Day 1 - Arrival in Barcelona Meet for lunch at a top Bistronomic restaurant in Barcelona. These Bistronomic restaurants are making news for their market-driven contemporary approach to Catalan cuisine, and many appear in the 2011 Michelin guide. Share a guided walking tour through the Modernist District, stopping by architect Antoni Gaudi’s most famous buildings. Enjoy a private minibus up to the hilltop overlooking Barcelona to visit Gaudi’s Parc Guell and savor an unforgettable view of the city. Day 2 - Barcelona . Tour Barcelona’s famous Boqueria Market, guided by a culinary expert who will highlight the market’s stellar seafood and charcuterie selections. Next, take a walking tour through the Gothic Quarter, stopping in specialty food shops for tastings of Catalan cheese, charcuterie, pastries, and even artisanal candy. Meet for lunch in an avant-garde tapas restaurant. Afterward, delight in a chocolate-making demonstration and tasting with a Catalan chocolatier whose shops are found in Barcelona, Tokyo and New York. As the sun sets, gather on the seaside terrace of a traditional Catalan restaurant, where the owner, Enrique, will hand select the wines to accompany memorable seafood and rice dishes. Day 3 - Priorat Today, say a fond farewell to Barcelona as you head inland to some of the most celebrated wineries in Spain. A specialist on the Priorat wine region will lead a tour of some of the region’s top wineries, perhaps including Mas Martinet, Mas Doix or Mas Alta. The spectacularly mountainous Priorat is famed for deep red wines favored by Robert Parker. The owners and winemakers will join the tour and share their expertise and wine-making philosophies while visitors enjoy private tastings. A delicious lunch, accompanied by the cellar’s wines, awaits in Clos de l’Obac Winery’s contemporary eatery, Costers del Segere, which is considered the region’s finest restaurant. This evening, unwind with a guided wine tasting and tapas dinner at the Priorat village hotel. Day 4 - La Rioja This morning, the group will leisurely make its way through the countryside from one wine region to another, from Priorat to La Rioja, for two days of wine touring, strolls through medieval villages, and tastings in underground wine cellars. In Campo de Borja, enjoy an extensive and exclusive visit to an olive oil producer, where you will wander amidst the olive trees, explore the mill and farm, and savor a private formal tasting. The owners will then treat the group to a home-cooked lunch right on the premises. Upon arriving in La Rioja, spend some time relaxing on the rooftop terrace of the luxury hotel in which you will spend the night. Enjoy a drink while appreciating the panoramic views of the city, then savor a dinner of spectacular Riojan pintxos in one of the many wonderful restaurants nearby. Day 5 - La Rioja - San Sebastián Visit a wine producer during an exclusive tour arranged especially for your group. After a wine tasting guided by the winery owner, experience a defining Riojan meal of baby lamb roasted over grapevine cuttings. Marvel at the taste of this lamb, which is like none other because the lambs are milk-fed and the grape vine fuel imparts a unique, sweet flavor to the meat. Following this special lunch, enjoy a visit to another renowned winery, with plenty of time to savor the wine and discuss winemaking with the cellar owner. This afternoon, head toward the coast to the beautiful, elegant city of San Sebastián, where the group will savor an exceptional pintxos tour in the Parte Vieja, guided by an engaging local resident and specialist in Basque cuisine. Day 6 - San Sebastián Your epicurean guide leads a morning visit to a remarkable market in San Sebastián’s old town before escorting the group out of town, headed toward the verdant Basque hills to visit an artisanal cheese maker. This young producer has revived ancient traditions, and produces both creamy sheep’s milk and cow’s milk cheeses. Travel down to the coast to tour a Txakoli winery, where after tasting the light white wine, everyone will enjoy a simple lunch with the winemaker. After an afternoon at leisure, consider enjoying a signature dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant. Arzak, Mugaritz, and Martin Berasatequi are three of the extraordinary choices available. Day 7 - San Sebastián Enjoy a marvelous coastal walk today, from the heart of San Sebastián to the fishing village of Pasajes de San Juan, gently climbing Monte Ulia along the way. After a picturesque 3-mile walk along the scenic and rugged coastline, arrive at La Plata Lighthouse before turning down to the large fishing village of Pasajes de San Juan. Enjoy a spectacular lunch overlooking the water in this charming village that inspired Victor Hugo to write the 1843 Voyage aux Pyrenees. Day 8 - San Sebastián Enjoy the scenic drive to the seaside city of Bilbao and accompany your guide on a private tour of this seaside city. Marvel in its changing architectural face, from the unique transparent subway entrances designed by Sir Norman Foster, to Frank Gehry’s famed Guggenheim Museum, which changed Bilbao from an industrial port city to a prime tourist destination. Tour the building and the impressive permanent collection, with time to visit temporary exhibitions of particular interest. After the completion of the museum tour, enjoy lunch in the museum’s exciting restaurant, or enjoy a scenic drive into the Urkiola mountains to the picturesque hamlet of Axpe, where a delicious late lunch awaits at Extebarri, one of the world’s best restaurants. Its chef has invented a series of personal cookware that perfectly grills everything, from fresh oysters and baby eels to mouth-watering steak. Savor these delicacies with the chef’s renowned homemade smoked butter. In the early evening back in San Sebastián, partake in a cooking class in a traditional Gastronomic Club frequented by leading chefs and culinary aficionados, and renowned as the most prestigious gastronomic society in the region. Your Basque chef will lead you in the creation of a multi-course meal accompanied by regional wines. Day 9 - French Basque Country Journey across the border into French Basque Country to enjoy a spectacular market visit, followed by a simple lunch in St. Jean de Luz, a lovely coastal town. Marvel at the spectacular seascape and savor the picturesque views before returning to San Sebastián. The tour will culminate with a highlight dinner at one of the region’s best Basque restaurants. Day 10 - Departure Private transfer to the Barcelona airport for your return voyage. Notes: The trip price is based on the included services and the number of people traveling. Trips start from $400 per person per day. This trip is available year round and is fully customizable, whether your ideal trip would last three days or three weeks. Please contact Epicurean Ways for detailed information and suggestions. Let us help you complete your Spanish experience. 
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