Hi,
I'm looking to travel around Spain in September and was wondering about wine tasting tours as day trips. I've looked at several online places that specialize in tours, but they are all either a few days long or very expensive, like 350-500E a person.
I understand that you can't just walk in like in California or Oregon. Does any one know of tour companies that do day trips from cities? For example, they'd pick you up at your hotel or at a meeting point, drive out to a winery for a tasting, and would not cost over 150E. I don't need a very fancy ride or a gourmet lunch, just a wine tasting would be great.
If something like that doesn't exist, does anyone know if there are places in the cities that have local wine tasting? Thanks for any help!

-JD

Speaking from local experience you can usually get into Bodegas by contacting them directly. So maybe you, if you have already booked, ask your accommodation to arrange something directly.
Or look through this we site to find the bodegas which are local to the area you wish to visit and arrange something yourself.
http://www.espavino.com

URL fixed

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Colleen,

Hello:
If your plans include the area around Jerez then you'll have no trouble visiting sherry bodegas in the region. Most have regularly scheduled tours and/or tasting rooms.
The local tourismos have lists of bodegas with contact numbers. In Sanlucar there are 2 to 3 bodegas open for tours every day. The tourismo has a list of the ones open that day.
Here is the denomination's website: http://www.sherry.org/EN/portada.cfm?e=1 .
A list of other regions' wineries can be found at: apoloybaco.com. This is not all-inclusive but substantial.

If the Rioja is your destination this website provides a good overview of opportunities: http://www.winesfromrioja.co.uk/home.html . We found tourismos here to be very helpful also.

Many wine producing areas now have a local collective centres where you can taste various bodegas' products.

Have a fine time. Where are you planning to travel?
Dennis

{edited to fix link}

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Shannon,

Hello again;
Just noticed that you are travelling in September. Some (many) wineries are in in full swing with their harvests and may limit (exclude) all visits at that time.
Dennis

Thanks for all the info. I'm going to be going for about 3 weeks and hitting Seville, Madrid, San Sebastian, and Barcelona. We're planning on staying about 4 to 6 days in each cities and doing some day trips out of each place.

I just reread your answer, Dennis, and noticed the part about the local collective centers. Is there a website that show their locations in various cities? Thanks!

Hi JD:
I'm unable to provide any list but the tourist offices for the areas I've visited over the years have been very responsive to my requests for specific information. An email requesting information regarding wine tours, tasting centres etc will be answered (if my experience holds!).

For the Rioja, Logrono's museum of wine is a good resource as is Haro's. Friends went on a bus tour out of Logrono for the day. It visited a couple of bodegas and a monastary. They enjoyed it a great deal. The only drawback was that the guides only spoke Spanish. This is the website they gave me www.vinobus.com . The tours look fine and the price is right -19Eu!

Jerez is only an hour's train ride south of Seville. With an early start you could visit a couple of bodegas and return the same day. From Jerez, El puerto is only 12 minutes down the rail line. A car hire from Jerez will allow you to visit points on the Sherry triangle - Sanlucar and El Puerto as well as Jerez. To the East of Seville in the Montilla region. It procuces a fino from different grapes than in the Jerez region. Alvear is the dominant producer.

In Madrid, I visited a wine bar that had numerous wines by the glass. I can't remember the name but I'm sure others in this forum have better memories!
Dennis

Spain forum moderator Shannon is traveling this week, but if you stick around here very long you'll learn that she is a great resource for All Things Wine. I'm sure she'll check in soon.

In the meantime, click on the link below for her Spain travel blog entries. They're in reverse order, so if you want to read them chronologically (first trip 2004) you'll need to scroll to the bottom.
Poptarticus - What's Happenin' in Spain

Fantastic info everyone. It looks like I've got some options. I'll definitely check in to see if Shannon has some advice for me.

Hi JD,

My mom and I visited Sandeman in Jerez. I was not very impressed with the tour - the tour guide was unintelligable - but I LOVED the tasting and tapas part afterwards. So I would recommend it just for that. You can just show up - there are tours all day.

When we were in La Rioja we visited a winery called Bodegas El Fabulista in the town of Laguardia. I am not sure if they have buses or trains there from San Sebastian, but you might think about renting a car and spending a night somewhere nearby (sort of a "day and night trip." ) Here is more info about this bodega:

Bodega El Fabulista, Touring a Wine Cellar

We were in La Rioja in September and I could have tasted at some of the other wineries by calling but to be honest, it was harvest and everyone seemed REALLY busy. It is a beautiful time to visit, though.

As for Madrid - there is a place called Taberna Tempranillo on the Cava Baja that has many wines by the glass. If you take a trip to Toledo, try to go to the de Amboades wine bar at at Alfonso VI 5, near the Bisagra Gate. It may not open until the evening, so this may not work for you - but it is a great spot to taste wine.

I don't know how much these guys charge but you might write to them about day trips to Penedes out of Barcelona or Ribera del Duero from Madrid.

Vintage Spain

Keep us posted - I definitely want to hear about what you decide to do!

Thanks for the info Shannon. Right now we don't have anything set in stone for were we are going. So, this might end up influencing us as to where to stay and how many days. My friend and I generally can't plan a trip until about 1 or 2 months before we can go. It really helps to have info like this before hand.