Spain 2025
Madrid - Ribera del Duero - Rioja - Bilbao
Itinerary
They say the sequel is never as good as the original. Spain, once again, had other ideas. Perhaps I sensed this magic when we floated quietly above the vineyards in a hot air balloon, watching wild boars race through the rows below. Or maybe it was in Madrid when the flamenco dancer knocked over a wine glass mid-performance and never missed a beat. Or maybe it was during our final night in Bilbao that found us tucked into a private upstairs room of a beloved Old Town restaurant. It got warm quickly, but no one seemed to care too much because the glasses stayed full, the conversations stretched late, and a few guests made it clear that sherry had won a permanent place in their hearts.
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We started above the city again, cava in hand, Madrid buzzing below. The first night landed at 11 Nudos Terraza Nordés, all lights and late-evening energy, with Hotel Urso as our perfectly calm home base. No palace this time. Just long walks, good wine, and flamenco done properly at Corral de la Morería.
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Segovia came first, sunlight landing perfectly as we paused for espresso before heading on. At Oro de Castilla, Pablo welcomed us with the kind of generosity that makes time stretch, then we settled into the quiet calm of Castilla Termal Monasterio de Valbuena. Morning lifted us into the air, drifting by balloon over vineyards as wild boars scattered below. We finished where we hoped to, back on familiar ground at Torremorón. Lunch lingered when the owner of Asador picked up a saxophone and played My Way.
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Our visit with Vizcarra felt like a glimpse forward. Juan Carlos introduced us to his daughter Celia, who spoke thoughtfully about stepping into the family business and shaping the next chapter of winemaking in the region. Rain trimmed our walking tour of Laguardia short, but not our appetite for Spanish wine. That night at Hospedería de los Parajes, dinner lingered underground and the weather became a footnote.
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We finished in the Basque Country. In Getaria, we started with Txakolina at Gaintza, then walked a stretch of the Camino before lunch at Kaia Kaipe. Bilbao came next, with a stay at The Artist Grand Hotel of Art. The following day was devoted to a proper tour of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, before heading high into a natural forest for a visit to Bodegas Berroja. We closed the journey in old town, exactly where we wanted to be, with dinner at Víctor Montes.
