8 Day Premium Wine Tour in La Rioja, Spain
Santo Domingo de la Calzada, Spain
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Wine Tasting Tour in Spain
Let Slow Wines guide you through a land of legendary wines in this premium wine experience. This unique tour encompasses numerous winery visits, tastings, and tapas all in exceptional areas. This tour has been designed to cater to discovering the gastronomy of the region ranging from rich wine discovery to original culinary experience, merged with cultural tours and passionate people. Join and get to travel effortlessly in this fabulous introduction to the Rioja region tour, enjoying the best offerings from the Rioja countryside!
Meet the instructors
Helena
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Highlights
- Winery visits
- Taste 3 to 5 wines in each session
- 6 dinners accompanied with Spanish wine
- Visit medieval monasteries to San Millán, Yuso, and Suso
- Visit to wine museum Dinastía Vivanco
- Expert English-speaking local guide
- 7 nights accommodation
- Daily breakfast
Skill level
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Styles
7 days with instruction in English
The organizer also speaks: Spanish
Accommodation
You will be staying in different first-class accommodations as per locations in your itinerary. You will be staying in the towns and villages of Santo Domingo de la Calzada for one night, three nights in Briñas, two nights in Elciego, and one night in Burgos.
Santo Domingo de la Calzada
The hotel in Santo Domingo de la Calzada occupies a former 12-century hospital near the cathedral, erected by St. Dominic to take in pilgrims travelling on the Way of St. James. It has an exquisite, elegant style, with majestic functional rooms, and a lobby filled with gothic arches and wood coffered ceilings.
Briñas
In the village of Briñas, in a seven to the eighth-century atmosphere, you will be accommodated in a lovely little palace, near churches that date as far back as the 16-century. During the Spanish Civil War, it was used as headquarters by the Italian troops. Today, it is a small hotel that maintains the splendor of its aristocratic past.
The harmony of its spaces, decorated with stone, terracotta floors, antiques, pottery, and exceptional works of art signed by Polish artist Jull Dziamski. You can choose between avant-garde or classic rooms. A spa is located in the former winery.
Elciego
In Elciego you have the opportunity to stay in the luxurious boutique hotel, Marqués de Riscal Hotel & Spa, a signature building of Frank Gehry. Every room and every space, from the restaurants to the rooms, contains unique pieces of art. Visit the spa and enjoy a wonderful vinotherapy treatment.
In Elciego, Slow Wines also propose a rural type of accommodation, in a village house next to the winery. Each room has its own characteristics. The accommodation has a lounge with fireplace and a fully equipped kitchen, a dining room, and a spacious balcony with views to the church and the Frank Gehry structure.
Burgos
The outstanding hotel in Burgos was renovated in 2014 and it is situated in the heart of the town. The rooms are comfortable and decorated in a charming classic English style, while still perfectly adapted to modern needs.
Program
In this premium wine tour by Slow Wines, you will have the opportunity to meet prominent and less renowned winemakers, learn about delicate signature wines produced patiently in cellars. Experience the gastronomy of Northern Spain in restaurants, often located in exotic caves or castles and run by the region’s most talented chefs. Spend seven nights in first class hotels, former monasteries, castles or in gastro-hotels.
In this wine tour, expect tasting of selective wines, some little gems, in unsuspected family-run wineries. Connecting with winemakers pushing the boundaries of vinification. Stay in hotels where high quality standards are on par with the renown of the region.
Wine tasting sessions, with interactive presentations in company of the owners. Vine-related art in various places, under the auspices of benefactors or Maecenas. Possibility of participating in vineyard work. Take a delight in spa or wine-therapy treatment. Get to visit of World Heritage sites. Overall, have an travel and receive a culinary gift.
Daily sample itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Madrid, travel to Sepúlveda, Burgos, and Santo Domingo de la Calzada
On the way to Santo Domingo de la Calzada, you make a stop in the historical village of Sepúlveda and in Burgos, where you will visit the Gothic cathedral. Arrive at Santo Domingo in the late afternoon, where you will go directly to your accommodation.
Time of relaxation till dinner in one of the selected restaurants or the Parador. You will be staying in a majestic gothic style boutique hotel in Santo Domingo. Meals included for the day is dinner.
Day 2: Explore Santo Domingo de la Calzada, travel to Haro and Briñas
After breakfast, explore Santo Domingo de la Calzada, a stop not to be missed along the Camino de Santiago. Visit an emblematic winery in Haro. The dinner will be provided in a typical cellar house. Today you will be staying in Briñas. Meals included for the day are breakfast and dinner.
Day 3: Visit wineries around Briñas and dinner in Haro
Today after breakfast, you will get to visit the Bodegas Muga and its vineyards. There you can choose to either have a picnic in the vineyards or lunch in the Muga restaurant on your own. Later in the evening, you will having dinner in a fine dining style in Haro in a typical restaurant with local traditional cuisine.
You will continue with your stay in Brinas. Meals included for the day are breakfast and dinner.
