WINE-GASTRONOMIC TOUR OF PENEDES, TARRAGONA AND TERRA ALTA
BY GAM AGENCY
BY GAM AGENCY
Day 1
“APERITIF”
An exciting wine adventure begins with accommodation at the Michelin-listed gastro-hotel La Boella. The hotel is located on the grounds of an olive farm. Here, from the very first minute there is a feeling of complete relaxation and peace. The entire outside world disappears beyond this space, illuminated by chandeliers created by the famous Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo, the inventor of modern theatrical lighting. The restaurant pays maximum attention not only to the quality of the dishes, but also to their spectacular presentation. Dinner awaits you at the hotel in the olive mill building.
Day 2
“PENEDES: KAVA AND BIODYNAMICS”
On this day we will have a trip to Penedes - the birthplace of the world famous sparkling drink - cava. We will start it with a tasting of biodynamic wines.
Biodynamics and environmental friendliness of still and sparkling wines of Penedes. The harmony of varietal authenticity and brightness of grape taste in every glass is a goal pursued by several generations of local winemakers. With their help, you will learn about the secrets, laws and whole philosophy of biodynamic wines.
We will then head to the Michelin Guide restaurant La Cava d'en Sergi. Modern creative cuisine combined with deep traditions, seasonal products and the most advanced technologies in the field of gastronomy. Chef and restaurant owner Sergi Torres studied culinary arts in Barcelona, where restaurants are known for their innovative techniques. He practiced his skills throughout Catalonia and Spain, and brought it to perfection in his own restaurant La Cava d’en Sergi. The restaurant is famous for its extensive wine list, which focuses on wines and cavas from Penedès, as well as other wine regions of Catalonia. The restaurant's interior, designed by artist Laura Civil, recalls the rich history of the luxurious sparkling drink homeland.
After lunch we will visit a small winery that specializes in the production of cava. The winery is located in an old Catalan manor.
The owners are three young guys who will be happy to tell you about all the secrets of making a sparkling drink, and will also conduct an interactive master class, after which guests will be able to take home a precious bottle of their own prepared cava.
We move to Cambrils, a cozy and calm coastal town, which until recently was a fishing village. We will stroll along the promenade, enjoying the light sea breeze and the rays of the Mediterranean sun, after which we will go to the famous Michelin-starred restaurant Can Bosch.
Sea on a platter. The Can Bosch restaurant was created from a modest bar for fishermen, opened in 1969 a few meters from the port of Cambrils. From that moment on, it became the referent of Spanish gastronomy, as evidenced by the awarding of a Michelin star to it in 1984. Traditional seafood cuisine meets the latest culinary trends of recent decades, and seafood caught by fishermen from Cambrils is combined with fruits and vegetables grown by local farmers.
Prawns from Tarragona, Norwegian lobster from Cambrils, sea bass and Norwegian lobster tartare, truffle crème fraiche, crispy pink pepper, cold ajo blanco soup, cucumber and celery cream and smoked eel from Ebro Delta "Rosette" - just a few quotes from the menu created based on the products of the "zero kilometer"
Day 3
TARRAGONA: VERMOUTH, FASHION AND CLASSICS”
After breakfast we will visit the world's largest museum of aromatic liqueur "vermouth". The museum is housed in an Art Nouveau building in the heart of Reus, famous for its delicious vermouth. The museum contains more than 5 thousand exhibits dedicated to the legendary drink. This is the most complete collection of vermouth in the world. In the museum building there is a restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine and an elegant vermuteria, where we can taste a whole kaleidoscope of vermouths. From Reus we will head to the sidreria restaurant Asador “El Llagar”, located in a former stable building. Fusion of traditional Asturian and Mediterranean cuisine, expressed in grilled dishes. Meat, fish, vegetables, snails and many other dishes, accompanied by sweet, heady and aromatic cider.
After lunch, the owner of the winery-museum, located in an ancient building of the 18th century, is waiting for us to visit. He will introduce us to the life of the Catalans of past centuries, tell us about their traditions and customs, and conduct tasting of the best examples of Catalan wine, as well as the most unusual wines from other regions of Spain.
