Wine tasting tour of the Ribera Del Duero and Rioja in northern Spain
My wife and I went on a Wine Tasting trip that started in Madrid, and then went north to northern Spain where we had 3 days in the Ribera Del Duero area and then 3 days in the Rioja area. Travel & Wine organized our entire 11 day and 10 night excursion. Travel & Wine did such an excellent job of setting us up with hotels near the center of Madrid, Penafiel, and Logrono. We were so very fortunate that all of the arrangements where taken care of. These wonderful arrangements included local guide, drivers, wine expert driver/guides and reservations at some of the best Wineries in northern Spain. I would highly recommend Travel & Wine to anyone who want to learn about and taste Wine in Spain.
- Greg Mc, Oklahoma City, Oklahom
Best part of our vacation!
I wish I could give Sophie ten stars instead of five. I found Sophie on Trip Advisor when I was searching for a wine tasting trip for 12 of us. She was so prompt and helpful with the planning phase, that we decided to hire her for a couple of other tours. It was the best decision we made. When it was time for the actual excursions, she made it happen seamlessly. She created interesting itineraries every day that kept our group engaged. The wine trips she organized were unique and allowed us to personally meet the wine makers and experience their passion for their craft. The wine and cava in this region are magnificent. Our excursions to Monserrat and Tarragona were memorable. Sophie arranged for Judy, a local archeologist to take us on a tour that brought the city's history to life. Lunches were in local restaurants that we would not have found on ourselves and they were delicious. In summary, Sophie made our trip more meaningful than we could have ever done on our own. She is so friendly and engaging. We couldn't have had a better guide and now a wonderful friend!
- Angie Secolo, Portland Oregon
Unforgettable experience with the amazing Sophie!
I would have given this 10 stars if I could. Our group of 12 booked 3 days of tours with Travel & Wine. During the planning stages, pre-trip, Sophie was by far the most responsive, most helpful with suggestions and the most professional. We knew before meeting her we were in great hands. Our days were filled with unique excursions to Tarragon, Montserrat (we convinced Sophie to ride the vehicular to the top ), amazing cava vineyard and two amazing vineyards specializing in Spanish red wines. Sophie coordinated EVERYTHING! She kept us on schedule (which was no easy task) and made accommodations when needed. Our entire group was so grateful for the epic, yes epic experiences with Sophie! She was so gracious to help us find restaraunts, ways to ship our wine and how to survive carnival! We were so sad to leave, BUT can't wait to go back. I'd recommend Sophie/Travel & Wine for any type of excursion. Thank you so much for everything!!!!!
- Brandi Kyle, Portland Oregon
Penedés Wine Tour
This is a long overdued review...sorry for that Sophie. It was an out of world experience for us. Sophie personally guided the tour and brought us to four wonderful wineries including a fantastic lunch at a beautiful small town. The tours were private without any other visitors and we had 100% attention from the vineyard owner/Manager. The wineries selected by Sophie were top grade and we had many beautiful bottles of wines. We also enjoyed the rest of our stay at Barcelona. Thanks to Sophie for your recommendations.
- Luke Teo, Singapore
Ribera del Duero - Customized wine tour
Sophie is way beyond a tourist guide. She was able to make a private tour for 7 people, from different Countries and expectations. Excellent options, very well organized. Sophie is very professional, but besides that you can tell how much she loves what she does. I will recommend without a doubt working with her in the future.
- Denisse Asurmendi, Houston Texas
Perfect Tour of Cava Wine Country with Sophie
We strongly recommend Niso Wine Tours! Booking online from the USA was easy - we did have to contact our bank to verify the payment, due to online protection but that was only one phone call. In Barcelona, Sophie picked the three of us up at our rented apartment on time, and during the short 45 minute ride to the Cava Region of Penedes explained the wines we would be tasting. We had a fantastic tasting at three different wineries. The first was possibly our favorite - we had a lovely tour and tasting which included some food pairings that were wonderful. Very beautiful winery! The owner happened to be at the tasting room who we were able to meet. Now we are back home and enjoying reading his book "Cava Where are You Headed"! Our second stop was an organic Cava winery that was also in a beautiful location. We were able to climb up stairs for a fantastic view of the vineyards and countryside. We loved the tasting there as well! After the second tasting Sophie took us to a wonderful restaurant "Cal Xim" where we enjoyed a lunch of grilled artichokes, grilled duck and lamb. Very relaxing, super service and delicious lunch sitting outside in the sun. The third tasting and tour were equally excellent. We enjoy these tastings so much more than home in the USA - where one usually stands at a tasting bar and no food is normally offered/allowed! The wineries where Sophie brought us all offered a walking tour, and a seated tasting. Two of them offered either pairing of food or wonderful cheese, olive oil and dry sausage. It is a wonderful way to enjoy and learn about wine. We much prefer to book private wine tours such as Travel & Wine so that the itinerary can be created for us and our interests in wine. Thank you, Sophie, so much for a wonderful day!
- Erika Godell, Charlottesville, VA
A day in Priorat with Sophie
Sophie picked us up at our hotel in Barcelona at 8:30 am for a drive to a wine region I had been wanting to visit for a very long time. This trip was way beyond anything I could have hoped for. The countryside is spectacular and the two wineries we visited were each very different from one another as were the personalities and wines of each. Sophie was the glue that stuck it all together. This was not at "tire-kicker" wine tour. She was wonderful, knowledgeable, passionate, enthusiastic, personable and a great travel companion. I can only believer that Sophie will do a fantastic job for anyone, no matter what the subject of the tour.
- Norman Bouton, San Francisco
We loved every minute
We spent a long weekend in Sitges and our guide for the weekend was lovely Sophie. The service was amazing from the minute we arrived at the airport until we left. We have travelled a lot around the world as a group and have had many nice guides, but Sophie provides the little extra. Every thing was very well organized from the welcome to the wine tours and of course the unforgettable private lunch with Amanda. The day trip up to Priorat was just outstanding and we got a very good feel of how the wines are made and Sophie made sure that we not only learn about the wines, but also have fun and eat good food. The private lunch she arranged with Amanda was the highlight of the trip, not only did we taste amazing food, but we also took part in the cooking of the meal which was a highlight for me who loves to cook food myself. The cake we had for dessert has already been served to both colleagues and family. Thank you again Sophie, we loved every minute and you made us feel very welcome and you also shared a lot of you knowledge about the area, wines and culture in general. Looking forward to maybe seeing you again sometime in Norway maybe:)
- Inger Lise Brimsø Systad, Norway.