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Food & Wine
Get a deeper understanding of our culinary and wine making traditions as you indulge in two of life's pleasures on your custom private escorted Northern Spain tour with us. World renowned chefs shine with their Michelin stars, yet deep rooted traditional foods are the real heroes of Northern Spain's gastronomy. Rioja leads the charge for Spain, but there are more wine areas with outstanding variety, many of the best unknown to most outside Spain.
food /fo͞od/
Any nutritious substance that people eat or drink in order to maintain life, and in many cases enjoy.
Food is an important part of life in Spain. It is a central component of traditional culture and rightfully so. Meals are made to be enjoyed slowly in the company family and friends, not on the run. The geography of the area, with everything from ocean to high mountains, provides the perfect pantry for the freshest, local products including seafood, meats, vegetables, wild mushrooms and game. Love to eat local when you travel? Tons of variety in Northern Spain from one region to the next.
wine /wīn/
An alcoholic drink made from fermented grape juice.
Rioja and its tempranillo grapes are on most people’s radar, and deservedly so. Many of our lesser known, yet equally (or more) impressive varieties and wine growing areas will surprise you though if you are an oenophile. Mencia, prieto picudo or txacoli may not be familiar but you will remember them after your tour. Throughout history, much of rural Spain has cultivated vineyards and we find a long standing tradition of wine making. Wineries we can visit range from traditional, small family owned operations to larger state of the art, modern facilities.
Are food and wine an important part of your travel experiences? Experience some of the world´s best on your private, escorted Northern Spain Tour with us. Your Chief Experience Officer, Charles, will custom design your tour, guided by your interests and tailor an experience that will exceed your expectations. A Northern Spain food tour or a Northern Spain wine tour can be a focus for your custom tour. My tour area covers traditional Northern Spain, including the regions of Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Euskadi (Basque Country), Navarra, La Rioja and northern Castilla & Leon (Leon, Palencia and Burgos).
Northern Spain Food & Wine on the Net
A taste of the Basque Country with José Pizarro
Yes, the Basque Country has a reputation for culinary innovation and modern techniques, but its history and traditions go way back, and the celebration of these can be seen every day on the streets of San Sebastián and across the whole region. With the Cantabrian Sea on the doorstep, fishing has always been a big part of the Basque economy, with fishermen bringing in the catch and women selling it at the fish markets. Fishing was, and still is, at the heart of the lives of many families in the region. Some of my favourite Basque fish recipes have literally come off the boats; these are dishes the fishermen would cook for sustenance while out at sea, such as marmitako (a type of fish stew).
Bodegas Artuke: the Rioja winemakers leading the region's terroir charge
Traditionally speaking, age has been the biggest focus for wines from Spain’s Rioja region – but the ‘Rioja ‘n’ Roll’ collective is putting an emphasis on terroir instead.Fintan Kerr speaks to one of its founding members, Bodegas Artuke...
Top 100 Wines of Spain 2021
Just over a month ago, we finished our tasting of 1,500 Spanish wines, and from those we whittled our list down to the Top 100 for 2021. Above all, it shows that the country is currently at a crossroads of change, with innovative, young producers joining and sometimes surpassing their well-versed and traditional cohort in making superb wines in a mosaic of styles from revived vineyards, cooler terroirs and forgotten grapes.
San Sebastian – Top Food Experiences - Taste the World
The world's top food experiences are memorable because they come with a real sense of place. Here are four must-try culinary moment for your bucket list and it isn't always about fine dining. San Sebastian. is famous for having one of the highest concentrations of Michelin stars anywhere – but it’s not these restaurants that make San Sebastián a must for your culinary bucket list. It’s the Basque version of tapas
The cuisine of La Rioja
La Rioja is situated on the Camino de Santiago route. It is a land of travellers and exchange, where relationships are formed and culture and customs interchanged. All this is reflected in its gastronomy which, apart from providing the traveller with the opportunity to taste top quality wines, has also been very much influenced by its neighbouring regions, adapting the dishes with that touch of exquisite simplicity so typical from this area.