Andalucia
Andalucia. The sunlight in this part of Spain is special. The way it plays off the old stone, the olive trees, and the sea makes the present seem like the past. The food here serves as a marker for the overlapping historical traditions. We are delighted to offer a tour of this part of Spain and share it with you. We spend our nights in Jerez de la Frontera, but spend our time in Cadiz weaving around the countryside.
Tuna has been sustainably harvested from these coastal waters for 3000 years. Iberian pigs, Retinto cattle, sherry, vermouth, and herbs and spices all have long traditions tied to this place.
We will stroll the old cities, taste in the market at Jerez, drink sherry, and listen to flamenco at a friend’s winery.
Come join us in the warm sun in the south of Spain for a week of leisurely exploration of the wines and foods that make this place special.
AndaluCia
DATES - October 5 - 13, 2024
TRAVELERS - 12 people
2 seat REMAINING
PRICE - $10,500 Per Person
Who?
The trip is designed for experienced travelers with a passion for great food made the traditional way – food that is deeply connected to the people and culture of the place. We encourage open minds, adventurous spirits, and a deep passion for traditional foods. Our guests are adults of all ages, who enjoy walking and exploring places on their own, as well as with the group. We keep the group small: no more than 12 guests will travel with our experienced hosts from Zingerman’s, plus our longtime Spanish friends John and Ana.
ACTIVITY LEVEL & ACCOMMODATIONS
The activity level is medium, with lots of walking in both city and country. You should be able to stand for long periods for some aspects of the tour. We are visiting ancient towns so expect some uneven ground, cobblestones, picturesque steps of different sizes, and some hills.
You will be staying in clean, comfortable, conveniently located, unique accommodations with private baths—one of them being the five-star Casa Palacio Maria Luisa.
What’s Included?
Behind the scenes visits to artisanal producers, local wine makers, hands-on tapas experiences, ancient cities, and visiting the beautiful terrain of Andalucia.
Amazing food—all breakfasts, all lunches, and most dinners. Lunch will be the large meal, as per the culture. We will enjoy traditional regional specialties made from local, fresh ingredients. There will be plenty of meat, fish, and, to be clear, a healthy dose of pork in the local cuisine. This tour not recommended for vegetarians.
This tour will be very wine-centric—the Sherries of Jerez are fascinating and this will be a master class in the subject. Many of the sit down meals will have specific wine pairings.
A Zingerman’s tour host and our guides will be at your disposal at all times.
Transportation by air-conditioned private bus during the tour.
What’s Not Included?
Airfare
Alcoholic beverages (other than beverages with dinner or when they are specifically included in the itinerary)
Personal spending money
Additional Tips
Sample Itinerary*
Day 1
jerez de la frontera
We will meet up in the lobby of our lovely hotel, Maria Luisa, in Jerez de la Frontera, for introductions at 5pm. Then we visit our friend Jaime González García-Mier’s winery—Cruz Vieja—where we will get a brief glimpse and first taste of a sherry winery, but the focus will be on a relaxing evening with tapas and a private flamenco performance.
We will visit Bolonia, site of the Roman town Baelo Claudia, and have a little walking tour. In Roman times the fish and sauces that were made there were sent to all corners of the Roman Empire. Then we will learn about the gastronomic delight that is Retinto beef. The special breed of cattle called Retinto are indigenous to this area and highly valued, though generally unknown outside of Spain. First we will visit Ana María Álvarez, veterinary and cattlewoman, at her farm, where she raises the Retinto cattle. Then we will have lunch at El Rancho, a local restaurant, featuring beef from her herd. In the evening, a walking tour of Jerez with a guide, with tapas along the way.
Day 2
Jerez de la Fontera & Facinas
Day 3
Jerez de la frontera
Today we will not need the bus, since all locations are walking distance from our hotel. We start with a morning visit to sherry producer Fernando de Castilla that also produces an excellent vermouth, brandy, and vinegar. Lunch will be modern Jerez style at La Carbona, that will be paired with sherries. Perhaps some free time in the afternoon, or a side trip to a convent for some sweets! Optional walking and tapas in the evening. (Lunch will typically be the large meal of the day.)
