CASTILLA Y LEON

Ready for our maiden voyage trip of Viniesta Trips! On this 7 day foodie adventure, you'll experience the best of Castilla y Leon, an often overlooked region of Spain. We will meet the local heroes of the natural wine movement, eat some of the best and traditional dishes in unforgettable settings and gain a cultural insight that only comes from eating, drinking and rubbing shoulders with the locals! Are you ready?!

ITINERARY

DAY 1

Welcome to Madrid! Get checked in to your centrally located boutique hotel and let the adventure begin! In the evening, meet your host for the trip in the lobby and you will be escorted to a fantastic local bistro and wine bar where you’ll jump right into the culture with local eats and outstanding wine.
Sleep in Madrid.

DAY 2

Your driver and guide will be ready to pick you up to begin your wine adventure. Together, from the hotel, we’ll drive 1hour north into the province of Castilla y Leon to the city of Segovia. On arrival, we’ll meet a fantastic local host in Segovia who will show us its centuries of settlement that have resulted in a rich architectural legacy, including medieval walls, a Gothic cathedral and the iconic ancient Roman aqueduct. Our next stop is to an incredible producer, Microbio Wines, aka República Independiente del Verdejo 🤟, under President Ismael Gozalo. Ismael’s family owns some of the oldest (between 100-200 years old) ungrafted pre-phylloxera vines. We’ll enjoy an awesome afternoon with Ismael and learn all about his process and wines, and of course, enjoy a tasting led by el presidente himself! Then get ready for a fantastic culinary treat as we enjoy a cochinillo (suckling piglet) lunch, right at the winery. After lunch, we’ll then drive up to the heart of the Ribera del Duero and check into our fantastic hotel and spa for a relaxing evening.
Sleep in Ribera del Duero.

DAY 3

After a great breakfast, we’ll meet up and head for a brief visit to the Peñafiel Castle. We’ll learn about its history and local significance, and enjoy the stunning views from the top. Following this cultural visit, we’ll drive east to visit another hero in the world of Spanish natural wines, Julián Ben Hamou López from Bodegas Coruña del Conde. The passion and history that he brings to his wines are unmatched and here we will learn all about his project, visit the cellar, taste his wines, and when your bellies start to rumble, we’ll enjoy a traditional Lechal (roast suckling lamb) lunch right at the bodega. Bellies full, we will start out drive back to the hotel,
Sleep in Ribera del Duero.

DAY 4

In the morning we will check out of the hotel, and drive west into the D.O Toro. A region known for having some of the most intense and heavy reds in the whole country. Within that intensity, lays one rebel, or Bigardo! Enter Kiko Calvo, and his unique ways of making wines. We will hang out with Kiko and find out what makes his wines and wine-making style so unique. We will let him be our host to check out the most interesting historical sites in the town of Toro, and head down into a subterranean cellar. We’ll then head out to the fields to see where the magic happens and enjoy a tasting with Kiko in his cellar. Following this visit, we’ll head to Kiko’s family restaurant for some down-home cooking, Toro style! After lunch, we’ll then drive an hour south to reach our hotel, located on an organic wine farm and spa. Enjoy a restful and relaxing evening. Spa and massages can be booked upon request.
Sleep outside Salamanca.

DAY 5

We’ll start the day in the city of Salamanca. Meet your local host for a tour of the most important city sites, including the old and new cathedrals. Salamanca is a lively and vibrant, diverse University city. It is a World Heritage Site with a multitude of hidden corners and historic buildings, all located within the historic center. Having sated our cultural curiosity in the morning, we will then discover the gastronomic side of Salamanca and enjoy a tapas bar crawl, tasting some of the best this classic Spanish city has to offer, all paired with excellent local wines. In the late afternoon, we’ll head back to your hotel to enjoy the spa.
Sleep outside Salamanca.

DAY 6

For our final day of this Castilla y Leon gastronomic adventure, we’ll check out of your hotel and drive south for a truly special experience with a visit to Aljomar Jamones for a proper Jamon Iberico tasting and workshop on how to cut the leg. After this visit, we will get back on the road to head back toward Madrid, but not before stopping off for a visit, tasting, and lunch with the OG of Garnacha de Gredos, Daniel Ramos! Daniel is making some of the purest and most representative wines of the region with old vine Garnacha and Albillo grapes. Learning about his project and wines will be a great cap to our adventure. We will then continue along, arriving in Madrid in the early evening to get you settled at your hotel. After a few hours to rest and regroup, we will have our final hooray! Can’t leave Spain without a good night out in Madrid! We’ll meet up as a group and enjoy a final night of wining and dining and have a fun farewell toast!
Sleep in Madrid.

DAY 7

Check out in the morning and we look forward to seeing you on another Viniesta Trip!

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Itinerary

General Information

GENERAL INFORMATION

Included:

Fun and knowledgeable trip leader for the whole plan
6 nights in charming boutique hotels, shared room
6 breakfasts
Welcome dinner and wine tasting in a fantastic local bistro
5 unique, traditional, and tasty lunches with wine
Farewell Tapas dinner with wine
4 private vineyard visits and tastings with top natural winemakers
Private tour of Salamanca
Private tour of Segovia
Visit and taste at leading Jamón producer
Airport pick up and drop off in Madrid

Excluded:

Flights
Trip insurance
Meals not mentioned
Incidental expenses
Add-on activities

Dates:

Mar. 26th - Apr. 1st, 2023

Group Size:

16 participants maximum

Price:

€4,250 per person (in a double room)
Single supplement: €525

Please note that all prices are listed in Euros. Check online for current conversion rates.

Registration

Please contact us using the following form if you would like to sign up, or if you have any questions. We will get back to you asap.