This four-day tour provides a grand introduction to some of the best wines and regional gastronomy of Ribera del Duero and Rioja.
TOUR INCLUDES:
- Private motor coach
- 3 nights accommodation
- 3 breakfasts
- 4 lunches (including wine)
- 1 gourmet dinner (including wine)
- Entrance to 5 -7 wineries (depending on the itinerary) with wine tastings
- Entrance to monuments / museums stated in the itinerary
- Tour guide
Program
Day 1: Madrid – Ribera del Duero
Departure for Ribera del Duero from Madrid at 9:30 a.m.
Your first destination will be one of Ribera del Duero’s top wineries. The winery tour will take you through each phase of the wine making process and includes a discussion of the region’s native grape, Tinta del País or Tempranillo. A private wine tasting will follow the tour.
Next you’ll enjoy a leisurely lunch in a regional restaurant. Your delicious, traditional Castilian meal will be accompanied by fantastic wines.
There are two different options for a splendid afternoon. The first option is to visit the region’s capital town of Peñafiel. Here you’ll tour the impressive Peñafiel Castle, a XIV century castle which looks like an enormous stone ship anchored on the Castilian plateau, and then you’ll peruse the modern wine museum located within the castle’s southern keep. You´ll wander through Peñafiel and stop by the town´s unusual El Coso plaza.
Alternatively, you can continue your exploration of Ribera del Duero wines with another winery visit. Then you’ll tour the tranquil monastery of Santa María de Valbuena. Situated near the banks of the Duero river, this monastery was founded in the XII century and is one of the finest examples of Spanish Cistercian architecture.
In the early evening, you’ll check in to your luxurious hotel. You’ll have a chance to relax and enjoy a glass of wine on your balcony overlooking the Duero or go for a quiet walk along the river.
Dinner will be on your own in the hotel’s excellent restaurant, or you can take a taxi to Peñafiel.
Day 2 Ribera del Duero – Rioja
Breakfast.
Check-out and departure from the hotel at 9:30 a.m.
In the morning, you’ll visit one or two wineries that will further convey the history of Ribera del Duero and the transformation of its superb wines. Each tour will be followed by a private wine tasting. Winery choices will depend on the wineries visited the previous day, and will be varied so that before you leave, you’ll have visited a spectrum of wine making facilities and sampled a range of Ribera del Duero’s world-renowned wines.
Next you’ll set off for the Rioja. On the way, you´ll stop for lunch in the charming hill-top town of Lerma. Here you’ll enjoy a wonderful lunch at Lerma’s magnificent Parador. Noted for its courtyards, the Parador is set in the Ducal Palace which was built in the early XVII century. The Parador’s restaurant offers regional specialties such as suckling lamb, quail, or partridge … dishes that are all perfectly complimented by Ribera’s full-bodied, red wines.
After lunch, you’ll continue on to the Rioja, and arrive in the beautiful, walled village of Laguardia. You’ll check in to a lovely hotel, and then have the rest of the afternoon free to stroll through this delightful village which perfectly preserves its medieval urban plan and noble houses. From the walkway around the village you´ll enjoy breathtaking views of the surrounding vineyards.
Dinner will be on your own in Laguardia or in the hotel´s restaurant.
Day 3: Rioja
Breakfast.
Departure from the hotel at 9:30 a.m.
Today begins your magnificent journey through the Rioja, Spain’s most famous red wine making region. Rich in wine-making history, contemporary Rioja is a fascinating mix of tradition and modernity. You’ll visit two of the region’s top wineries and get acquainted with both “old-style” and “new-style” Rioja wines. Winery visits will be varied to include a traditional winery and a modern winery or one of the region’s gorgeous single estates. Each winery tour will include a private wine tasting.
After the second winery tour, you’ll enjoy a light, picoteo style lunch in the winery which will, of course, be accompanied by the bodegas excellent wines.
The afternoon presents several delightful alternatives. You can enjoy a relaxing afternoon in Laguardia, with more time to wander through this charming village and stop in at a small, traditional winery which boasts an extraordinary subterranean wine cellar.
Or you can go for a leisurely drive through the Rioja’s beautiful countryside, and explore a few of the many scenic villages scattered throughout the area such as Samaniego, San Vicente de la Sonsierra, Briones or Elciego. It is also possible to include an optional visit to the Dinastía Vivanco wine museum located outside of Briones.
Regardless of how you choose to spend the afternoon, dinner in Laguardia will be a sumptuous affair. You’ll dine in an elegantly renovated XVII century manor house whose restaurant is considered to be one of the best in Northern Spain. You´ll enjoy an exquisite meal accompanied by the region’s best wines.
Day 4: Rioja – Madrid
Breakfast.
Check-out and departure from the hotel at 10:00 a.m.
Today you’ll visit one of Rioja’s smallest, yet most outstanding wineries. This enthusiastic winemaker is dedicated to producing small volumes of best-quality wine and achieves this goal by selecting the highest-quality grapes from the oldest vines. You’ll tour the winery and enjoy a private tasting after the tour.
After the winery tour, you’ll start back to Madrid via the beautiful city of Burgos. You’ll have lunch in a restaurant located in the historic quarter, and then tour the magnificent Burgos Cathedral, one of the grandest Gothic cathedrals in all of Europe. The cathedral is famous for its majestic spires and wonderfully ornate portals. The interior of the cathedral boasts many fine works of arts, and contains the tomb of the legendary Spanish hero “El Cid.”
Arrival back in Madrid between 7:30 and 8:00 p.m.