Day 4 Jerez de la fontera & barbate
After breakfast we will head to the coast, to the town of Barbate. There we will learn about the intricacies of tuna and its importance to this region and the world. We will go straight to the market (a lonja—where the fishermen bring in the fish), where we will meet up with Chef Álvaro Rivera. He’ll tell us about the fish and about choosing fresh fish. We’ll learn about “ronqueo” with the chef, followed by lunch at his restaurant, Yoko. Before we return to Jerez we may stop for a few minutes at the local Tuna Museum. Then optional walking and tapas in Jerez in the evening.
In the morning we’ll visit one of the city’s markets in the historic center of Jerez to see the lovely selection of seafood, meats, fruit, and vegetables that the purveyors have to offer. The market is compact and lively and offers an overview of the foods available in this part of Spain. We’ll go outside Jerez to visit the Luis Pérez winery, one of the few wineries that does not make fortified Sherry in the region, for an olive oil and wine tasting. After that, we will lunch at Mantúa, the Michelin Star restaurant of Chef Israel Ramos. After some free time in Jerez, we’ll end the day with a light and optional tapas pub crawl.
Day 5
Jerez
After an early breakfast at our hotel, our bus will take us to the Sierra de Grazalema to visit a creamery, which makes cheese from the milk of the cabra payoya, indigenous to this part of Cadiz. We will also visit an Iberian ham factory, which produces ham from the famed, black- footed Iberian pig, and have lunch in the Sierra de Grazalema, a curious ecosystem in Spain’s normally dry south that is home to the highest average rainfall on the Iberian peninsula. After our return to Jerez, an evening of tapas for anyone who is still hungry.
Pack tonight for our one-night stay in Sanlúcar. (If desired, guests can leave bags with our hotel in Jerez, we’ll be back!)
Day 6
grazalema
Mid-morning, we will check out of our hotel in Jerez and head to the seaside, to Sanlúcar de Barrameda. First, we will visit a unique salt- water vegetable garden, a “navazo,” with Rafael Monge, and learn about how he has revived this special local agricultural system of a thousand years ago, and taste the results. After visiting the navazo, we will go to El Espejo in Sanlúcar, where the Chef José Luis Fernández Tallafigo will prepare our lunch menu with products from Rafael Monge’s farm and with other local products from Sanlúcar. After lunch we will check into our hotel, and then some free time to relax or further explore the town. In the evening we will visit La Gitana, a centuries-old sherry winery in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Sanlúcar is the home of Manzanilla sherry wine—special climate conditions mean it can only be made in this area. We’ll enjoy a private dinner in Sanlúcar with some focused tastings.
Day 7
JEREz & SANLÚCAR DE BARRAMEDA
This morning we will check out of our hotel, head back to Jerez, and we will review what we have learned about the wines from Jerez with a professional tasting at “La Casa del Jerez” with Borja González García-Mier, followed by lunch at Albalá, the casual restaurant of the Jerez’s own Israel Ramos.
This final evening we will have some drinks and tapas together and maybe some local music. We will say our farewells tonight, in case some of us don’t cross paths at breakfast in the morning.
Day 8
SANLÚCAR DE BARRAMEDA & JEREZ
DE LA FRONTERA
Breakfast in the hotel. Some of us will be leaving today, and others may be staying on to explore.
Day 9
jerez
de la
frontera
*One thing to note: this itinerary is the current plan, and, things may change. We will make every effort to provide the tours and experiences that are described above. However, the nature of the places we’ll be visiting — not typical tourist destinations — means that plans may change at the last minute. Also, you always have the option of skipping a particular excursion, but please note that we will be unable to make refunds for any missed meals or other events.
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