Sun Bird Travel 239-430-2000    Howard Friedman 240-401-9342

THE TOUR IS DESIGNED FOR 16-18 PEOPLE

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SEPTEMBER 10th (Wednesday) – Depart USA​

SEPTEMBER 11th (Thursday) - Arrive San Sebastian. Transfer to the Hotel Londres in the heart of old town. Transfers will be arranged for those who arrive on the 1:00 PM from Madrid. The rest of the day is at leisure. 

OVERNIGHT HOTEL LONDRES, SAN SEBASTIAN

LUNCH INCLUDED - DINNER ON YOUR OWN

SEPTEMBER 12th (Friday) Gourmet Breakfast at the hotel.

After breakfast you will be able to don your “chef’s hat” as we walk to the MIMO Restaurant for a Pintxos (Tapas) preparation class that will include a delicious lunch at the conclusion of the lesson. 

               Dedicated Pintxos “Chefs” at MIMO at the Maria Cristina Hotel cooking class in San Sebastian.

                      Maybe venture out this evening small groups to sample PINXOS in Old Town.​​

LUNCH INCLUDED - DINNER ON YOUR OWN

OVERNIGHT HOTEL LONDRES

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​​SEPTEMBER 13th (Saturday) – After your included breakfast the morning is free to explore and shop.

 At 2:00 PM we will meet for a wonderful lunch at Kokotxa. Dani López, the genius behind the

 one-Michelin-starred Kokotxa, provides one of the best reasons to visit San Sebastian. The name, Kokotxa, is actually one of the most sumptuous Basque dishes – a stew of fish heads cooked in a sauce. Hearteningly, the cooking here is simple and without pretension.

LUNCH INCLUDED - DINNER ON YOUR OWN

                                       OVERNIGHT HOTEL LONDRES​                                        

​​SEPTEMBER 14th (Sunday) Pack Your Bags - After breakfast we will depart for Bodega Katxiña in the Getariaka sub-region of Txakoli. This amazing, south facing winery at the center of 8 hectares of vineyards is set on a hillside leading down to the Oria River. It was started only a few years ago and its wines have already been recognized as some of the best produced in the region.

The only grape grown here is Hondarrabi Zuri a white grape that was brought to this region from the northeast of Europe during the middle-ages. Other producers in this region use other grapes in a blend to give nuances to the wine, but Katxiña uses only this one grape. The secret to the wonderfully well balanced wine comes from the different vineyard styles and hillside locations that add subtle character that makes this wine so enjoyable. Only one wine is produced here, and it is 100% Hondarrabi Zuri.

Like many other wineries in this region, there is a restaurant at the winery with upscale Basque cooking.  At Katxiña, their restaurant was named to the list of “The Best Luxury Grill Restaurants in the World”!!! We will enjoy a superb multi course lunch after our visit to the winery.

                   Orio to visit KATXIÑA WINERY for tastings and a multi-course lunch with wine. 

                        After lunch we will continue on to Bilbao and tour the Guggenheim Museum.

                        Then we will continue to the town of Brinas and check into the Palacio Tondon.

OVERNIGHT HOTEL PALACIO TONDON​

LUNCH INCLUDED - DINNER ON YOUR OWN

SEPTEMBER 15th (Monday) After Breakfast at the hotel we will drive to Haro for a guided tour and tasting at Bodegas Muga.

                              Then we will drive to Logrono for a winery tour at Exopto.

We will end the day with a Michelin dinner at Allegar in Briones, one of Spain’s most beautiful medieval villages.

LUNCH ON YOUR OWN - MICHELIN DINNER INCLUDED​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ 

                   OVERNIGHT HOTEL PALACIO TONDONE                   ​

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SEPTEMBER 16th (Tuesday) – ​Pack your bags - Enjoy a leisurely breakfast this morning, we will leave for a 1-hour ride to Burgos    and check into the beautiful NH Collection Palacio de Burgos.

                                     The afternoon and evening are free.

                                  ​​​​​​​​  LUNCH AND DINNER ON YOUR OWN

ACCOMMODATIONS AT THE NH COLLECTION PALACIO DE BURGOS

SEPTEMBER 17th - (Wednesday) ​After breakfast we will travel to 1-hour Gumiel de Mercado to visit Bodegas Valduero for a tour of the cellars, a wine tasting and lunch. A multi-course gourmet lunch will be served with meticulously paired wines. These wines have often received 90 points or higher from Robert Parker, and your tasting and vineyard tour will be guided by Yolanda Valduero, the winemaker and daughter of the winery owner, and/or the export manager. 

