Grape Harvest-a Smashing Good Time

Highlights of your unforgettable visit include:

Accommodations in an authentic villa near a local village in the heart of the Priorat wine Region
Guided tour and instruction in the vineyards on grape picking and the wine-making process and opportunities to practice your new skills
Two visits to exceptional Spanish wineries including tours of the cellars and vineyards, and complete with wine tastings
Excellent dining for lunches and dinner consisting of traditional Spanish fare paired with extraordinary wines
Fine dining experience in a restaurant owned by the most famous Priorat wine-maker pairing the wines from his vineyards with Spanish cuisine
*An authentic wine-making festival including breakfast, grape picking, wine tastings and wine stomping!* (4th day extension only)

Day 1topYou will start your stay with airport pickup and transfer to the heart of the Priorat wine region. From the moment you arrive to the Priorat area, you will see first hand the preparations for the most authentic and the most anticipated time of year in this area, harvest time! You will arrive to a charming villa, which is a converted country farmhouse, in a restful region of the countryside and complete with the vineyards on the grounds. Upon arrival to the villa, you will be introduced to the villa owners, who will prepare an informal country dinner for you tonight with the freshest products from the garden and villa’s pantry, along with special homemade wines.

Day 2topAfter an early breakfast at the villa we will start out for a morning at the vineyards. As an introduction to the surrounding vineyards we will ascend to the “balcony of Priorat” for a panoramic view of this magical land. From this overlook, you can see for miles into the surrounding vineyards, and at harvest time, you will see evidence of the season, from grape pickers in the fields to vineyard preparations. And now, it will be time for us to roll up our sleeves and join the locals in the scene below!

Descending from the overlook we will go into the vineyards where you yourself will pick the ripe bunches of grapes. The Priorat wine region is recognized as the best in Spain by world famous wine expert Robert Parker. Our friend, the proprietor of the vineyard, will tell us a little about the Priorat region, and then will show us how to recognize which grapes are ready to harvest, how to properly cut the vines, and how to store them in the traditional rustic wicker baskets. Those who prefer not to be in the vines will enjoy observing this marvelous spectacle instead!

After our hard work, we will be rewarded with a savory country picnic lunch and tastings of the fruit of our labours with delicious local wines! Moving into the shade of the vineyards, we will unpack our picnic and dine on the finest cheeses and meats, olives, breads and the best wines in the Priorat region and relax in the autumn afternoon!

Once you are rejuvenated, you will visit the Scaladei vineyard, where monks began harvesting grapevines here more than a thousand years ago! At this historic and acclaimed vineyard, you will taste their wines, and then have dinner at the best local restaurant in the ancient town, complemented by the vineyards choicest selections.

Day 3topAfter yesterday’s hard work of harvesting, today we will relax with visits to the best vineyards of the zone, where we will have the privilege to see first-hand, part of the wine making process, from the harvest point onward. The vineyard of Costers de Siurana produces several wines that are internationally acclaimed as amongst the best reserve wines in the world. Their vintage wines begin as all home grown grapes, in the traditional style vineyards, planted on the steep sloping terrain of the Priorat. At this vineyard you will taste some of their exceptional wines and will learn of the specialized wine-making process.

Following your excursion into the vineyard, you will have lunch at a local restaurant in a nearby village and taste more of the fine wines you tried this morning. Enjoy a siesta at the villa and perhaps meander through the olive groves or take a stroll by the vegetable garden.

Dinner tonight will be at the best restaurant in all of the Priorat, owned by a famous winemaker and sommelier, Rene Barbier, who rediscovered the Priorat wine region together with Alvaro Palacios. Expect nothing but the finest pairings of wines from the Priorat with your sumptuous dinner this evening. Starting with several tastings from barrel samples in an ageing room of exceptional wines like Clos Figueras, Celler Laurona, and La Vinya del Vuit, you will then move into a beautiful dining room for delicatessens like octopus and blood sausage in pear reduction or rare filet mignon with mushroom sauce. You are in for a fine wine and dining experience this evening!

Day 4topYour tour concludes with a lovely breakfast at your hotel, followed by a transfer to Barcelona for your departure. Thank you for joining us for this unforgettable experience!

*If you book the Grape Harvest tour for the second week of September, then an optional extension of a day is available to participate in a local wine festival! The description of the extension for Day 4 is below:

*Day 4

In the heart of the Priorat wine region, a local village celebrates harvest time in the traditional and ancient style! The village’s Town Hall arranges all of the festivities, and they begin bright and early when the town bells summon the villagers to the plaza to begin the harvest day! Dressed in the traditional outfits, complete with skirts, aprons and straw hats, and equipped with the corresponding harvesting tools of the time, including carts pulled by mules, you will think you have stumbled into another era! The townspeople (and us) will ceremoniously leave the village on foot and head to the hill selected for harvest, where the hand picked grapes will be collected. After an hour of hard work picking the grapes, there will be a typical Spanish breakfast in the plaza of the village for all of the morning participants!

Once you’ve had breakfast, it is back to work! Throughout the main plaza, half barrels filled with freshly picked grapes are set-up for grape stomping. Roll your pant legs up and literally "jump in" on making next year’s local wines! At the festival more than 20 of Priorat region’s best vineyards will have stands in the plaza and you will have the opportunity to taste and compare their wines. Local artisans and craft makers also bring their traditional products for an afternoon of tasting and seeing!

In the afternoon you will have lunch in a local restaurant in the village to continue the revelry of this festive occasion. Once you have had your fill of celebrating, a siesta at your peaceful villa awaits.

This evening at the villa you will have a farewell dinner, accompanied by the best wines of the region. Surely now you will be able to tell the differences between the wines of the region and have selected your favorite to celebrate the end of a harvest day!

Day 5 topOur tour concludes with a lovely breakfast at your villa, followed by a transfer to Barcelona for your departure. We hope you join us for this unforgettable experience!.
Your tour includes:topEnglish speaking expert culinary guide/chauffeur at your entire disposal All transfers Accommodations for 3 nights in authentic Spanish Villa (double occupancy) 3 full breakfasts (4 for breakfast with the optional day) All the excursions and tastings indicated in the itinerary 3 dinners married with wines (4 for dinner with optional day) 1 lunch including wine in local restaurant (2 for lunch with optional day) 1 country picnic lunch including wine Customized guidebook with itineraries, maps and suggestions for your free time Travel Insurance Your tour does not include:
Flights Meals and Drinks not Specified Personal Expenses such as Telephone, Minibar, etc Tips and Gratuities (Restaurants, etc) Cancellation Insurance Tour dates:
Available upon request all year round.