September 19-23, 2011
Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Toro
Vega Sicilia Marques de Murrieta Marques de Riscal
Pesquera Remelluri Lopez de Heredia
Numanthia Jose Pariente Alcazar in Segovia
1* Michelin restaurant 5* hotel in Valladolid San Mateo wine harvest fiesta
In collaboration with my friend Jeremy, we have put together the ALL STAR trip to the greatest wineries in Rioja and Castile. Soak up the rhythm of the wine harvest fiesta in Logroño, visit stunning architectural wonders both ancient (Segovia’s alcazar) and modern (Gehry’s Marques de Riscal hotel) and enjoy a Michelin dinner in a tiny Riojan village, along with a series of winemaker lunches at iconic estates.
Vega Sicilia, Alion, Pesquera in Ribera del Duero, Numanthia in Toro and Jose Pariente in Rueda. Marques de Murrieta, Marques de Riscal, Lopez Heredia, Remelluri and Lanzaga in Rioja. You’ll visit the best wineries in 4 dynamic wine regions that contrast modern and traditional wine styles side by side.
It will be a great way to learn about Spanish culture and history as well as its finest wines. Jeremy, our local guide, is an expert on Spain and will ensure that we experience the best of each region’s culture as well as their wines. James Cluer will also guide the trip.
This is a unique opportunity to experience the passion and the grandeur of ancient and modern Spain and appreciate the subtle shifts in the Spanish winemaker’s soul across the regions.
We’re taking about 20 people. So don’t wait. Not only is it a privilege to have these appointments, we will be visiting at harvest time, appreciating the best wine experiences that Spain has to offer at the optimal time of year. There is no certainty that we would ever offer such a tour again, especially at harvest time.
Price: $2,995 including tax
This price includes all accommodation, visits and tastings at wineries, all meals except one free evening, all wine at meals, and local transport. Flights are not included.
If you are travelling by yourself we will try to find you someone appropriate to share a room with, or if you want your own room there will be a single supplement of $600.
To join the tour: Email me at James@finevintageltd.com
Why take a tour of Spain from Fine Vintage?
These estates are not typically open to many visitors. The only reason that we are able to visit these wineries is because I work for various corporations who buy large volumes of their wines and Jeremy has very close connections in the area.
THE PROGRAM:
All of the visits are already confirmed. Here is the program.
Monday – 19th of September
Please make your flight arrangements to Madrid. There will be 2 pick-ups that day, one at a hotel in Madrid and one after that at the airport (if there is anyone to pick up there).
At 10.00
Pick up #1 at NH Paseo del Prado Hotel
Plaza Canovas del Castillo, 4. 28014 Madrid
Tel: +34.913302400
nhpaseodelprado@nh-hotels.com
Meeting with James and Jeremy in front of NH Paseo del Prado Hotel in Madrid. Board the luxury bus and we’re off.
At 10.30
Pick up #2, if necessary, in front of Arrivals at Barajas Airport Terminal 1 in Madrid. We then drive to Segovia, about 1.30 hours away. Here we have a brief stop for a guided tour of the Alcazar, Segovia’s landmark fortress. Walt Disney modelled the castle in his logo on the Alcazar.
After the Segovian stop, we drive about an hour further north to our hotel for the first 2 nights, the Palacio Santa Ana in Valladolid. The 5 star hotel is a converted 18th century monastery and considered the best in the region, and well located for visiting Toro, Rueda and Ribera del Duero. The hotel in Rioja, where we will move to after 2 nights, is a more modern cubist design and is a wonderful place to enjoy Rioja, being named after its primary white grape, Viura.
Check in to hotel at 13.30 – 14.00
http://www.ac-hotels.com/hotel_detalle.cfm?id_hotel=21&cd_menu_h=1 .
There’s a swimming pool, plenty of wine and coffee (cafe solo is an espresso round these parts), and I’m sure you’ll enjoy your first hour or two christening your room, or reflecting on how lucky the monks were.
Leave the hotel at 16.00
At 16.30 arrive at Jose Pariente winery for tour and tasting http://www.josepariente.com/eng/index2.html
Jose Pariente is one of the finest names in Rueda, a small family winery that is run by a mother and daughter. It’s also a chance to taste some white before the serious reds. After the tasting we set off for Toro.
