Ribera del Duero, Toro and Cigales Wine Trips

Well known and loved by wine enthusiasts, the wines from Spain's Ribera del Duero region in Castilla-León include such legendary names as Vega Sicilia, Pingus, and Mauro. Beyond and in addition to the prestigious bodegas, Ribera del Duero boasts numerous enchanting wineries to visit. We have collected our favorite wineries, restaurants and wine experts into unique custom trips available for 2 to 30 people.

We recently spent a week in the region on a trip of discovery, finding wonderful wines and wineries in the regions of Toro and Cigales as well as in Ribera del Duero. The three wine regions are all within a short distance of one another, making our favorite hotel in the region an ideal hub for a three or five day wine trip.

Beyond wine, the area is home to amazingly well preserved castles–the best I have seen in Spain–; sublime charcuterie from nearby Guijelo; rich lechazo (roast baby lamb) and cochinillo (roast suckling pig); some of the best sheep's milk cheese in Spain; luxurious five-star hotels; a new Michelin-star restaurant. We are partnering with food and wine experts, as we always do, to bring you our signature perfectly orchestrated and expert led trips.

The 10 Most Expensive Wines in Spain

I love this list of the 10 most expensive wines in Spain, mainly because the included wines are all amazing, and because we visit most of the wineries on the list. That said, we don't normally taste the wines on this list at the visits–given the price tags you will understand why. It is enchanting to visit a winery where you know they have bottles of wine worth hundreds, even if you don't get to taste it.

The World's Most Beautiful Buildings

According to Lonely Planet. Their list of the world's most beautiful buildings includes two in Spain. The Guggenheim Museum, in Bilbao, designed by Frank Gehry, and the Sagrada Familia, in Barcelona, designed by Antoni Gaudi. 

We love both buildings, and regularly take our guests to see them. And the best news is that with our guided Sagrada Familia visit you get to skip those snaking lines and walk right in. 

Check out Lonely Planet's list. 

Planning A Trip With Epicurean Ways

Changes are underway here at Epicurean Ways. Every day as we plan private trips to Spain, Portugal and France for individuals and groups we realize that where to go and what to do isn't always clear to our travelers. Often there's a notion of a place without concrete ideas, or an interest in specific activites without a sense of the best places to go. We're setting out to change that.

In the coming days and weeks we will add descriptions of our experiences within each region of Spain, as well as those in Portugal and France. You, the traveler, can then choose those experiences that most appeal to you. Our job will be to arrange the ones you choose, and others not on the website, with modes of transportation, curated restaurants, and hotels matched to your preferences.
 

We have a portfolio of activities not included on the website. In fact, we have far more experiences at our disposal than we can include. Some are in less frequently visited parts of Spain, while others are reserved for food and wine professionals, or are not listed simply because they appeal to specialists, food geeks, or journalists. Feel free to ask us about these unlisted possibilities.

We hope that the experience descriptions will spark your imagination and give you a sense of what's possible. As always, call or email with any questions, to talk over your ideas, or to ask for some guidance in beginning trip planning. 

Susan Spicer's Spain

Join Chef Susan Spicer of Bayona and Mondo Restaurants in New Orleans for the trip of a lifetime in Spain. Visit the Basque Country, the Rioja and the French Basque Country. Exclusive winery visits, cooking classes, artisan producer visits, and amazing dining at Michelin-starred Etxebarri, Michelin-starred Akelarre, and a winery dinner with Michelin´starred Venta de Moncalvillo. ​

Join us at Bayona Restaurant in New Orleans for a wine and tapas event to learn more about the trip. March 21, 5:00 PM.

Contact us for more information about the trip.

La Tasquita de Enfrente

La Tasquita de Enfrente was long on my radar since a couple who traveled with us in 2011 reported that they had a fantastic dinner there, highlighted in part by meeting the chef-owner Junajo. Last Wednesday as I was riding the AVE high-speed train from Barcelona to Madrid I realized that I would arrive in central Madrid in time for lunch. As soon as I arrived I had the hotel concierge call La Tasquita to book a table, and as luck would have it, there was one small table available. Bingo!

La Tasquita is located in a slightly unsavory part of Madrid just off the Gran Vía, back where the old streets intersect at odd angles. Its location means that we typically send travelers there with a guide or in a taxi because it can be tricky to find and slightly disconcerting if you can't find it right away. An unassuming place from the outside, La Tasquita is both intimate and luxurious inside. I was met and seated by Juanjo himself, who asked if I wanted him to bring me his choice of dishes. Perfect. A waiter was at the table immediately asking me what I wanted to drink. We were off to a good start.

The wine came followed in short order by a succession of courses: Anchovies from Cantabria cleaned by Juanjo himself, beautiful artichokes, Tuna Tartare, Pulpo (octopus) Ceviche, Sting Ray à la meunière with capers, and for dessert the most delicious Panna Cotta.

The quality and freshness of the products and the masterful just-right treatment of the ingredients make La Tasquita a must-go restaurant in Madrid. Chef Juanjo is considering opening a restaurant in NYC in the near future. Should we be so fortunate!

La Tasquita de Enfrente, Calle Ballesta, 6, Madrid, +34-915-325-449

No online reservations. You have to call Juanjo.

Getaria

The NYTimes has put Getaria on the 2013 Travel List

They say:

From San Sebastián, it’s just a 25-minute drive, mostly along a gorgeously winding waterfront highway, to Getaria. For centuries, this fishing village was all about a quiet maritime life, with boats bobbing in the small port, and seaside restaurants grilling excellent fish (and becoming renowned among gastronomically picky Basques). For centuries, Getaria’s most famous local son was the navigator Juan Sebastián Elcano, who sailed with Magellan and was the first to circumnavigate the globe in the early 16th century. But more recently, a local boy went out and became a fashion icon. After decades of squabbling over funding, the Cristóbal Balenciaga Museum finally opened in summer 2011, drawing a sophisticated design set to Getaria’s twisting medieval central streets, and filling its restaurants and hotels with travelers from Paris, Madrid and beyond. — Sarah Wildman

Near Getaria

Plaza de Abastos Market, Logroño, La Rioja

Plaza de Abastos market in Logroño, Rioja

Salt cod

Winter greens

Riojan beans

Pedro of Frutas Pedro

Fresh garlic

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

We recently attended an olive harvest and oil-pressing day Moreda de Álava, in the Rioja Alavesa region. The oil was produced from Arrónig olives, a little known olive variety common in the Rioja and Navarra regions before olives trees were ripped out or abandoned 30 to 40 years ago to make way for grape vines. Now some local farmers are reclaiming olive groves and putting them into production for extra-virgin olive oil. And many of the groves are Arrónig groves.

At the olive oil mill the bags and baskets of Arrónig olives were unloaded and the olives were quickly pressed into a green-golden liquid. Once the oil was bottled we tasted freshly pressed oil. We tasted it in the blue glasses used in olive oil tastings and we tasted it drizzled on freshly baked Spanish bread. The oil is spicy and burns slightly, similar to the oil made from Andalusian Picual olives. Given the limited production of olive oil made with Arrónig olives, we may not hear much about the oil outside of Rioja and Navarra, but it is worth seeking out. I'm thinking it would be a spicy addition to those alubias de Tolosa (Tolosa beans).

I found a recent article on olive oil written by Mediterranean food expert and cookbook author Nancy Harmon Jenkins, in which she discusses the role of the olive variety in the taste of olive oils. Olive Oil: Tasting the Differences, from The Art of Eating.

Spanish Basque Country

Basque country hills