Spanish wine adventure with
James Nicholson Wine Merchant 
September 30th - 5th October 2013
Join a harvest tour of iconic wineries of central and northern Spain. You'll meet unforgettable characters, taste wonderful wines and enjoy memorable meals everywhere we go. The tour is organised and hosted by Jeremy Shaw in conjunction with James Nicholson wine merchant. Highlights include lunch at Pesquera, a Michelin lunch at Valpiedra in Rioja, a gourmet tapas tour in San Sebastian, a suckling pig lunch in Segovia and visits to Artadi, Paco Garcia and Txomin Etxaniz.
Price is £1650 per person sharing (£200 single supplement)
($US or euro prices on request)
Txomin Etxaniz vineyards near San Sebastian
After an optional Sunday evening tapas night in Madrid, we head north on Monday to the hilltop castles and red wine estates of Ribera del Duero, via Segovia where we lunch at Jose Maria and visit the alcazar before a Rueda visit on our way to the Hotel Pesquera in Ribera del Duero. On Tuesday we visit local producer Comenge near Curiel castle before lunch at Alejandro Fernandez's legendary Pesquera bodega. We stay in the delightful Hotel Pesquera on Monday and Tuesday night.
Then we move north towards the Atlantic coast for 2 nights in Rioja. Our first stop is for a Michelin lunch at Valpiedra, a very special estate on the banks of the Ebro and the perfect point to start our Riojan stay. After a visit and the lunch, we make our way to the architectural gem that is the Hotel Viura in Villabuena de Alava, our hotel for the next 2 nights. On Thursday we visit the walled town of Laguardia (pictured below) before a very special visit to the iconic estate of Artadi nearby. Then we enjoy a family tour and lunch at the Paco Garcia bodega in Murillo, before some free time and a light dinner back at the Viura.
On Friday we head for San Sebastian, but on the way we enjoy a gourmet fish lunch in Getaria and a top Txakoli visit where the vines tumble down to the ocean. We stay in the 4 star Astoria hotel and end the tour with a flourish on a gourmet tapas tour round the old town of San Sebastian.
Laguardia and its vineyards, Rioja
Click here for booking request form
This trip offers a great overview of the best wines and most iconic wine country in Spain. We have privileged access to some of the finest wineries in Spain and harvest time is a delightful season to visit.
Price includes hotels, transport, vineyard tastings and visits, all breakfasts, 5 lunches and 2 dinners (all with wine included). Price doesn’t include tips, insurance, flights, incidentals and meals not specified. We meet at the Westin Palace Hotel in Madrid and Madrid airport on September 30th to meet the early flight from Dublin, finishing in Bilbao on October 5th in the afternoon for the Dublin flight. Final balance payment is due no later than 6 weeks before departure (i.e. by August 19th). You can pay using the Paypal button below or by cheque or transfer (ask for details on the booking form)