Wine Tours in Spain

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Wine tasting in Spain Priorat Region

Wine tours are a special experience. On our wine tours you'll enjoy special visits to cutting-edge wineries, have private tastings at top cellars, you'll discover great wines.
You'll meet the winemakers and the owners of great chateaux, enjoy gourmet food and have superb tastings. (Things like that do not happen if you just turn up at a chateau or winery).
Most of the visits we do, are to cellars that usually do not host tourists, thus the number of visitors are small.

Private tours from Barcelona - include transportation from airport or hotel

Great Wines of Priorat
4 Perfect days in Priorat

Priorat

The Priorat is one of the oldest and also one of the least densely populated districts of Catalonia, and although it is only one hundred miles from Barcelona, it is as remote from a bustling city as could be possible. Located southwest of Barcelona, not too far from Tarragona, this region sits in a natural amphitheatre of low mountains that surround it on all sides. The twenty three towns that form the Priorat are all relatively small and quite close to each other, the principal one being Falset.

El Priorat is a unique land within the huge diversity of places nature has endowed Catalonia with. It is dotted with picturesque, lovely spots and offers the visitor a myriad of different possibilities to go sightseeing.
The economy of the Priorat has always relied on agriculture and the production of wine and olive oil, making it an ideal location for wine tours, winery visits and culinary tours. Here they have been exporting wine since the fifteenth century, and wine production remains its most important activity along with the production of olive oil.

There are several ruins from pre-Iberian settlements as well as vestiges of the Romans’ presence. The most notable historic feature though, is the “Cartoixa”, or monastery of Escaladei.
Soon after the Islamic domination which ended in 1153, a group of Cartusian monks were sent here from France in order to establish their presence in Catalonia. Thus was founded the first monastery of the Iberian Peninsula, which you will of course have the chance to visit during your stay.

The wines
Priorat is now one of the most happening wine regions in Spain, but one which fairly recently gone through huge transition. Old-style Priorat had a reputation for being rough and massively alcoholic, but since the 1990s things have changed, and now the best wines from this region are some of Spain’s most sophisticated and sought-after reds. It was awarded the DOC in 2001 (it had been a DO since 1975).
Like many world-class wine regions the secret here is spectacular terroir. Hillside vineyards with poor soils and low yielding old vines are the key. But why has it taken so long for the potential of this region to be unlocked? The terroir has always been there, but the wines now are immeasurably better than they used to be. This is probably because of the ambition and ability of the producers, coupled with a domestic market prepared to pay substantial prices for the best wines. This has encouraged investment and encouraged quality-minded winemakers not prepared to cut corners in the pursuit of the best wines the terroirs permit.
The key grapes here are Garnacha (known elsewhere as Grenache) and Cariñena (Carignan). Not terribly promising raw material, perhaps, but old vines of these varieties evidently have the ability to express the Priorat terroir in profound ways. Added to this is a spattering of international varieties, notably Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

The Gastronomy
Such an established old culture like El Priorat’s has obviously originated an authentic and distinctive cuisine, which will pleasantly surprise the visitor. One can taste 'la escalivada': a very popular dish which consists of grilled aubergines, red peppers, fresh onions and other vegetables; a bright mixture that resembles the colours on a painter’s palette. It is also typical to grill the delicious meat of animals such as: the rabbit, the quail and the partridge; their meat tastes lovely when served with mature red wines of the area. Such a great combination will pleasantly stimulate those with the finest palate. Among El Priorat’s specialities, we would suggest the omelette casserole with sauce (the bean omelette is the most common one, although one can also have the spinach and potato omelettes too), the savoury omelettes from Pobolenca, fritters with herring and herring with grapes (mostly eaten in autumn when the grapes are covered with dew). Other specialities are the flour cake, the 'samfaina' cake (topped with cut fried vegetables like tomatoes, red peppers, onions and aubergines), the 'ensaginada' (a cake made with butter), the fritters, the 'orelletes' (dried peach, pear and apricot), the fig bread and the 'mostillo' (cooked grape juice usually seasoned with aniseed, cinnamon and clove).

During the meals, the 'arbequina' olives (a tasty small variety of olives) as well as the almonds and hazelnuts will be essential as delicious complements.
The former are ideal as an appetizer; the later are served as a fine dessert, often washed down with an excellent sweet wine: the best dessert to engage anybody in a relaxing after lunch conversation.
In El Priorat one will discover a rich traditional gastronomy, which far from the stereotyped dishes of the standard universal cuisine, will offer the visitor a huge variety of dishes with character and admirably well cooked.

