The itinerary includes culinary excursions to a variety of restaurants – from simple tapas bars to exclusive Michelin star locations– with stays in both small boutique, historical hotels and wine estates. Participants can expect to enjoy a programme full of culture, gourmet cooking classes, winery visits and historical sights of Spain.
Organiser Bart Duykers will be leading the trip and assist participants with whatever they need. Bart recently told The Phuket News in an interview that after such a successful trip to Italy in 2013, they decided to host yet another journey, offering locals and expats the opportunity to travel in quite a unique way.
The trip will be from September 19 – 28, flying from Phuket to Barcelona via Dubai on Emirates. The trip consists of five areas in total: Barcelona – Priorat – Rioja - Ribera del Duero – Madrid. The programme and trip have been planned for September because of the harvest month, so a lot activity is expected to take place.
“This year we put together a good selection of high quality wineries. Accommodation has been arranged in small yet upscale hotels with rich historical origins.”
Bart says the outing is a wonderful opportunity for people to explore something different, somewhere off the beaten track. “The trip is more about learning. It’s not just an educational tour, but, there’s a lot of areas to explore. We will be staying in very historical hotels. We will be going to wineries, some of them over 80 years old.
“People can not only just learn about Spanish wine, but also Spanish culture. We’ll have cooking classes as well. The trip will hopefully let people develop a stronger liking for Spain.
“We’ll give them a list of tips of where to go. We will also have a bus which we will have the whole week.”
From Les Ramblas in Barcelona, to the oldest wine-growing area of Spain in Priorat, to the centre of the harvest festivities in Rioja, to historical heritage sights in Ribera del Duero, to the exciting colourful markets in the thrilling city of Madrid, attendees can expect nothing but the best.
Going forwards, Bart hopes they will plan a trip every two years. “I think they will evolve into more cultural trips. Yes of course, the wine tasting is an integral part of the trip, but I think it’s really more about the total experience. They’re not hugely cheap, so we try and plan the trips for every other year.”
The Andaman Wine club offers members exclusive wine tastings at least six times a year, a 10 per cent discount on wine purchases, and more. The trip is open to everyone, not just members.
Bart Duykers, hailing from the Netherlands, is area director of BB&B and the Andaman Wine Club, and started organising regular wine tastings for his club members in 2008. In the past seven years the club has held close to 100 tastings, wine dinners, appreciation classes, and casual sampler tables.
If anyone is interested in details, email Bart: bartduykers@mac.com or call 083-5098797.