WINE-GASTRONOMIC TOUR OF EMPORDA “UNIQUE TASTES OF GIRONA”
BY GAM AGENCY
BY GAM AGENCY
Day 1
“ANTICIPATION...”
With a glass of wine, we will spend the day in the garden of the ancient villa-hotel. Smoky prunes, blackberries, a light touch of herbs and eucalyptus in the taste of the wine, every sip of which conveys the charm of this area...
Day 2
“ALCHEMY OF FEELINGS”
After breakfast, we are invited to visit the estate, where we will try Catalan cheeses, which are purchased by the best Michelin-starred restaurants. You will learn ancient family recipes and the history of cheese creation. For you the door will open slightly to the pantry of a medieval cellar, where delicate goat cheeses with smell of herbs and mushrooms; semi-solid with noble mold on the rind and a slightly spicy taste, with the aroma of herbs and almonds; blue mold, with spices; aged with noble mold on the rind and a slightly spicy taste and with truffles, maddening aromas of sun-dried tomatoes, herbs, spices and angel hair pumpkin marmalade.
For lunch we will go to a hidden abbey in the Albera Biosphere Reserve. Monastic cuisine, medieval Catalan recipes with a Buddhist accent, in interpretation of the famous chef Javier Bernal. Passion to ancient recipes brought him to Bangkok, where he spent 5 years learning the secrets of Asian cuisine. Cod carpaccio with basil oil and Sichuan pepper, pork knuckle with delicate citruses and lemongrass. Sardines, snails, sea paella, crab and cuttlefish, artichokes with Thai rum. An incredible combination of Thai spices and zero kilometer products…
After lunch, we will have an unusual wine tasting at a family winery located at the foot of the Serra de l’Albera mountain range. Old vines over 30 years old produce aromatically complex, subtle and harmonious wines. The unique tasting format allows you to experience the entire multifaceted palette of wine tastes: each drink here is accompanied by its own music and a characteristic video sequence.
Dinner at the famous restaurant “Compartir” whose name translates as “to share,” so the atmosphere here is conducive to sharing experiences in a warm and cheerful company. A trio of incredible chefs Mateu Casañas, Oriol Castro and Eduard Xatruch, who went through the school of the legendary Spanish restaurant El Bulli (1996, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008 - the best restaurant in the world) by Ferran Adria, promise an exciting gastronomic intrigue. “Surprise is an important part of the culinary experience, so we don’t describe the dishes in the set. Choose blindly, sit back and go ahead,” says chef Eduard Xatruch. Red mullet with eggplant gnocchi, Galician salmon with preserved egg yolk and grilled duck with pumpkin and lavender. These dishes uncover a whole new world...
Day 3
“IN SEARCH OF INSPIRATION”
After breakfast we will have a trip to a picturesque town, lost in a turquoise bay. Surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, the family wine estate is reminiscent of the set of the movie “A Good Year”... We will enjoy “living” biodynamic wines. No chemicals, no additives - only natural processes and manual labor. Vineyards grow along the mountains, rooted on special stone barriers preserved from ancient times. According to the owner of Château, “living” wine is like a landscape painting. Behind each bottle you can see the person who creates this particular wine against the backdrop of this particular landscape.
Lunch in a 14th-century castle at the “Castell de Peralada” restaurant (1 Micheline star, 2 Sol Repsol stars, Salvador Dali’s favorite restaurant). Dishes from chef Javi Martinez (heir to the legendary El Bulli chef Javier Sagrist), a wine list from the famous sommelier Tony Geres, incredible views of the lake with fountains and swans and a park with stork nests in the treetops.
After lunch we will visit Castell de Peralada. We will learn the secret of producing wines that were made by Carmelite nuns in the Middle Ages. The Castell de Peralada wine collections have been a treasure of Spain for centuries. The royal family loves them and constantly orders them. Nine wines from the Peralada collection were rated above 90 points by Parker. We will definitely try Salvador Dali's favorite sparkling wine - pink cava, created in honor of the artist's Russian wife Gala.
We will try the vintage wines from the cellars of Château Castell de Peralada - one of the most valuable specimen of Finca Malaveina Castell de Peralada 2008 from the private collection of the Cavas del Castell de Peralada cellar, one of the top three among Spanish wines.
Before dinner, we will get acquainted with one of the most ancient monasteries in Catalonia. We will become participants in the investigation of the “history of relics disappearance.” We will find out why in Catalonia they believe that champagne was invented by the Benedictines from Saint Pierre de Rodes, and not the French at all... Over dinner on the terrace we will see the sun off and enjoy a unique sparkling wine with a “pirate character”, extracted from the seabed of the Bay of Roses, tempered by the elements - the kinetic force of deep currents.
Day 4
“THE PASSION OF TRAMONTANA AND THE MESSAGE FROM AN AMPHORA”
Let's start the day with a walk through the vineyards and a delicious breakfast of farm delicacies. Tasting of olive oil at the place of its production, honey and wine, cheeses and homemade pates. Morning picnic among the vines where the trees are always growing at an angle of forty-five degrees, in eternal bow to the sea. Welcome to the domain of Tramontana... Salvador Dali, who was born in the “Palace of the Wind”, in the Ampurdan Valley, said that “the number of crazy people and the geniuses that this land gives birth to are primarily associated with Tramontana.” We will have lunch at the Bo.TiC restaurant, which received two Michelin stars (2010 and 2021). Creative signature cuisine performed by chef Albert Sastregener and sommelier Cristina Torrent, combined with the traditions of Catalan gastronomy, which give rise to “feeling and passion”...
After lunch we can take a master class on creating bowls and amphoras for wine. If you believe in metaphysics, then through the ceramics of the amphora its genetic memory is transmitted to the wine. The amphora preserves the character of grape varieties and allows us to discover the origins of wine, its originality, and avoid international taste. This is the philosophy of modern winemakers who choose amphorae and qvevri. Winemakers, trying to emphasize terroir, use amphorae to create new unique wines. At the master class we will learn how amphoras differ from qvevri, pithos (Pithos), dolium (Dolium) and circulations (Tinaja).
Now choose: an evening at the Theater or in a farmhouse? Both the first and the second are excellent restaurants with exceptional cuisine.
El Teatre implements the “zero kilometer” concept and prepares avant-garde dishes exclusively from natural products made and grown in Empordà. Experts say that the restaurant's menu exudes the richness of aromas, a riot of colors and the fullness of life of this land of the sun and Tramontana. Here they know how to make their own incredibly tender cod, the traditional fideua dish, fluffy Spanish donuts, flan and custard pudding. In addition, the restaurant is located in the building of an ancient theater, so its atmosphere will not leave anyone indifferent.
Restaurant Mooma is located in the heart of Empordà, among endless apple fields. A farmhouse in the middle of an apple garden, serving good local dishes: salads, tapas, grilled meats. In the garden you can leisurely drink the freshest apple cider from their own production.
Day 5
“GOOD YEAR”
On the last day we will visit a winery based on the principles of natural winemaking. Two years after the opening, the wine of this winery was recognized as one of the best in the Costa Brava. Today, the wines of this brand have numerous awards and are exported to 15 countries all over the world. Although the owners' main passion is winemaking, ones of their flagship products are olive oil and honey. Tasting of wine, honey and olive oil - products that have absorbed the best of the Empordà region.