Great Wines of Priorat

( VIP wine excursion)

Program

• After breakfast at your hotel we will pick you up travel to the Priorat wine producing region.
• Our first stop will be the Costers del Siurana winery (producers of Clos de l'Obac) in Gratallops

The cellar lead the renaissance of one of the best wine producing areas of the world by recovering the ancient wines made by the monks of Santa Maria carthusian monastery (XII century) that during centuries gave prestige and fame to the Priorat wines.

Internationally, the Priorat Wines Clos de l'Obac, Miserere, along with Dolç de l'Obac and Kyrie are considered to be amongst the best reserve wines in the world.

The visit: After a complete visit of the winery we will proceed to do a full tasting of their 4 best wines: Clos de l'Obac, Miserere, Dolç de l'Obac and Kyrie.
• Lunch at the restaurant Cellers de Gratallops (the restaurant of Costers de Siurana Cellar), situated in an 18th century house on the street Piró 32, at the entrance of the village.

It was originally imagined so that the clients and friends who visit the winery Clos de l’Obac have a warm and welcoming environment, where they can enjoy the wines from Costers del Siurana together with a reasonable, natural, elegant and tasty cuisine which is composed of more than thirty different Mediterranean dishes.

• In the afternoon visit the La Conreria de Scala Dei winery and to the Scala Dei monastery.
One of the traditional wine producers in the small village Scala Dei. They use a lot of Garnacha, slow fermentation and long maceration with the grape skins to extract as much colour and aromas as possible for the wines.
The production of their wines is limited.

During the visit we will see the vines on the terraced slopes and then return to the winery to do a visit of the winery. We will taste: Blanco Les Brugueres (white), La Conreria (red) and Tinto Iugiter(red)
• Along the way we will visit several small villages and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Priorat region.
• Return to Barcelona

*All winery visits are quite extensive and include full tour of the premises, complete explanations of how their wines are made, wine tasting, etc...

Program includes:
• A trilingual enologist will be your guide throughout the program.
• Transport in bus with driver from and to the Barcelona.
• Winery visit to Conreria Scala Dei and Costers de Siurana with wine tastings
• Gourmet lunch
• Basic insurance
• All local taxes

Not Included:
• Travel to and from Spain, and Barcelona
• Optional excursions, expenses and meals

Other tours in Priorat Region

4 perfect days in Priorato
(thursday morning to Sunday morning)

This culinary vacation program is a perfect introduction to the basics of Catalan cuisine. It is for those guests who do not have the available time for a full 6 day or 8 day program. With three hands-on classes.

Three visits to local wine producers and vineyards, along with wine tastings will allow you to discover and appreciate the fantastic Priorato and Montsant wines. An official olive oil tasting session will let you discover the incredible DO Siurana olive oils. A trip to the Scala Dei monastery will enable you to learn of the areas history as well as indulge in the landscapes of this beautiful and unspoilt region.

Program

Day 1:
- You will be collected at your hotel in Barcelona
- Transfer to El Masroig, Priorat (around 1 and a half hours)
- Time to settle in rooms
- Welcome apéritif (this is actually almost a meal!)
- Fist private winery visit to either the Capçanes winery or the Coperativa de El Masroig winery
- Cooking class followed by dinner.

Program includes:
• A trilingual chef will be your guide for all the program.
• Transport to and from the Barcelona airport to El Masroig
• Welcome aperitif
• 3 nights accommodation
• 3 Catalan cooking classes
• All meals for which we use only the best and freshest ingredients
• All restaurant meals
• All high quality Priorat wines
• Diploma, cookbook, apron, and gift.
• Transport and entrance fees for all of the excursions

Not Included:
• Travel to and from Spain, and Barcelona
• Optional excursions, expenses and meals

Day 2:
- Full Catalan breakfast of cured sausages, rustic cheeses, country bread with olive oil, tomato and garlic (pan amb tomaquet), superb coffee and fresh juice.
- Visit to the Costers del Siurana winery (producers of Clos de l'Obac) in Gratallops
- Lunch at the Cellers de Gratallops restaurant
- Free time
- Official olive oil tasting session
- Cooking class followed by dinner

Day 3:
- Catalan Breakfast
- Visit to the Scala Dei monastery
- Visit to the La Conreria de Scala Dei winery
- Lunch at the El Cairat restaurant in Falset
- Cooking class followed by dinner

Day 4:
- Breakfast followed by drop-off in Barcelona

*All winery visits are quite extensive and include full tour of the premises, complete explanations of how their wines are made, wine tasting, etc...
*The above programs are subject to possible changes, but will always have the same quality and content.

Wine Tours Wine and Gastronomy vacations in Spain

Rates are on request. Please Email number of people, dates, what sightseeing, and we will get back to you with quote.

Spain

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