 WV) Your hotel for the next 4 nights in Rioja Wine and Oils SPA Hotel Villa de Laguardia The four star hotel in Laguardia has been conceived to offer you maximum comfort in your stay in Rioja.