The Spanish Gastronomy is famous around the world: from world-class restaurants to simple home cooked meals at the local tavern, from deep fried tapas on the Malaga Beach to the delightfully complex "pinchos" of the Basque Country, Spain takes its food seriously. Paella, the most famous dish, is a perfect example of the variety of Spanish cuisine: seafood, meat, vegetable, fish ... the possibilities for a good Paella are limitless.

And with almost 3 million acres of vineyards planted, Spain is not lacking on the wine front. In recent years, it has gone to great lands to shake off its long-standing reputation as a producer of little more than cheap table wine. Now, Spain hosts some of the most notable wine regions such as Rioja and Priorat, and an increasing number of up-and-coming regions who are out to prove that Spanish wines can compete in a global market.

So, for anyone who wants to discover more about the wonders of the food and wine in Spain, The Spanish Touch offers the perfect opportunity to get your "manos a la masa" (hands in the dough) as they say in Spanish.

To enjoy this wonderful and unique world of flavour, bouquets and color we have designed some itineraries, in which you would discover the most important and interesting wine regions in Spain and its traditional food.

WINE TOURS IN SPAIN

Wine has always played a critical part in the history of Spain. From Roman times "Hispania" was known of its wines and in the 21th century Spain develop a reputation as a less expensive alternative for someone who was simply looking for a decent bottle of table wine. Fortunately that reputation has changed. Over the last 30 years, Spain has taken giant strikes in quality as evidenced by the nearly 70 "denominaciones de origen" (appellations). The most famous are Rioja, Ribera del Duero and Priorat. These regions have built an impressive portfolio of great wine year after year that win awards and international recognition.

But to truly appreciate just how important wine is to the culture and the people of Spain, it takes digging a bit deeper, going to those wineries and regions that are not so well-known. The smaller wineries can get lost in the shuffle. But their limited production is often a result of not just smaller vineyards but of their dedication to producing only the best, their commitment to show the world that Spanish wines can compite with anyone, and their pride in acomplishing just that.

We offer tours that take you into the heart of the regions, not just the most famous producers but also the smallers more representative wineries where more often than not the winemaker him or herself is your guide.

FOOD TOURS IN SPAIN

To refer to "Spanish Food" is to refer to a concept that is varied as it is rich. Spain is made up of a number of very different regions. The sunny shores of the Costa del Sol, the stark planes of Castilla La Mancha, the Volcanic landscape of the Canary Islands or La Garrotxa and the green pastures of Asturias are all a part of these "Spanish Cuisine". And the food of each region is as different as the landscape. From fresh fish and seafood to wild game to the avant-garde cooking of chefs like Ferran Adrià, thye country is bursting with flavours. And we dare not forget the famous Iberian Ham!

Throughout the year there are local festivals and fairs in celebration of the local gastronomy, be it strawberries, sausage, olive oil or Galician octopus. At The Spanish Touch we try to incorporate these local festivals as much as possible to give you the cahnce for a true culinary experience.

There are some seasonal foods which particularly draw our attention, and we do our best to provide the opportunity for people to fully enjoy them. These seasonal tours are specific to regions and times of the year and include opportunities you will not find elsewhere, such as:


WINE AND FOOD DAY TOURS IN SPAIN

For those people looking to season their Spanish adventure with a bit of local gastronomy, alow us to offer you a selection of Day Tours available around Spain. In our efforts to provide the most authentic experience for our guests, The Spanish Touch offers wine and food day tours designed to help you further your appreciation for the world of Spanish delights, going beyond a simple winery visit or cooking class.

We offer the chance to meet with the winemaker, taste the grapes in the field, brave the local market for your ingredients, try out local recipes in a cooking class, or find the best combination of local food and wines at a private tasting.