Short Break to Inland Galicia: Discovering the Wine Country

 
 
wine-country-inland-galicia7.jpg Sil Canyons
galicia-short-break-wine-country-trails03.jpg San Xoan De Mourentan Bridge, Arbo
wine-country-inland-galicia8.jpg Ribadavia
wine-country-inland-galicia9.jpg Ribadavia
wine-country-inland-galicia6.jpg Ribadavia
galicia-short-break-wine-country-trails06.jpg Sil river boat Ride
galicia-short-break-wine-country-trails07.jpg Casa Grande De Almuiña
wine-country-inland-galicia5.jpg Boat ride
wine-country-inland-galicia3.jpg Algueira
wine-country-inland-galicia4.jpg Algueira
wine-country-inland-galicia2.jpg Galician Cuisine
wine-country-inland-galicia1.jpg Grilled Octopues
 
 

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4 Days / 3 Nights

Vigo

On Request Best Rate

 
On this short break to inland Galicia you will discover Inland Galicia, an unknown land full of legends. You will explore some of the main wine areas of Galicia: Ribeiro, Ribeira Sacra and many other surprises.
 
Highlights
 
  • Slow-paced tour to explore the inland part of Galicia 
  • Walk through old wine country roads and visit the wine museum
  • Visit 4 wineries and try some of their best wines
  • Discover the Miño river valley, which separates Galicia from Portugal
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General Overview

Country: Spain
Region: Galicia
City: Vigo
Duration: 4 Days / 3 Nights
Lodging: (More details)
Type: Chauffeur Driven Tour, Experience Packages, Private Group Tour
Theme: Food & Wine Tours, Short breaks in Spain and Portugal
Group Size: 2 to 8 People
Price from: On Request Best Rate€
Transport: (More details)
 

Introduction

Grapes & Gastronomy: visit the best wineries in Galicia

On this short break to inland Galicia, we will move away from the coast we follow the course of the river into the Miño river valley, a magical land on both sides of the river Miño a natural border separating Galicia from Northern Portugal.  Starting the day with a winery visit and tasting in the sub-zone of Condado de Tea (Tea County) which is part of the D.O. Rías Baixas. We will take a picturesque walk down at the river, following along a beautiful woodland path coming out where the rapids are and we will see the wall-like construction (Pesqueira) jutting out into the current tides with conical nets hooked to them. They have been used since Roman times to catch the lamprey eel a delicacy in the area. People come from all over during the season of the lamprey to taste it. On both sides of the Miño, they prepare the lamprey eel and they both make wine from the same grape Albariño/Alvarinho. You will get a taste of the wine made on each side of the river border and you will walk right across into Portugal´s D.O.C. Vinho Verde wine country!

Discover the rivers Sil and Miño in the Wine Country of D.O Ribeira Sacra

Exploring deeper inland Galicia we encounter a sacred wine country... D.O. Ribeira Sacra. The Romans first cultivated the vineyards alongside the banks of the rivers Sil and Miño. The monks continued it, but then the area was abandoned for years. Fortunately, Ribeira Sacra has undergone a renaissance over the last three decades since people have been coming back and replanting the terrace and making some of the best wines in the world. Such a hard land to cultivate taking years to build and with a steep slope incline of up to 86 degrees! No wonder the area is known as heroic viticulture. The most well-known grape varieties are Mencia (red) and Godello (white), but Albariño (white) is also planted here as well as other local indigenous varieties.

You will take a wine country walk to a viewpoint to admire the views of the river and vines then visit a winery with a VIP tasting including lunch at the restaurant of the winery. Then down to Sil River to take a boat ride to admire the vines from a different angle.

Get to Know the Oldest Appellation of origin in Galicia: D.O Ribeiro

Our journey continues to the neighbouring wine region D.O. Ribeiro. Another day of walking through old wine country roads and visiting the wine museum to learn the history of the oldest Appellation of Origin in Galicia. The heart of the wine country is a quaint town called Ribadavia with an interesting Jewish past which played a big part in the production of wine and is part of the Sephardic routes in Spain. Here we will taste the blended whites and reds as well as the mono-varietal of the Treixadura grape (white).

