Tour Spain’s Wine Country with Insider’s Travel

Wine lovers, culture connoisseurs and foodies alike will adore this exciting trip offered by Insider’s Travel, in which guests are shown the very best of Madrid, before tasting their way through Spain’s wine country, and finishing in historic San Sebastian.

C&TH readers get £100 off if they book before 1 March 2023 with the code CTH100. Book your space here: insiderstravel.io

Madrid To San Sebastian With Insider’s Travel

There’s a reason why Spain remains one of Britain’s favourite holiday destinations. The land of blue skies, Cervantes and siestas, its rich culture and history is matched by its exquisite cuisine, beautiful landscapes and, of course, excellent wine. Insider’s Travel, the expert in creating unforgettable holiday experiences, is now offering a seven-night tour showcasing art, fine wine and gastronomy in a route that starts in Madrid and ends in San Sebastian.

Sample the best of Madrid on a tapas tour

First Stop: Madrid

First up, the tour visits the bustling Spanish capital for a dive into its art, Castilian gastronomy, vibrant tapas bars and lesser-known, yet excellent, Madrilenian wines. There will be guided tours of the Prado Museum and Picasso’s Guernica at the Reina Sofia, a dinner at Botin, the oldest restaurant in the world, and a flamenco show
at one of Madrid’s best local tablaos.

The vineyards of Bodegas Áster

Exploring Spain’s Wine Country

Next, the group will enjoy private vineyard tours and tastings as it explores the fertile Ribera del Duero wine region, which is known for its tempranillo grape and for producing some of Spain’s most admired reds. Sometimes referred to as Spain’s ‘noble grape’, it’s the main variety used in the full-bodied wines this area is known for. The group will visit three selected wineries in this highly revered wine region: Dominio de Cair, Ismael Arroyo and the magnificent country estate of Bodegas Áster.

It then leaves the plateau of Ribera for the Mediterranean climate of La Rioja, to visit three wineries selected to give a high-quality overview of what the region is all about. These include Conde de los Andes, whose subterranean caves are referred to as the Sistine Chapel of La Rioja. They feature some of Spain’s finest Moorish architecture as well as housing 400,000 bottles including vintages dating back to 1892, 1918, 1948 and 1964.

Also on the schedule is a private tour and lunch at Bodega Marqués de Murrieta, whose Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva 2010 was rated by The Spectator as the best wine in the world in 2020. One of the region’s truly foundational wineries, dating back to the 1850s, the bodega is known for pioneering the local use of French techniques to enhance the complexity and longevity of the region’s signature tempranillo grape. Then it’s on to meet Rioja’s latest star, wine-maker Javier Sampedro, in his winery for lunch and tasting.

San Sebastian

Discovering The Basque Country And San Sebastian

The tour concludes in the Basque Country for an immersion into the rich heritage of the region’s culture, from the sacred gastronomic Txoko dining club in San Sebastian to the fishing village of Getaria, via a visit to sculptor Eduardo Chillida’s sculpture garden, led by the artist’s grandson Mikel. The week-long trip comes to a fitting end with dinner at Martin Berasategui’s world-renowned three-Michelin-star restaurant.

Joining Joanna and the group en route will be Spanish wine expert Raul Orantes, who grew up in hospitality working in his parents’ Madrid restaurant, and who now takes hundreds of guests through Spain to understand why wines taste like they do and to meet the people behind them.

Also joining the tour is gastronomist Gabriella Ranelli, who was featured in the Wall Street Journal as one of the Top 10 Culinary Guides in the world. She also assisted the great Anthony Bourdain on his trips to the Basque Country, and is a teacher at the Basque Culinary Centre.

For lovers of wine, travel, culture and fine food, the tour is an unmissable opportunity to really get beneath the surface of the much-loved country that is Spain – and to become a true insider.

BOOK IT: Wine, Art, Gastronomy: Madrid to San Sebastian, 21-28 May 2023, £4,595 (single supp, £855). C&TH readers get £100 off if they book before 1 March 2023 with the code CTH100. insiderstravel.io

ON THE INSIDE TRACK

Founded by Joanna Wivell 15 years ago, Insider’s Travel was started to give travel lovers a personal, insider’s view of Spain, where she had lived for 19 years. The company also now creates incredible bespoke itineraries for many more European destinations, including Italy, France, Germany and Scandinavia.

Whether you’re joining for one day or several, each Insider’s Travel tour is carefully curated to take its guests behind the scenes of the country it’s visiting, and is led by its fascinating and charismatic local experts. Every trip offers a rich array of cultural, artistic and gourmet experiences, plus behind-the-scenes access, expert talks and private views where possible.

The range of tours on offer include group, private and bespoke options, so you’ll always be able to find one that fits your requirements.

Find out more and book your next trip at insiderstravel.io