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
SOLD OUT
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 5:30pm. Then we’ll visit our friend Jaime González García-Mier’s winery—Cruz Vieja—where we will enjoy a relaxing evening eating tapas while learning about the sherry wines of the region.
Today we will learn about the gastronomic delight that is Retinto beef. The special breed of cattle called Retinto, though generally unknown outside of Spain, are indigenous to this area and highly valued. First we will visit Ana María Álvarez, veterinary and cattlewoman, at her ranch where she raises the Retinto cattle. Then we will head to lunch in Tarifa at El Rancho, a local restaurant that features beef from her herd.
If time allows and folks are up for it, we can make a stop at Salinas de Chiclana—the salt flats of Cádiz.
In the evening, we will have a walking tour of Jerez, with tapas along the way.
Day 2
Jerez & Facinas
Day 3
Jerez
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, which also produces an excellent vermouth, brandy, and vinegar. Lunch will be modern Jerez style at La Carboná, paired with sherries.
We will have some free time in the afternoon, or a side trip to a convent for some sweets for folks who would like to go. Tonight we will stroll and enjoy tapas. (Lunch will typically be the large meal of the day.)
Day 4
Jerez & barbate
After breakfast we will head to the coast, to the town of Barbate. There we will meet up with Chef Álvaro Rivera and learn about the intricacies of tuna and its importance to this region. We’ll learn about Ronqueo, the traditional method of manually quartering tuna by hand. We’ll follow up with lunch at his restaurant, Yoko. Before we return to Jerez, we may stop at the hilltop town of Vejer de la Frontera—one of the famous "white villages" of Andalusia. This evening, we’ll stroll for tapas.
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.
After free time in the afternoon, we'll visit Santa Petronila estate and winery just outside Jerez. Surrounded by vineyards, it's a perfect blend of Andalusian charm and exceptional sherry. We'll tour the estate and savor a delightful dinner paired with their finest selections.
Day 5
Jerez
After an early breakfast at our hotel, our bus will take us to Rota to visit the El Bucarito creamery. The goats at the creamery are of the Florida breed, native to the Guadalquivir Valley. They thrive in mountainous terrain and are prized for their milk, essential for crafting the renowned cheeses. For lunch, we’ll enjoy a cooking demonstration at Con Bocado, sampling traditional dishes.
Later, we will enjoy a relaxing evening with tapas, accompanied by a flamenco performance.
Pack tonight for our one-night stay in Sanlúcar. (We can leave our larger luggage 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 saltwater vegetable garden known as a "navazo" with Rafael Monge. We will learn about how he has revived this ancient local agricultural system from a thousand years ago and taste the delicious results.
Afterwards, 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, along with other local products from Sanlúcar. After lunch we will check into our hotel, and then have 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 a focused tasting.
We’ll pack our bags tonight or in the morning to return to Jerez.
Day 7
JEREz & SANLÚCAR DE BARRAMEDA
Day 8
SANLÚCAR & JEREZ
This morning we will have breakfast at our hotel before saying goodbye to Sanlúcar, and board the bus at noon. This afternoon we will review what we have learned about the wines from Jerez with a professional wine tasting with Borja González García-Mier, followed by lunch.
This final evening we will have dinner at Mantúa, the Michelin Star restaurant of Chef Israel Ramos.
We will say our farewells tonight, in case some of us don’t cross paths in the morning.
Breakfast in the hotel. Some of us will be leaving today, and others may be staying on to explore.
day 9
jerez
*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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