18.30 Numanthia
We arrive at Numanthia for a tour and tasting with the winemaker Manuel Louzada. This is LVMH’s only winery in Spain and has received a 100 point score from Parker. We should be able to see and taste harvest grapes, as well as the wines, before heading for dinner at the delightful La Fragua restaurant up the road in Toro, where, harvest permitting, Manuel will join us. http://www.numanthia.com/en/privacy#/en/heritage/tinta-de-toro
The bus takes us back to arrive at the hotel around 2300 (Spanish evenings are always a little fluid).
TUESDAY September 20th
Iberian legends
10.00 am Depart hotel
Breakfast, maybe a dip in the pool, and then we’ll drive 30 minutes along Ribera del Duero’s golden mile to the most legendary wine estate in Spain, Vega Sicilia .
At 10.30 am VEGA SICILIA
We enjoy a tour and visit at the iconic estate that was founded in 1864, and then enjoy a tasting of the 4 wines of the group, including their modern Ribera, their Toro wine and their Tokay. We then make our way up the golden mile to Alion, the other Vega Sicilia property of the region to compare the styles and landscapes. Vega Sicilia is unquestionably Spain’s most mystical and famous wine.
At 12.00 pm ALION
Alion in Padilla de Duero for a tour and visit.
http://www.vega-sicilia.com/historia/leyenda
At 13.45 PESQUERA
Lunch at Pesquera. Alejandro Fernandez believed there might be more to Ribera than Vega Sicilia and in 1972 licensed his bodega in the village of Pesquera where he started to make 100% tempranillo wines aged in American oak. Since then he has become known as El Rey (the king) of tempranillo and his Pesquera winery is named by Parker as one of the world’s top wine estates. We have lunch of milk fed lamb from one of Fernandez’s other estates – Dehesa La Granja in Toro, accompanied by wines from each of the Fernandez’s 4 estate. After lunch we will tour the estate http://www.pesqueraafernandez.com/english/index.htm
At 1700 we head to the castle in Peñafiel, a remarkable outpost built in the shape of a boat and begun in the 9th century. It now houses the region’s wine museum which we will visit. .
At 18.30 ABADIA RETUERTA
On our way back to the hotel, we will have a brief stop and tasting at the Abadia Retuerta bodega. Now Swiss owned, the bodega sits just outside the Ribera del Duero boundary, allowing a bit more experimentation with grape varieties, so that we can compare single varietal syrah with the tempranillo and cabernet wines we’ve tasted before. Of course it helps that they’re located at a 12th century abbey that is being converted into a luxury hotel and spa. Their 2001 Seleccion Especial won the best red wine in the world at the International wine Challenge. http://www.abadia-retuerta.com/en/
At 20.00 RETURN TO HOTEL
Back to the hotel for some r’n r. You’re free to explore the hotel or Valladolid – we have no group dinner this evening.
WEDNESDAY September 21st
09.30 am Depart hotel
We leave Ribera del Duero (for now) and head north towards Rioja, not missing the chance to see one of the most striking buildings in Spain en route.
At 11.00 am BURGOS CATHEDRAL
We enjoy a guided tour of Burgos Cathedral. The Gothic Cathedral is a world heritage site and holds the remains of El Cid, and so we’ll have a visit to break the drive to Rioja. We then make our way up to Remelluri, a wonderful single estate winery in Labastida in Rioja.
At 13.30 REMELLURI
Almost Tuscan in style, this is the family property of Spain’s most famous travelling winemaker Telmo Rodriguez. He uses French oak and a more terroir based approach than is traditional in Rioja. We enjoy the views and the wines over a slow paced lunch before heading to the central part of Rioja Alavesa (the Basque part of Rioja) to visit another icon. http://www.remelluri.com/ing/intro.html
At 17.30 MARQUES DE RISCAL
Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum established Bilbao as a tourist destination. He followed it up with the remarkable Marques de Riscal city of wine and hotel in Elciego. Marques de Riscal is one of the classic Spanish wines and we enjoy a tasting at the city of wine that includes a brief tour of the buildings. After our tasting, we head down the road to our wine themed Hotel Viura. http://www.marquesderiscal.com/index.php?setIdioma=2
At 19.00 CHECK IN TO HOTEL
We check into the cubist hotel in Villabuena de Alava around 1900. This small designer hotel has a remarkable design and a warm welcome in the heart of Rioja Alavesa. We’re here for the 2 nights in Rioja with terrific views of the nearby mountains and enjoy dinner together in the restaurant that has a beautiful array of wine barrels suspended from the ceiling. Riojan chic. http://www.hotelviura.com/english/index.html
THURSDAY September 22nd
09.30 am Depart hotel
We head west to the lovely old town at the western end of Rioja Alta for our first visit of the day at the oldest winery in Haro.
