Tapas y Vino – A Spanish Indulgence
From Spain’s vibrant capital Madrid to the vinelands of Rioja. Add a medieval village in the mountains and forests of Galicia. We invite you to join us as we explore gourmet Spain beyond paella and sangria. Salud!
Stepping off the tourist trail and away from the clichés, this is a relaxed journey into the Spanish social life of wine and tapas. We start and finish our journey in the city that never sleeps; Madrid, enjoying ornate cafés, elegant restaurants and food markets. In the vinelands of the famous Ribeira del Duero we base ourselves in Valladolid whilst visiting the wine museum in the castle of Peñafiel and an iconic winery. We head to Galicia, a rugged and mountainous land both beautiful and wild. Gallegos eat all sorts of weird and wonderful seafood such as percebes (gooseneck barnacles) and navajas (razor clams). Try empenadas cocido and churros, a donut like batter, deep fried, sprinkled with sugar and served with hot chocolate. Wow!
A stay in the medieval village of Allariz, in the heart of Galicia, allows us to immerse ourselves in local life and to make new friends as we enjoy drinks in the village square, a walk in the woods hunting for mushrooms and a fun cooking experience.
Take the best of Spanish food and wine, add a dash of culture and season with natural beauty. We are here to enjoy the best Spanish gourmet experience on offer, anywhere… Salud!
| 12 Day Itinerary | ||
| Departure: | 30th October 2024 | (Wednesday to Sunday) |
|---|---|---|
| Price: | AUD$2890 | |
| Inclusions and Exclusions | ||
***THIS TOUR CAN BE EASILY COMBINED WITH OUR TASTES OF TUSCANY – AN ITALIAN INDULGENCE TOUR*** |
Day 1 - arrive Madrid After a group meeting we will wander out to enjoy our first taste of Spanish food and wine. One of our favourite restaurants is ‘La Barraca’, which dates from 1935 and still run by the same family from Valencia. It is rated as the best in Madrid for paella. Alternatively, there are always bars serving tapas and delightful wines. The streets of Madrid are vibrant, and locals work and play late Day 2 - Madrid We utilise our morning in Madrid, catching the Metro which zips us around conveniently and quickly. We enjoy a walking tour through the heart of Madrid visiting such sites as the Plaza Mayor and then visit the fabled San Miguel food market where Pinkleton, the wine bar, has some of the best wines in Madrid. It is also a great spot for lunch. In the afternoon, you have free time to enjoy Spain’s most famous museum, the Prado Day 3 - Madrid to Valladolid A catch a morning fast train to the city of Valladolid situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers. Today we visit the Mercado Del Val, one of the best indoor markets in Spain and can eat inside at any of the various gastronomic places for lunch. We then enjoy a walk around the historic centre taking in the local streets and plaza. We recommend dinner at La Parrilla de San Lorenzo with its a luxurious museum-like decor and famous for its suckling lamb Day 4 - Valladolid Today we journey out into the vineyards of the Ribera del Duero, one of the most famous of Spanish wine areas. Tempranillo is the main grape here as it is in the Rioja but the soil and climate make it a very different wine. We visit Protos winery for a tour and tasting and the regional wine centre situated in the amazing 15th century castle of Peñafiel. Returning to Valladolid, we head out into Calle de Correos, which is the main tapas street, and in particular El Corcho, which has won many awards Day 5 - Valladolid to Vitoria Gasteiz We travel in the morning to Vitoria Gaitez, which is famous in Spain as its gastronomic capital (even more so than San Sebastian) and its friendly and welcoming residents. In the afternoon, we enjoy a guided walk of the medieval centre. The Old Quarters of Vitoria-Gasteiz declared a Monumental Site in 1997, still preserves its medieval layout intact. It has won multiple awards in recognition of the work done to recover and rehabilitate the Medieval Quarters. In the evening, we head out on our Pincho or Tapas route for a myriad of local tastes Day 6 - Vitoria Gasteiz Today we enjoy a wine and gastronomy extravaganza tour of Vitoria-Gasteiz. We begin in the Plaza de Los Fueros, formerly the city’s market square, and walk through medieval streets, taking time to stop in a variety of shops and bars to taste produce 100% from Araba (the name for the local area). During our stroll we will learn how the Gastronomic Societies came about, why it is a tradition to eat snails on St Prudence’s Day, and where the nicknames of “patateros” and “babazorros” originated. The walk concludes at Plaza de Abastos, the local indoor market where we