10 NIGHT SPANISH WINE, GOURMET CUISINE AND CULTURAL EXPERIENCE 2025

SMALL GROUP 14-18 GUESTS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10th – SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21ST

  WITH

HOWARD FRIEDMAN – SPANISH WINE IMPORTER

4O YEARS OF WINE EXPERIENCE

 

 

  Join me for a unique and extraordinary 10 - day tour through Spain’s, most fabled countryside beginning San Sebastion, with wine tastings with the producers of at some of Spain’s most extraordinary bodegas.  We will be dining on incomparable regional cuisine in two Michelin restaurants and stopping for a guided tour of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Our journey will draw to a close with time to enjoy the beauty of Madrid at one of the world’s finest hotels.

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  For 12 years, I have been able to capture the most extraordinary experiences, the most incredible winery visits, and the most wonderful dining experiences imaginable, but each time I go, I find that, indeed, one can go home again! Always new things to see, exquisite meals to enjoy, and extraordinary wines to savor with fellow travelers.

  

    During our stay in the Basque Region, we will learn Basque cooking techniques at a Pintxos (tapas) preparation class in San Sebastian, and visit Bodega Katxiña,  a Txakoli winery of very high quality with vineyards along the banks of the river Oria. We will enjoy a multi-course lunch at their grill - named to the list of the Top 50 Grills in the world. We will also travel to Bilbao and enjoy a guided tour of the Guggenheim Museum.

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In Rioja the heart of Spanish red wines and the oldest of the regions of commercial production we will visit Bodegas Muga for a grand tour and tasting including their barrel making facilities.  Here we will see the quality of wine that a very large winery is able to produce.  Next, we will stop at Bodegas Exopto a very small, boutique property with only about 54 acres spread over 30 different plots.  We will be hosted by the winemaker and owner who will explain his use of a multitude of terroirs that make up the Rioja DOCa using sustainable and environmentally friendly viticulture. Our objective is to produce honest and authentic wines with enthusiasm and a return to artisanal vineyard work.

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 Hungry yet!  Our next stop will be lunch at a Michelin starred restaurant, Allegar, in the village of Briones for an extraordinary menu featuring regional dishes and accompanied by Rioja wine at its finest. 

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In Ribera del Duero we will visit two extraordinary properties:

Bodegas Valduero, Gumiel de Mercado – We will begin by experiencing the cellar where their wines are produced and aged.  An underground passage will take us to their finca where a multi course lunch paired with their powerful Ribera del Duero wines including a unique white – Albillo.

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Next our visit in Ribera del duero will continue at Pago de los Capellanes in the village of Pedrosa de Duero. Here, modern architecture and the most exceptional production facilities will preclude our viewing of the barrel aging cellar.  The finest of oak barrels are used for all their wines, including the use of 5 barrels of varying “toasts” for the aging of their youngest wine: Joven/Roble.

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Lunch will follow at the picturesque El Molino de Palacio restaurant in Peñafiel.  Wood-fired ovens will be used to prepare lamb, and fine Rioja will fill our glasses.

Just a short bus ride will then take us to another renowned Ribera del Duero winery: Pago de Carraovejas.  In the shadow of the Crusader Castle which dominates the village, we can visit the vast vineyards and enjoy a wine tasting and tour of their property.

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 On the final leg of our journey, it was sometimes the case that we arrived too early in the day for all of the rooms to be ready for us at our hotel in Madrid. I have added a short stop for lunch in Segovia as we travel south from La Seca in Rueda to preclude that happening.  In this lovely city you will be able to see a 2000-year-old Roman aqueduct that is still in use today. 

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 We will be staying at the spectacular Wellington Hotel in Madrid in the exclusive Salamanca shopping district; close to the Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen Bornemisza museums.  The Madrid Metro, only a few steps away, will take you anywhere in Madrid you wish to go.

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All of the last tours were a fantastic success for many reasons: the quality of the wineries that were visited; the Paradors and 4 & 5 star level of hotel accommodations; the wealth of information that was provided about Spain’s fascinating culture; and the superb cuisine and wine tasting experiences that are included in the tour price; and finally, the smallness of the group and the personal attention given to assuring that each guest was highly pleased with their experience.

 

Merrill - Sun Bird Travel 239-430-2000             Howard Friedman 240-401-9342