At 10.00 am LOPEZ DE HEREDIA
We enjoy a guided tour and tasting at Lopez de Heredia. This is ultra traditional Rioja as reflected in the wines under the label of Viña Tondonia. This is a great place to understand the Riojan tradition of long barrel aging (of whites as well as reds) and to release older wines when they are ready to drink. They contrast strongly with modern fruit driven wines but reflect their traditions and surroundings. Even here, the modern touch is felt in an astonishing free standing tasting room designed by architect Zaha Hadid. http://www.lopezdeheredia.com/english/arquitectura/tienda.html
At 12.30 TELMO RODRIGUEZ
After the tradition, a return to the innovation of Telmo Rodriguez and a visit to his HQ at Lanzaga near Lanciego, back in Rioja Alavesa. After leaving the family property at Remelluri, Telmo spent time learning his trade in Bordeaux and now makes wines across the great Spanish wine regions. His Riojan wines are elegant and use a combination of grapes from the estate and those grown by other locals. A floppy haired maverick, this is a striking contrast to the traditional wines of Tondonia. http://www.telmorodriguez.com/
At 14:30 TAPAS LUNCH
We take the chance to enjoy a tapas lunch in the hilltop citadel of Laguardia, a town in the heart of the wine country. Our trip wouldn’t be complete without the chance to ssample an array of Spanish tapas in an old walled town.
At 16.30 MARQUES DE MURRIETA
We will conclude our Riojan tastings at the magnificent Castillo de Ygay at Marques de Murrieta. A Peruvian visionary by the name of Luciano purchased the Ygay estate in 1878 and became the first Marques of Murrieta. Ever since, the Castillo Ygay wine has been one of Rioja’s benchmarks and possibly the most recognised label in Spain. All the grapes used in the wine are grown on the estate, where there is now a modern and traditional style made. This is one of the great wine estates and proud of its traditions and magnificent wines.
We visit the castle and enjoy a tasting before another twist of mood takes us into Logroño to savour the ‘ambiente’ of the San Mateo fiesta, celebrated each year at harvest time. We have a look at the wine fountain and take a ‘paseo’ around town amidst the festivities.
At 20.00 MICHELIN * DINNER
We roll up to the smallest village in the world to possess a Michelin star and end our Riojan trip with a lavish private dinner matching Riojan dishes to a series of local wines. We have the chance to enjoy the views with an aperitivo on the terrace and then take our time (think slow food movement) to enjoy the best that the Echapresto brothers can concoct for us (one cooks, one serves the wine). www.ventamoncalvillo.com
FRIDAY September 23rd
11.00 AM Depart Hotel
Time to sleep in after the big dinner, or explore the town more before heading off for our last winery visit and lunch at Faustino.
Faustino is a well known Riojan group. They have developed a Ribera wine (Portia) in Gumiel de Izan that has great potential. The most striking feature of the bodega is the winery designed by Norman Foster (Beijing airport, the Reichstag etc) in a trefoil style that minimises the distance that grapes travel from vine to bottle. In a country full of world class wine architecture, this is perhaps the most striking of them all and we enjoy a private tour through the new building before a tasting, followed by a Castilian lunch at the winery. A fitting final stop.
http://www.bodegasportia.com/ing/microsite.html
At 15.30 TO MADRID
We set off for Madrid where we can drop off at Madrid’s Barajas airport around 1730 before ending at the Paseo del Prado Hotel around 1800.
TO BOOK, PLEASE EMAIL JAMES@FINEVINTAGELTD.COM TO REQUEST THE BOOKING FORM. SPACE IS LIMITED. WE HAVE ALREADY TAKEN BOOKINGS FOR THIS TOUR BUT A FEW SPOTS ARE STILL AVAILABLE.
