Highlights

This journey explores cutting edge culinary Barcelona and visits some of the great Catalan winemakers in the famed Priorat region. In Barcelona, eat at the market cafés in the Boquería Market and take an in-depth architectural and cultural walking tour of the city’s Barri Gòtic.

In the Priorat, visit wineries and taste the magnificent wines, experience the region by walking through vineyards and winemaking villages. Accommodation in a historic boutique hotel, dinner in the region’s most highly acclaimed restaurant and guided tastings of DOQ Priorat and DO Montsant wines.Visit the wineries making some of Spain’s most exciting wines.

Experience the tranquility of this historic region where winemaking was carried on for centuries by the Carthusian monks. Visit the Scala Dei Monastery and the nearby wineries. See mountainside terraced vineyards and the traditional diagonal vineyards. The wineries in this region range in style from traditional family-run wineries to internationally renowned ones.

You will visit a specialized boutique 100% organic olive oil mill where each plot’s olives are treated with care. An olive oil tasting session will acquaint you with the varieties of olives grown in the region, the most widely known of which is the Arbequina.

Tucked away in a historic hotel when not exploring wineries, you will have every comfort.

Itinerary

Day 1

Arrival in Barcelona. Check into five-star luxury hotel in Barcelona’s city center.

Morning Boquería Market tour with a food and wine specialist. Explore the astounding variety of ingredients available to Spanish chefs. Many Barcelona chefs come to the Market in the morning to eat breakfast at market bars such as Pinotxo or Quim de la Boqueria, famous for their market fresh cuisine.

After lunch at the market bars, take a walking architecture tour of Barcelona’s Barri Gótic, whose highlights include the cathedral, the Palau de la Generalitat, and Santa María del Mar church, built by Barcelona’s fishermen.

Dinner on your own at one of Barcelona´s fine restaurants.

Day 2

Day on your own until dinner. Explore Modernist architecture and museums throughout the city. You can visit Picasso Museum, Joan Miró Museum, Modernist sites such as the Palau de la Música, Casa Batlló, Parque Guell.

Dinner in Can Majò, one of Barcelona’s famed rice and seafood restaurants in the former fisherman’s district of La Barceloneta. The restaurant owner will prepare you a selection of the house specialties and match Spanish wine with each course.

Day 3

Pick up at your hotel for transport to the Priorat region south of Barcelona.

Arrival in Falset. Transfer to location of one of the Priorat’s pioneering winemakers, where you will enjoy a tasting with the winemaker. Visit Clos de l’Obac (DOQ Priorat) winery with the owner, Carles Pastrana. Known as Costers del Siurana, this winery, located in the beautiful village of Gratallops, was among those that revived the winemaking tradition in the Priorat. Wines produced here include Clos de l’Obac, Miserere, Dolç de l’Obac and Kyrie. A private tour and wine tasting at the winery.

Lunch in the winery’s contemporary Costers del Siurana restaurant , available for visitors to of Costers del Siurana winery. Contemporary Catalan food based on traditional flavors of the region.

Take a walk through the Cartoixa d’Escaladei, first Carthusian Priory of the Iberian Peninsula, now in ruins. Close to the Monastery is the winery Cellers d’Escaladei (DOQ Priorat). Located in the ancient town of Scala Dei, where the ruins of the famous monastery still stand, it has a long tradition of winemaking, renewed in recent decades as part of the Priorat revival. You will have a visit and wine tasting.

Next is an introduction to local olive oils at a specialist shop at Escaladei. Olive oil tasting of single pago Arbequina oils from the region, prized by chefs throughout the world for their light, fruity flavor.

Check into your hotel in a restored villa outside of Falset, the region’s main town.

Guided wine tasting session featuring the wines of the DOQ Priorat and neighboring DO Montsant wine regions. Traditional cuisine dinner at the hotel.

Day 4

Walking route through vineyards and villages in the region. The walking trails are newly renovated and well marked. Your guide will take you on a two hour walk through vineyards and villages. Visit a winery en route.  You will arrive at a small village.

Cooking class at highly regarded restaurant in Gratallops whose talented chef has captured the attention of food critics in Barcelona. Lunch with wine follows the class.

Visit a family run winery after lunch. Return to the hotel.

Pick up at your hotel for shopping and a visit to Falset, the area’s main town. Walking tour of Falset’s historic Modernist Cooperative Winery as well of the ancient town center.

Dinner at the area’s best restaurant.

Day 5>

Visit and tasting at Cims de Porrera (DOQ Priorat) winery in Porrera. Located in the old village of Porrera, in very steep and rugged terrain, this vineyard was founded by the Pérez family, one of the pioneering wine families who rediscovered the Priorat region in the late 80s.

Stroll around village to see famous Sundials. Depart Porrera for visit to Mas Perinet winery (DOQ Priorat/DO Montsant). Mas Perinet stands in old wine land where almonds and olives were also grown. Since its revival as a winery in the nineties, it has become an important name in the region and in the realm of Spanish wine. We leave Mas Perinet Winery and head to Ficaria Vins, a DO Montsant garage winery in La Figuera, one of the highest villages of the Priorat. Great viewpoint over Priorat and la Vilella Baixa. Lunch at La Fonda Restaurant in La Figuera.

After lunch we visit the village of La Vilella Baixa, which we saw from above in La Figuera. La Vilella Baixa is known as the New York of the Priorat because of its tall (for the area) buildings. Then visit artisanal sausage makers and a gourmet shop in La Vilella Baixa.

Dinner at a renowned modern cuisine restaurant.

Day 6

Departure after breakfast.

2010 Tour Dates

• October 19 - 24, 2010

Trip available at other times during the year. Please contact us for more information.

2010 Prices

• $2800 7 or more people

Prices are per person double occupancy. Single supplement $545.  Minimum 7 people. Available for smaller groups.  Please call for prices.

What's Included

• 5 nights accommodation in boutique and luxury hotels
• Breakfast daily
• Winery tours and tastings
• Olive oil mill visit
• Scala Dei Monastery tour
• Transport in luxury van or minibus

Not Included: Airport transfers/Tips to guides/Travel insurance

Reservation

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The Terms and Conditions Agreement and Waiver and Release of Liability Form must be signed and returned via email, fax or mail to Epicurean Ways with your trip reservation. See the Agreement here.

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A deposit of $750 per person is required in order to reserve a trip. After we receive your reservation form we will send you an invoice via email for the deposit. You may pay securely through PayPal via credit card, by bank transfer, or by check. We will confirm your reservation upon receipt of the deposit.

Full payment for the trip is due 60 days before the program begin date. For reservations made less than 60 days before the program begin date, full payment is due at the time of booking.

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We are pleased that you have decided to travel with us. Do not hesitate to call or email with any questions you might have about your trip.

Epicurean Ways

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In Spain: 951-190-478 or 635-468-938

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Trip Info for Barcelona & Priorat

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