Galicia, in the northwest corner of Spain, is one of the most beautiful areas in Europe. The area has it all – cosmopolitan cities, gorgeous coastline, and densely green and atmospheric mountains. Our week-long tour of Galicia will include some of each and the food and wines will be endlessly enjoyed with our emphasis on the local wineries and vineyards producing Albarino and Ribeira Sacra wines.

We’ll start with two days and nights in the stunning city of Santiago de Compostela, the end of the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrim’s road through northern Spain traveled by millions of people through the centuries. In between exploring the town, we’ll stop at several tapas bars and cafes to get our first tastes of the local food and wines.

From there, we head into the interior, close to the town of Monforte de Lemos, our base for the next three days. We’ll all stay in a comfortable and rustic rural casa, with plenty of spreading-out space and lovely views.

Our next few days will include several visits to wineries, perhaps a visit to a local festival, a fabulous picnic with wine, a visit to a local monastery, and much more. We’ll eat our lunches on the road, but every evening we will experience leisurely evenings with dinners of local specialties paired with wine. The days will be full of activities yet relaxed, the nights homey and rustic.

For our final two days, we will transfer to the coast and the wine growing area of the Rias Biaxas, where the famed white wine Albarino is made. Our lodgings will be at the parador in Pontevedra, housed in a historic 16th century Renaissance palace. We will visit several wineries, walk around the winemaking town of Cambados, have a tour and tapas crawl of charming Pontevedra, and much more.

Note: This private tour is available for groups of eight or more people; plenty of advance notice is generally needed. It can be combined with the “A Taste of Oviedo and El Bierzo” tour for a more in-depth tour of northwest Spain. Inquire for details.

To reserve your spot, e-mail Shannon@GrapeHops.com or call (805) 886-1551.

Banner photographs: Leon Smith