Day 4: Visit to winery in Briones and dinner in Casalarreina
Visit a well-known but family winery in the Rioja town of Briones and also Dinastía Vivanco which is a wine museum in Briones. Today you will have dinner in the town of Casalarreina. You will continue with your stay in Brinas. Meals included for the day are breakfast and dinner.
Day 5: Travel to Elciego and visit winery in Fuenmayor
After breakfast, leave Briones and on way visit a modern winery in Fuenmayor. Today your accommodation and dinner will be at the Marqués de Riscal Hotel & Spa and vanguard architecture Marqués de Riscal winery by Frank Gehry in Elciego. Meals included for the day are breakfast and dinner.
Day 6: Explore San Vicente de la Sonsierra and Laguardia
Visit the old town of San Vicente and discover the secrets of the town of Laguardia and an ancient Bodega. In your free time today, you can opt for a wine therapy experience in Marqués de Riscal spa. Today, you dinner with wine will be had in a setting under the stars. You will continue your stay in Marqués de Riscal Hotel & Spa. Meals included for the day are breakfast and dinner.
Day 7: Travel and explore Nájera, Badarán, San Millán de la Cogolla and Burgos
In Nájera, visit the monasteries of Santa Maria la Real (11-century) and Santa Elena. After which, you will have a winery visit in Badarán. Continue your exploration of medieval monasteries in San Millán, Yuso, and Suso. Today you will be staying in 16-century castle hotel in Burgos. Meals included for the day is breakfast.
Day 8:
Today is your final day. Get ready to leave and transfer to the departure airport.
Included excursions
- Explore the picturesque medieval places of Sepúlveda and Santo Domingo de la Calzada
- Explore Rioja towns of Haro, Briones, Briñas San Vicente de la Sonsierra, Nájera, Laguardia, Elciego, Fuenmayor, Badarán
- Visit the gothic cathedral of Burgos
- Visit the World Heritage Sites of Yuso, Suso, and San Millán de la Cogolla
Instructors
Helena Staels
With a long experience in language tourism and translation, Helena dived into the Slow Wines wine travel project, as a founding partner. Her interest in wine brought her to undertake extra education in Burgundy. Each acre of vineyard leads to a human story or personal experience worth sharing. She has personally visited all of the Slow Wines wineries to design the most enjoyable wine routes, lead private tours and tasting and tasting sessions. She always looks forward to visiting and sharing the next winery or cellar of the Peninsula, as this revives a never ending discovery of Iberian wine.
Location
This tour will take place in La Rioja which is an autonomous region in the northern part of Spain. The places covered in this tour include Santo Domingo de la Calzada, Sepúlveda, Burgos, Briñas, Haro, Briones, Casalarreina, Elciego, Fuenmayor, San Vicente de la Sonsierra, Laguardia, Nájera, Badarán, San Millán de la Cogolla, and Burgos. Please note that this tour starts from Madrid.
La Rioja
In the north of Spain, at the central Ebro valley, about 50 kilometers south of Pamplona, extending to 120 km long and 40 km wide, there is undoubtedly the most famous wine-growing region of Spain: La Rioja. On this broad area, the vineyards of the appellation Rioja on both sides of the river Ebro and reach while a sea level of up to 700 meters.
For several years, La Rioja was the only thing people could associate with Spanish wine. The name is thought to come from the Rio Oja, one of the seven tributaries of the Ebro in this area. The Oja runs near the town of Haro and flows from the south in the Ebro. About a hundred kilometers separate Haro, the westernmost city in the region of origin, and Alfaro at the eastern end, with the main town Logroño as the center of the region. Rioja now produces one of Spain’s flagship red wines.
Food
You will be served buffet-style breakfast daily. Six dinners accompanied half a bottle of selected Spanish wine. On day one, there will be given a welcome drink with tapas. The cuisine will be mostly local Spanish fare.
Please note that in Spain, you will have to wait until 8:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. to have dinner, which sometimes takes hours to complete. Also, if you have dietary restrictions, inform Slow Wines in advance. For travelers with food allergies, or with special dietary needs, Slow Wines will always accommodate you with suitable menus.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Dinner
- Snacks
- Drinks
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
- Other dietary requirements on request
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
Things to do (optional)
You can choose for an optional wine treatment or spa when you are in Marqués de Riscal Hotel & Spa in Elciego.
What's included
- 5 winery visits
- Taste 3 to 5 wines in each session
- 6 dinners as per the itinerary, all accompanied with half a bottle of selected Spanish wine
- Welcome drink with tapas
- All scheduled excursions and activities in the program
- All the scheduled meals of a half board program
- Mainland transportation to all places
- Deluxe private bus for all transfers
- Entry fees to wineries and performance as per the itinerary
- All local taxes and tips
- Expert English-speaking local guide
- Daily buffet-style breakfast
- 7 nights accommodation
What's not included
- Airfares to and from the pick-up or drop-off locations
- Transfers from and to the airport for those arriving out of schedule
- Meals, services not specified as per itinerary
- Personal expenses, such as laundry, telecommunications, mini bar
- Wellness treatment and spa sessions
- Travel insurance
- Lodging before or after the trip
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 25% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookCulinaryVacations.com. All major credit cards supported.
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