can enjoy a fine Rioja Alavesa or a delicious Txakoli wine whilst experiencing the local life of the city Day 7 - Vitoria Gasteiz to León A train journey brings us to León and we have time to enjoy a short walking tour through the historic centre to visit the wonderfully impressive Cathedral. The Gaudi designed building, La Casa Botines, is now open for visitors for the first time in 125 years. Have coffee at the old convent of San Marcos which is one of the most famous and stunningly beautiful buildings in Leon. In the evening we enjoy dinner in a lovely and quiet Plaza with a very local feel Day 8 - León to Monforte de Lemos After a free morning in León we take an early afternoon train to Monforte de Lemos to break up our journey west. We enjoy a fantastic evening visiting the Wine Centre and then taste the ‘Pulpo’ (octopus) which is renowned in this region Day 9 - Monforte de Lemos to Allariz This morning we enjoy a cruise on the Sil river famous for its steep mountainous wine growing hills. We then enjoy a wine tasting and a long a lazy lunch at the Algueira vineyard. In the afternoon we move on to the gorgeous rural village of Allariz with its cobblestone streets, small squares and gardens alongside the river. In the evening we taste the local wines in the garden of an old house in the middle of the historic centre. A lovely location sampling Galician wine with local cheeses, cold meats and bread Day 10 - Allariz We are out for a walk today and plan to take in the local farms and industry. We stop in at ‘Pio’s’ for a tasting of his hams and chorizos, prepared in his traditional smoking house. On to the sheep cheese farm at Rexo also with time for a tasting. Then we spend the rest of the day in the hamlet of Requeixoat at a finca (a small local farm). As it is late in the year the mushroom season should be in full swing and we walk into the local forests with a local expert, searching for the best of them such as cantarellas and porcinis. We then immerse ourselves in a cooking experience as we how to prepare the mushrooms and other fare. In the evening, if we have any room left, we recommend dinner at Pepiños restaurant in the church square Day 11 - Allariz to Madrid This morning we catch a train to Madrid arriving in time to explore more of this wonderfully vibrant city. We meet for a final night dinner at one of our favourite Madrid restaurants Day 12 - Madrid - Departure Day depart Madrid |  |
Trip Options
| Single Travellers: | Inquire | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Extra Accommodation: | Single AUD$120 | Details |
| Double AUD$150 |
***THIS TOUR CAN BE EASILY COMBINED WITH OUR TASTES OF TUSCANY – AN ITALIAN INDULGENCE TOUR***
Local Payment
Your Local Payment is collected by your group leader in cash at your group meeting on Day 1 of the trip and is part of your tour price. The money is spent locally on your tour.
Extra Accommodation
Pre and post trip accommodation is offered on most journeys pending availability. Please indicate in your enquiry if you require any rooms before or after your tour and the amount of nights requested.
For tours where the start and finish points are different w can assist you with your arrangements in both locations.
Single Traveller
Global Drift encourages interactive experiences for all of our travellers. As such we presume that you will be happy to share accommodation with a same sex person should you be travelling alone.
However, for those that would prefer a single room for the tour we do offer a single supplement. This also applies to single travellers who we are not able to match up.
It must be stated however that on many of our tours we stay in small family owned guesthouse accommodation. In certain instances with full groups the passenger combinations may not always allow you to enjoy a single room. Please keep this in mind when booking your single supplement. We will however, always do our best to accommodate you.
Please make your request for this service a minimum of 3 months prior to your journey.
The quoted extra payment is for the entire trip.
Single Travellers
Global Drift encourages interactive experiences for all of our travellers. As such we presume that you will be happy to share accommodation with a same sex person should you be travelling alone.
Due to the exploratory nature of this journey no single supplement is offered.
Airport Arrival Transfer
Global Drift offers an optional arrival transfer to your hotel at the quoted fee.
In your trip dossier you will receive directions on how to make your way to your starting point hotel. It is quite easy and possibly cheaper than we are able to offer it.
Should you require this service please advise us at the time of your booking.