Experience a Show Cooking of Traditional Galician Cuisine

Our short break to inland Galicia comes to an end with a special show cooking farewell dinner of creative Galician cuisine.

For those who would like to extend their trip, we have add-ons down to Porto, Lisbon over to Seville and could end up in Madrid the capital city of Spain. Let us know and we can suggest the best way to combine the add-on either pre-tour or post-tour just ask one of our tour specialists.

NOTE:  We have also a Small Group Version of this tour, with chauffeur transportation and some more activities and excursions. If you are more interested in a tour of this sort, please check... Southern Galicia Coastal & Wine Country Walking Trails (See Add-ons)

Day by day itinerary

DAY 1:
VIGO AIRPORT - BAIXO MINO RIVER WINE COUNTRY  - AS NEVES

  • Upon arrival at the airport, meet your food & wine Guide in the lobby of your hotel.
  • We start with a drive to the quaint village of Arbo, land of the lamprey eel and Condado de Tea blended white wines with 70% Albariño and other local grapes.
  • Enjoy a detailed visit to the vineyard, and winery and a tasting at the winery Bodega Pazo de Almuiña.
  • After our visit, we go for lunch at a nearby traditional Galician Pazo (manor house) to try some of the local specialties with wines of the area. 
  • In the afternoon we will take a walk (5km./3.1mi. approx.) along the riverside and over the bridge into Portugal`s Vinho Verde wine region.
  • During our river trail walk, you will see the Pesqueiras, which are what local lamprey eel fishermen use to capture the Lamprey. They are stone walls jutting out into the river stream, a method used since Roman times.
  • After our walk, we will stop at the Portuguese winery Soalhiero.
  • Having tasted the same grape (the only difference is it is called Alvarinho in Portuguese!) over in Galicia you will now taste on this side of the border.
  • The wines will be paired with some of the artisan goat cheeses from the local farm Prados de Melgaco and cured smoked meats.
  • To get the best views from this side of the river we will take a stroll through the cobblestone streets of the village and climb the stairs to the top of the 12th-century defensive tower of Melgaco used in the past to look over the river at Galicia to make sure they are not planning an attack! 
  • Return back over into Arbo, continuing on to the neighbouring village of As Neves where we will be staying at a stylish gastronomic wine country hotel in the middle of nature which we will make our base for the next few nights.
  • Check-in and some free time to relax before dinner.
  • Dinner at the hotel
  • Overnight in As Neves

DAY 2:
AS NEVES  - RIBEIRA SACRA WINE COUNTRY - AS NEVES

  • Breakfast
  • Today we make our way to the Ribeira Sacra, A Sacred place of wine! Since Roman times they made wines here then the monks continued the tradition. 
  • 10:15AM: Arriving in the sub-zone Amandi, D.O. Ribeira Sacra, take a 1hr riverboat ride to see how steep the vineyards are cultivated on the terraces which are the most included in the world at over 80% incline!
  • Visit to winery Adega Algueira and enjoy a detailed visit of the winery and tasting of their Mencía, Godello, etc... wines
  • After the visit, you will have a traditional lunch in the restaurant of the winery.
  • To stretch your legs a bit after the meal we could go for a walk (3kms walking time about 45mins-1hr approx.) to the Mirador Pena do Castelo, a vantage viewpoint with a birds-eye view of the River Sil gorge.
  • Return back to our hotel in  As Neves
  • Some free time to relax before our special tasting and dinner.
  • The hotel we are staying at is owned by the winery Señorío de Rubios which is right beside the hotel, and we will take a brief visit this evening and a tasting of their award-winning wines.
  • Dinner at the hotel
  • Overnight in As Neves
DAY 3:
AS NEVES - RIBEIRO WINE COUNTRY - AS NEVES

