Page Text Content
The Great Wines of Northern Spain
Monday 13 - Monday 20 October
Classic Wine Journeys
This great tour in a sweep out of Madrid, takes in most of the great regions of Northern Spain: Rioja Alta and Alavesa, Ribera del Duero, Rueda,Toro, Navarra and Catalyud. We arrive into Madrid airport and head north to the region of Old Castille. Here we stay in the Parador of Tordesillas. We visit Ribera del Duero emerging as Spains super-premium red region, and Rueda, famed for producing some of the best white wine in Spain from the local Verdejo variety. We visit Farina in Toro and continue to Dehesa la Granja, which belongs to Alejandro Fernandez from Ribera del Duero, and over lunch we will taste wines from his four estates including the famous Pesquera. Moving east, we call in Ribera del Duero for lunch before arriving in Burgos where we have time to explore. Burgos was once the capital of the Kingdom of Castille and its cathedral, burial place of the kings of Castille and the Spanish hero el Cid, is a piece of gothic magni½cence. Our journey then takes us through some dramatic scenery
until we arrive in Rioja. Our ½rst visit is an invitation to dinner at the hospitable Marques de Caceres, pioneers of the new style Rioja. Our next visit, the excellent Muga, are traditionalists with a twist. As an example a few years ago they bought a new traditional basket press, one that was computer controlled! A particularly good meal will be our lunch at Remelluri, the leading Riojan estate whose elegant wines virtually de½ne the Rioja Alavesa style. The wines of Rioja perfectly match the local succulent oven roasted lamb, stuffed peppers and thick soups. We continue to the south of the region where we taste stunning wines at Baron de Ley. Our hotel in Rioja is a 4* in a converted convent with a central cloistered courtyard. We cross the border into neighbouring Navarra and at Julian Chivite we have a great lunch and a tasting from the traditional thunderous Reservas to more modern elegant wines from their new vineyards. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot have been planted for a long time and unlike Rioja where they have been persecuted as French interlopers, Navarra, once part of the kingdom of Navarre that straddled the present FrancoSpanish border, takes a relaxed, forward thinking attitude.
Our next visits are the rising star Pagos de Araiz and the art deco cellars of Gulbenzu, where over a traditional lunch we sample their great wines including the award winning Evo. We head west towards Madrid, where we explore the wines of the relatively unknown but de½nitely rising star region of Cataluyd. Our last night is at the spectacular hilltop Parador de Siguenza, a castle that dates back to the re-conquest. We enjoy time in Madrid before our return ¾ight. The Wine Guide is Tim Clarke .
Outline Itinerary
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Flight BA2464 Gatwick 09.00 / Madrid 12.25. PM tasting Rueda. Dinner. 4* Parador Visit Toro & lunch nearby. Lunch. Ribera. Freetime in Burgos. Dinner at a Bodega in Rioja. 4* Haro. Visit & lunch in Rioja Visit Rioja, lunch Navarra. 4* in Tudela Visits & lunch in Navarra. Visit & lunch Catalyud. 4* Parador Return ¾ight Madrid 18.55 / Gatwick 20.10.
Includes
Direct scheduled ¾ights, coach, 3 nights Paradors, 4 nights 4* hotels, 8 meals with wines, visits & tastings. Wine Guide & Tour Manager.
Travel Price £ pp Sole occupancy Deposit £ pp Room Upgrade
Flight
Pena½el
1575
325
250
Request
35
|
inbro