Barcelona/Emporada, Spain - 6 nights
Available year round

Designed exclusively for Active Gourmet Holidays' clients, this Wine & Chocolate Lovers tour is for those who wish to indulge in all the delicious delights of what Spain has to offer. Your six night adventure includes a stay at luxury four star accommodations, private guided visits to wineries, walking tours of  cultural places of interest, a cooking class with a local Catalan chef, and divine chocolate tastings that will leave your palate feeling very happy it found its way to this treasured part of Spain!

ITINERARY

DAY ONE

Your vacation starts with airport pickup and chauffeured transfer in a luxury vehicle to your charming and cozy, 4-star luxury hotel at a former Duque palace within the Gothic District of downtown Barcelona.

Today you will be able to relax and unwind after your long journey, and surely after freshening up you will feel ready to venture out to have a preliminary view of some of the many marvelous places offered by this cosmopolitan city! We will provide you with plenty of suggestions on where to go and what to do.

DAY TWO

Today you will experience Barcelona to the fullest! After breakfast your tour guide will meet you at nine o´ clock at your hotel and from there you will head to La Boqueria, Spain’s most important market which will surely fascinate you with the wide and colorful variety of produce, fish, meats and more it offers! It is definitely one of the most representative places in the city.

Next you will walk next door for a delicious snack at a lovely and picturesque artisan chocolate shop. The building – once home to a Catalan family - was remodeled in the early 1900´s by a famous scenographer, who certainly did a marvelous job, as you will see for yourself!

Your journey will pass by a few architectural feats as well, including the beautiful Gothic cathedral, the Santa Maria del Mar church, la Plaza del Rei etc. Your expert guide will show you the remnants of the city’s Roman and medieval past. You will wind through the narrow streets lined by beautiful Romanesque walls, while the guide explains to you the fascinating history of Barcelona and the region in general.

Afterwards, you will visit a charming local cheese shop to enjoy some home made Spanish cheeses, which are manufactured with carefully selected ingredients. The shop owner personally makes sure that both cheeses and wines are a perfect match, so you are sure to enjoy her suggestions!

For lunch you will probably be ready to try one of Spain’s most popular dishes: Tapas! We are confident that you will enjoy tasting them in an authentic tapas restaurant, where you will be able to choose from a wide variety. Your expert guide will gladly share with you each tapa’s ingredients and their origins, which could range from stuffed piquillo peppers, cod omelet, Iberian ham pincho or even white anchovies. A delightful local wine will accompany your informal gourmand meal.

To add to your indulgent day, we will take you on a visit to Barcelona’s sweetest spot, The Chocolate Museum, where you will learn about the origins of chocolate and how it was brought to Europe. After learning about the methods used by the Aztecs to make this precious sweet, you will have a few tastings of your own!

You will be provided with many suggestions or you are free to venture out to the cosmopolitan Barcelona this evening!

DAY THREE

This morning you will meet your guide at nine at your hotel and together you will head to the spectacular and world renowned La Sagrada Familia, where you will enjoy a private guided visit, followed by a walking tour of the Passeig de Gracia where you will appreciate the fanciful works of Spanish architect Gaudi, such as his famous Casa Batllo, created in a mosaic with bright colors and unique shapes. The tour will lead you to a visit and remarkable rooftop view from La Pedrera, Gaudi's renowned architectural accomplishment, which is in the most chic area of the city.

Once you have finished exploring the world of Gaudi and worked up an appetite, we will stop at a sophisticated and fashionable gourmet chocolate boutique for a private tasting of the city’s most sophisticated chocolates married with the best sweet Spanish and French wines. Many of these chocolate recipes were created by Albert Adria, the dessert chef of famous restaurant "El Bulli", and the brother of the most famous chef in Spain, Ferran Adria.

This afternoon you will be free to venture out and discover the many amenities Barcelona offers or perhaps enjoy again the secret corners of La Rambla and the fashionable Born District shown to you previously by our guide. As always, we can provide many suggestions!

To add more to today’s wonderful experiences, tonight you are booked into a very unique place for dinner where the dishes are entirely based on desserts! The cooking geniuses at this restaurant have converted typically salty dishes to sweet, and vice versa, creating a tasting revolution and a one of-a-kind experience. How would you like to try one of the most delicious and appetizing chocolate desserts this evening? The coulant de chocolate is certainly on the menu and will impress the sweet tooth of even the greatest chocolate connoisseur.

DAY FOUR

This morning a car rental representative will deliver your premium automatic vehicle with GPS to your hotel.

Today’s adventure starts with a visit to a cava cellar known worldwide as one of the most important vineyards in the Penedés region. The modernist style cellar was designed by the famous architect Puig i Cadafalch at the turn of the 20th century. These top quality sparkling Spanish wines are made using traditional Champagne-making methods, but with a blend of the classic Penedes region grape varieties of Macabeo, Xarel•lo and Parellada. During your private visit with an in house expert you will enjoy the beautiful gardens and huge, impressive, unique in the world underground stone cellars and several private tastings!

At this point you will surely welcome a lavish lunch, and for that we have selected the perfect setting, a modernist type centenary cellar where you will be able to choose among a wide and delicious variety of dishes.