  • Breakfast
  • Today we make our way to the village of Ribadavia, where you will meet up with our local guide to take a guided walk of the Camino del Vino wine trails of O Ribeiro Wine Country. (NOTE: Walk will be about 10km./6.21mi., with stops for visit will be about 4hrs. approx.)
  • Starting in San Clodio and ending in Ribadavia. We will pass through historic villages, and ancient wine cellars and stop to visit the Museo del Vino de Galicia (Galician Wine Museum)
  • Arriving back in Ribadavia, the capital of Ribeiro wine region and where they have the festival every year. Lunch will be in a gastro-bar restaurant offering local cuisine.
  • After lunch visit to Ribadavia The keys of the wine. A route through the historical quarter, learn about the Jewish past, and then a tasting of toasted wines.
  • Return back to our hotel in  As Neves
  • Some free time to relax before your special Goodbye Show Cooking Class and Dinner.
  • For your last dinner, we have a special treat for the group... Chef Fran Sotelino who is the head of the kitchen at the Hotel`s restaurant Horta e Viño will let you into his eco-garden and kitchen to help with the dinner tonight!
  • Your class will start by visiting the organically cultivated garden
  • Depending on the harvest and the date of the visit, the ingredients for the show-cooking could be collected for our class.
  • The Show-Cooking will be held in the kitchen of the restaurant
  • The menu will be 3 courses and change depending on the availability of products in the market and of course the garden. Normally the chef changes weekly his Menu del Mercado for the restaurant.  Examples of different dishes where you will find very special ingredients like line-caught hake fish from Celeiro, Galician beef, Arzúa-Ulloa D.O. cheeses, Requeixo cheese, and honey from As Neves, and many other regional ingredients used to create unique dishes.
  • An interactive gastronomic end to our journey in Southern Galicia
  • Overnight in As Neves
DAY 4:
AS NEVES - VIGO AIRPORT

  • Breakfast
  • Transfer to Vigo Airport
  • Final Goodbye from your food & wine expert driver/guide.
  • If you did want to extend your trip down to Porto, Lisbon over to Seville, and could end up in Madrid the capital city of Spain. Let us know and we can suggest the best way to combine the add-on post-tour just ask one of our tour experts.

END OF OUR SERVICES FOR THE SHORT BREAK TO INLAND GALICIA

Prices and Dates

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Included

  • 3 Nights accommodations in Double or Single Occupancy based on hotels specified (See Lodging section)
  • 3 (B): Breakfasts (daily except the day of arrival)
  • 3 (L): Lunches and 3 (D): Dinners with set menus as specified per itinerary 
  • Private English Speaking Driver.
  • Private English-speaking Food & Wine Expert Guide as per itinerary.
  • Transportation in a fully equipped vehicle as per itinerary depending on the group size. (See Transportation).
  • 4 Winery tours visits and tastings in the wine regions of Ribeiro, Ribeira Sacra,  Baixo Miño & Vinho Verde (Portugal) as specified in the itinerary selected by our food & wine specialists. We will meet the winemakers, owners, etc..
  • 1 Cooking Class/Demo: A mix of hands-on and demo cooking classes with local chefs in As Neves. The menu will be based on 3 courses or more.
  • 1 Eco-Garden Visit with the Chef to pick the ingredients of the show cooking in As Neves.
  • 1 Boat Ride in the Ribeira Sacra wine region for approx. 60mins. 
  • Local Taxes.

Excluded

  • Transportation not specified.
  • Meals not specified.
  • Porterage
  • City taxes in some location like in Barcelona and Porto to be paid directly at hotels when we check out if there is any of these taxes.
  • Any entrance fees when not with guide.
  • Tips & Gratuities to  guides (Not mandatory but given if you enjoy the services)
  • Trip Cancellation and Medical Insurance (Highly recommended)
  • Any other items not specified in what´s included

Pick up

  • Vigo Airport
  • Other locations on request

Drop off

  • Vigo Airport
  • Other locations on request

Cancellation policy

  • Please refer to our General Terms & Conditions for full details as to cancellation penalties, etc...

Lodging

4 Star
As Neves
3 Nights

Transport

  •  TRANSPORTATION WITH DRIVER/GUIDE - SUV in NISSAN QASHQAI 1.3 DIG-T MHEV 12V (2 to 3 People): dark grey, tinted back windows, black interior with Wi-Fi, and panoramic roof. 

  • TRANSPORTATION WITH DRIVER + GUIDE in Mercedes Benz Minibus Sprinter (4 to 8 People):


NOTE: Or similar type vehicles in the same class as mentioned above.

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