Towards the evening we will arrive in the medieval town of Siurana, which is rightly called a pearl among the rocks and the most photogenic village of the Priorat wine region. The picturesque settlement is located at an altitude of 730 meters and preserves memories of many events in the history of the country. We will enjoy a walk through this cozy town, see the ruins of an Arab palace of the 9th century, cobbled streets surrounded by medieval castles, the governor's fortress located on the highest point of Siurana, and the church of the patroness of the settlement - Santa Maria de Siurana, built between the 12th and 13th centuries. Most of the ancient buildings in Siurana are well preserved due to the unique location of the village, protected by a mountainous natural landscape.
How to end this busy day is up to you. Dinner in a cozy family restaurant or in a gourmet establishment with a Michelin star?
Siurana is a bar-restaurant with traditional Catalan cuisine based on local products, located in an ancient village. More than 50 years ago, it was opened specifically for tourists and climbers, who warmed themselves here with delicious hot food on cold winter days. The chef's signature dish is charcoal-roasted lamb. During the harvest season of calçotas (special onions from Catalonia) there is an especially popular dish - an authentic treat of grilled meat and calçots served with romesco sauce.
Quatre Molins - opened in 2016, this restaurant is today one of the most outstanding fine dining establishments in the region. At the helm is the young and incredibly talented chef Rafel Muria, who in his short career has won such an important competition as the National Gastronomic Competition "Red Tuna Balfego" in 2018 and became a candidate for the title of Best New Chef Madrid Fusion 2019. Representative of the sixth generation of the Muria beekeeping family from El Perello (Tarragona), he uses honey very creatively in his recipes, giving preference to local products of the Ebro Delta (tuna, eel, mushrooms, truffle).The restaurant offers three menus: Tasting Menu, Show Menu and Menu truffles.
Day 4
TERRA ALTA: SAKE, OYSTER AND PINK FLAMINGO”
The day begins with a visit to a winery and an olive farm. Tasting of wines from Merlot and Macabeo grape varieties, accompanied by the most aromatic olive oils Arbequina, Hoja de Sauce and Empeltre.
The next item on our program will be a trip to the Delta del Ebro nature reserve, the largest national park in Catalonia and the second largest park in Spain. This is the place where one of the main rivers of the Iberian Peninsula forms a large delta, and the mountains of the natural park descend to the sea. Pure kilometer-long beaches, endless rice fields and... pink flamingos. We will have lunch at an authentic oyster farm and take a walk through the park with flamingos.
Let's move to Japan... Little Japan in the Ebro Delta, a project born in 2015 with the goal of creating a unique symbiosis of products from Japan and Catalonia. In Zen teachings, the name of the winery means "Know nature,” essence, soul, calling and describes the moment of awareness of what gives inspiration. Likewise, the winery was created to inspire. We will taste sake made from rice grown in the fields of the Delta del Ebro, rich natural umami taste. At the winery you will also be able to try sake, miso, shio-koji, amazake - products and dishes that give inspiration.
We move to L’Ametlla de Mar – a small fishing town surrounded by rocky coves and small cozy beaches, famous for fishing, including sardines and anchovies. There is also a farm where the world famous red tuna is grown, which is considered one of the most valuable fish in both Europe and the USA, but especially in Japan. After a walk through the village, you will have dinner at the El Moli De Avis restaurant, in an old mill building, specializing in tuna dishes.
For those looking for unusual adventures, we will help you remember this day for the rest of your life by organizing a swim in the open sea in the company of live bluefin tuna. You won’t be left indifferent after this experience: after all, the size of the sea giants among which you will swim and dive can reach 3 meters!
Day 5
“DIGESTIF”
Park Sama is a journey “there and back”, emigration and return. An eclectic garden that combines a variety of styles, from Italian Renaissance to English landscape design. This is where modernism meets the beginning of Antonio Gaudi’s creative path and nature itself in its natural beauty. Romantic garden, French flower beds, poetic and abstract forest. Banana trees and reeds in alliance with wisteria and bougainvillea. Palm trees that are more than eight hundred years old, magical oaks, elegant cedars and pines surround the lake - a haven for turtles and wild ducks. As diverse and unusual as Penedès, Tarragona and Terra Alta, Parque Sama will be a bright finale to our unusual enogastronomic journey through the south of Catalonia.