Your day will continue with a private visit to a traditional, family owned cellar, where they specialize in biodynamic wines. You will be amazed how the "intervention" of bees, sheep, and lunar phases can help to create outstanding wines. The grapes in this vineyard are all hand picked to ensure harvest at the ideal time for each vine. Additionally, the owners of the vineyard make their own olive oil, and they will explain the process and properties of this "liquid gold" and invite you to a tasting.

After a day of such variety you will probably be ready to retreat to your new home for the next 3 nights - an authentic Spanish medieval castle, an architectural jewel that was built eight centuries ago. Unwind after the city hustle and bustle by exploring the hundred-year-old forest and a splendid olive orchard surrounding the hotel, overlooking the hills of the picturesque Emporda countryside. This leisurely evening can be spent getting acquainted with the grounds of the castle and enjoying all the amenities of your fairy tale residence (including a gorgeous swimming pool) before a romantic dinner by candlelight. Or maybe you would prefer to explore the picturesque seaside fishing villages a short drive away? The choice is yours, we are at your disposal with suggestions or, if you would like, an optional excursion.

DAY FIVE

Today you will head to the Perelada Winery in Emporda region. There you will make a complete visit to this famous cellar with a long tradition of wine making, initiated in the 14th century by Carmelite monks. You will stroll along the beautiful vineyards, where our expert will show you the local vine and soil types. Then you will visit the cellar and learn about the wine making techniques; afterwards you will cross the lane to a 13th century Romanesque Castle, which is home to an ancient wine press and current wine making facilities.

You will finish your visit with a taste of a variety of cavas, whites and reds in the cellar, then learn to note the balanced coupage of xarelo, macabeu and Parellada grapes in the finest cavas. The Gran Claustre cava or Grand Cloister cava, which is the finest cava available at this vineyard, is still fermented in the same process and location of the 14th century Carmelite monks. This cava was selected in a blind tasting between the world’s finest champagnes to be served at the wedding of the Spanish Prince.

At this point your guide will meet with you to take you to your cooking class, where you will be the special guest of a local Catalan chef at his modern, but still cozy cooking school, just a 15-minute drive from Perelada. You and your guide will join him for an afternoon of modern tapas, inspired by Dali, paella and wine in Catalan style and certainly your delicious Spanish meal will be completed with a local chocolate dessert.

You will have the opportunity to participate in the chef’s preparations or, if you prefer, you can sit back with a glass of wine and enjoy his cooking from aperitif to dessert. Our chef appears frequently on local TV and has a charming personality, so feel free to ask him everything you would like to know about the Spanish cuisine!

In the afternoon you and your guide will visit the Dali Museum only ten minutes away. The great artist purchased the museum building and personally oversaw its reconstruction and renovation. Now restored in a style appealing to Dali, it is home to some of his greatest works of surrealism. Our guide is a great expert on Dali's work, so during your private visit you can ask him all the unofficial and unconfessed secrets about the artist!

Surely after a day of cultural and culinary experiences you will welcome retreating to your beautiful hotel in Emporda, or maybe taking a scenic walk on the picturesque seaside paths nearby.

DAY SIX

Today your guide will lead you around the city of Girona, where the influence of Arab, Christian and Jewish cultures is apparent. From the remains of the Arab baths, to the magnificent Catholic cathedral, to the curiosities of the Jewish Quarter, you will explore all three cultures and see where they resided within the walls of this city centuries ago. You will discover a magnificent cathedral with the widest Gothic nave in all of Europe, and also meander through the famed Jewish Quarter, where each winding narrow street brings quaint and specialized shops to discover the local foods and artisans.

Lunch this afternoon will be at a 3-star Michelin Celler de Can Roca restaurant, owned by three local Catalan brothers. Local recipes are the inspiration for the exquisite dishes served here, from delectable parfaits to the most appreciated wild mushroom soufflé. The enthusiasm and creativity of Chef Joan in his cooking is only matched by sommelier Josep’s expertise at pairing the perfect wines with your dinner. Both are complemented by the third brother, Jordi, and his delightful desserts. From aperitif to dessert, you will remember this dining experience for years to come!　

Following your nonpareil lunch, we suggest you to enjoy a free afternoon in Girona – it is the perfect place to do some shopping, whether you would like some Spanish designer clothes or some special souvenirs to take back home for your loved ones.

DAY SEVEN

Your tour concludes with a lovely breakfast at your hotel where you will be able to return the cell phone at reception, followed by your last drive through the enchanting Catalan countryside to Barcelona airport for your departure, where you will be able to return your car.

If you prefer, we can also arrange for you a chauffeured transfer. We hope you join us for this unforgettable experience!

GROUP SIZE

A minimum of 2 participants is required to run this tour and the tour is limited to a maximum of 6 participants. (Please inquire about larger groups)

BOOKING INFORMATION

For further inquiries or to register, click here.

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CANCELLATION POLICY

Please contact us for cancellation policy information. Travel insurance is highly recommended.  

CLIENT REMARKS

Furnished upon request.

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MAP*

This exciting region is depicted below. You can also access Google MapsTM by clicking HERE. 

*In some cases mapping may give clients a general sense of location due to changes in venue. Please inquire about specific location.

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