 On past tours, the lunch at Bodegas Valduero is always one of the highlights of the trip. The whole range of their wines are opened and paired with an incredible multi-course lunch served at the winery. The guests enjoyed the wines so much that they ordered several cases of wine which they purchased when they returned to the U.S. In fact, there is a very special barrel program that you will learn about. At an elevation of over 2800 feet, Burgos is situated at a crossroad along the Camino de Santiago, the historic   “Way of the Cross”. The cathedral in Burgos was begun in 1226 and not finished until 1493! It has been declared a “World Heritage Site” by UNESCO and is one of the most extraordinary in all of Spain. In its treasure room can be found a 15th century monstrance that is said to be gilded with gold brought from the New World by Columbus. Here you will also find the tomb of El Cid, Spain’s greatest national hero.

                           MULTI-COURSE LUNCHINCLUDED - DINNER ON YOUR OWN

ACCOMMODATIONS AT THE NH COLLECTION PALACIO DE BURGOS

​September 18th - Thursday) After breakfast we will travel one hour to Pedrosa de Duero for a tour of the fabulous cellars of Pago de los Capellanes and a tasting of their very special and highly rated wines from Ribera del Duero and now, some delicious Godello white wine from Valdeorras.

In the 14th century, a chaplainry existed in the village of Pedrosa de Duero just 1 mile away. The villagers donated small parcels of land to the chaplains for their work and, over time, these holdings became quite large. About 500 years later these lands were given back to the village, but they retained the name “Land of the Chaplains”. The present owner, Paco Rodero, purchased the lands from the village and built a magnificent winery using the finest equipment and the most perfect cooperage to make some of Ribera del Duero’s finest wines. 

 These wines have consistently received extraordinarily high praise from the world’s wine press and in the past have been among those wines on the Wine Spectator Magazine’s “Top 100” list. In 2012 and again in 2016 this winery was “Winery of the year” for Wine & Spirits Magazine. Afterwards we will return to Burgos where you will be free to enjoy more of the city’s charm.

 Pago de los Capellanes has only produced red wines for its entire history, but just recently a winery was purchased, and vineyards developed to produce white wines called “O LUAR DO SIL” They are made with Godello grapes developed both in stainless steel and French oak barrels. You will enjoy these wines at the tasting in the winery.

Lunch in Peñafiel at Molino de Palacios 

                           This afternoon enjoy a winery tour and tasting at Pago de Carraovejas.​

LUNCH AND WINE TASTING INCLUDED – DINNER ON YOUR OWN

ACCOMMODATIONS AT THE NH COLLECTION PALACIO DE BURGOS

September 19th (Friday) Pack your Bags After Breakfast we will travel to La Seca and the Bodega Javier Sanz.

Spanish red wines have dominated the country’s presence in the U.S. market for many years, but lately new winemaking techniques and resurrection of indigenous clones long absent from producer’s references have markedly changed that view of the Spanish wine industry. It is an interesting footnote to the production of white wine in the D.O. of Rueda that it was with the dedication of the director of Marques de Rascal and his work with a French Oenologist, Emile Reynaud that the production of high-quality wine from Verdejo – Rueda’s principle grape – began.

At Bodega Javier Sanz, this dedication to the extraordinary quality of wine that could be produced in Rueda from modern viticulture practices is its mantra. Painstaking work in the vineyards to ensure the best quality grapes and the inclination to intervene as little as possible in the natural winemaking process have assured the production of Verdejo with the delicate, crisp gooseberry flavors for which it is famous.

Javier Sanz has dedicated his winery to the production of wines from pre-philloxera vines and the recovery of varieties that have almost become extinct. His Malcorta wines are the culmination of this effort and represent a style of Rueda white wine that - but for his interest - would have disappeared.

 A fabulous visit to the original, 19th century winery has been arranged with a tasting of the superb quality Rueda produced there. We will visit the vineyards which are the very special heritage of Javier Sanz’ wines and we will enjoy a tapas with our tasting at the winery.

After our visit we will travel on to Madrid. We will stop in Segovia on the way to explore and have lunch on your own.

WINE TASTING WITH LIGHT TAPAS INCLUDED – LUNCH AND DINNER ON YOUR OWN

ACCOMMODATIONS AT THE WELLINGTON HOTEL MADRID

The Wellington is by any standard a remarkable hotel. This elegant 5 star hotel in the heart of the sophisticated Salamanca shopping area of Madrid exemplifies the ability to frame uniquely modern dining experiences with the highest of old world excellence of service and elegance of setting. Enjoy lunch, dinner, an evening cocktail or even a relaxing swim on the Wellington Terrace. The Kabuki Wellington offers the best sushi in Madrid and is the proud recipient of a Michelin star. The Goizeko Wellington is the result of “a culinary union between Jose Santos and Chef Abel Maretlloti and serves innovative and seasonal Basque Haute Cuisine.” 

September 20th (Saturday) After Breakfast please enjoy a day in Madrid on your own. We can help you book an optional tour.

 You might enjoy a tour of the Prado, Reina Sophia or El Escorial. Maybe just enjoy some last minute shopping.

                             At 2:00 we will meet at the Wellington for Lunch in Retiro Park. 

ACCOMMODATIONS AT THE WELLINGTON HOTEL MADRID

September 21st (Sunday) Travel Home or to your next destination. 

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