peyton18

Hello!

I leave in a week for a 5 day trip to Spain in which I will visit Barcelona & Madrid

I am heading to Spain to expand my understanding & appreciation for Spanish wines!

Does anyone have any recommendations for good wine bars that provide a wide range of wines by the glass?

I am also interested in recommendations for wine stores that have tastings or even just great stores to purchase some authentic Spanish wine that can't be found in the states.

I am a female traveler going solo...so, I prefer to stay in areas that will not put me too much in harms way! I have heard that both of the cities have issues with crime & as I don't speak the language, have to be aware of my surroundings!
Thanks in advance for your advice, recommendations & time

Robert2533

You may want to refer to Maribel's Guides to Madrid and Barcelona. She has a fairly decent list of good wine bars that should help.

Maribel

peyton18,
In such a short trip covering both cities, I recommend that you stick to wine bars in just one area of each city.

There are a gazillion wine bars to recommend in Madrid, but I suggest you limit your sampling to ONE area of Old Madrid, always packed with people and very safe at wine tasting time:

the La Latina district of Old Madrid on Cava Baja/Cava Alta streets. Try to get there by 9, to beat the crush and snag a prime spot at the bar.

These are some serving a nice selection of wines by the glass and tapas:

La Camarilla (Cava Baja 21)

Txakoli (Cava Baja 26 & 42)
-make sure to try the slightly effervescent, tart young Basque white wine, txakoli)

Casa Lucas (Cava Baja 30-the best creative tapas)

Orixe (Cava Baja 17)
-try their Galician white, albariño, along with Galician specialties like puplo a feira and their fab tortilla jugosa Cacheiras)

Taberna de los cien vinos (Nuncio 17)
from Cava Baja take a right on Almendro, then right where it bends, then a right on Nuncio-very good for singles-friendly, you won't be the only non Spaniard here!)

Taberna Tempranillo (Cava Baja 38)
ditto

Nunc est Bibendum (Cava Alta 13)
-more tranquil than the rest, as it's tucked away on the street above.

In Barcelona, I'd do wine sampling in El Born(e), even if you're not staying there. It will be lively, has a young buzz and is always filled with visitors, wine bars always crowded.

La Vinya del Senyor (Placa Santa María 5, across from the Basilica)

Vascelum (Placa Santa Maria 4)

BossBorn (Pla Palau 13, across from Lonja de Tapas)

Euskal Etxea (Placeta Montcada 1)
-the bar of the Basque Cultural Center, again try the txakoli or a label from the Rioja Alavesa and Basque pintxos

For the best selection of bottles at good prices in Madrid, we head straight to La Vinia on Ortega y Gasset 16 in the Salamanca district (also has a wine bar & bistro upstairs) Their tastings are usually for club members.
They have a branch in Barcelona on the Diagonal 605 (also their largest store, in Paris)
www.lavinia.es

But for your purchasing in Barcelona, I would go to Vila Viniteca on Agullers 7 in El Borne.

We also like Vinoteca Padró & Esteve on Pau Claris, 169 in the Left Eixample, if your hotel is near there.

If you run short of time, don't forget the Club del Gourmet in all branches of the El Corte Inglés dept. stores-plenty of special wines to choose from there. They get plenty of English speaking tourists from the area hotels.

peyton18

Thanks so much for the recommendations!

I will be staying at Le Meridian in Barcelona & The Westin Palace in Madrid---are these hotels close tothe areas that you recommended?

beckytx

Topping for my trip in Sept thanks!

peyton18

Maribel,

I also read that the following wine bars are also worth a visit...are you familiar with these & are they worth making "the wish list"?

La Vinateria del Call at C/Sant Domenec Call 9

Va de Vi at C/Banys Vells 16

Vinissim at C/Sant Domenec Call 12

Thanks again for all of your guidance

Maribel

Le Meridien is on the top of the Ramblas-an easy walk to El Borne through the Gothic Quarter.

From the Westin Palace you can walk to the Cava Baja area below the Plaza Mayor-no need for taxi.

Just take a left out the door, walk up Duque de Medinaceli, turn right on pedestrianized Huertas, walk up Huertas to Plaza del Angel (past Melía Me Hotel on your right, Ginger restaurant on left), keep walking down as street changes names to Bolsa (past Capilla de la Bolsa restaurant on your right), which will take you to Plaza Santa Cruz (Hotel Plaza Mayor on your left) then to the Plaza Mayor.

Stroll through the square (but don't stop for wine at the way-overpriced bars there!), exit the square via the steps where you'll see Cuevas de Luis Candelas (southwest corner), walk down Cuchilleros past the legendary Botín restaurant, then at end of street, you'll reach Plaza Puerta Cerrada. Cross the street and start your wine and tapas crawl on Cava Baja.


Closer to the Westin Palace is the Plaza de Santa Ana where you'll find a wine bar, Vinoteca Barbechera, on the southeast corner at Calle Príncipe. It's always crowded.

Also on Calle León 12 in Old Madrid there's a nice wine/cheese/charcuterie shop and back room for tasting, "González". It's one of our favorites for sampling wines and cheese platters. Big, big wine list. Also a good place for buying a bottle or two. It's only 4 blocks from the Westin. Walk up Calle del Prado, turn left on León.

Maribel

peyton,
I thought Vinissim had closed. (a note to that effect on egullet by poster, Saboroso, who does BCN wine tours and used to have it on the tour).

Maribel

For reading up on Catalonian wines see:
www.elcellercatala.com/

Maribel

About La Vinatera del Call-

Wine writer Janis Robinson likes it-that's a good enough recommendation for me!

peyton18

Thank you sooooo much---I really owe you!

Normally, I have more than a week to put together my trip & with your help & advice---I feel just as confident about my plan as I would have if I had begun researching it many months ago.

If I could burden you with just (1) more question...I am taking the overnight train from Barcelona to Madrid...arriving @7 am at the Chamartin station---what are my options to get to the Palace hotel? I will have 2 bags...but, they will most likely be light as they won't be weighed down by my purchases yet

Thanks again for your help!

Maribel

peyton,
From Chamartín station you can just take a taxi down to the Palace (about 10 euros, including 2.75 supplement for rides originating at train stations). That would be your best, most comfortable and quickest option.

Or if your bags are truly small and *very* light, you could take the metro to save euros but...

If you take it at the station, you take line 10, then change to line 1 at Plaza Castilla, then get off at Antón Martín and walk to hotel (up to León then down the Calle del Prado). But Antón Martín isn't all that close to the Palace, and the whole trip will take about 45 minutes (cost: 1 euro)

To avoid a metro line change, you could walk from Chamartín station down Agustín de Foxá 5 blocks to Plaza de Castilla and take metro line 1.

I would not attempt a bus with bags, no matter how light. Morning busses (as does the metro) get very, very crowded and pickpockets work some (like 27 from the Plaza Castilla).

My advice: just take a taxi straight to the door of the Westin Palace. You didn't skimp on your hotel choices (very nice), so I wouldn't skimp on my city transportation either.

peyton18

Thanks for the advice---Taxi it is

I had no idea how far it was & we all have a price point for suffering...<10 E is not worth the hassle!

peyton18

When I leave to go to the airport from the Hotel in Madrid for my 8:20 am flight...should I use the Aerocity shuttle versus the bus or the metro or would you again suggest a taxi?

Also, I went to check the rates on the aerocity website for the shuttle & it asked me for my pick up zone---however, I did not see where they listed which hotels are in what zone...do you happen to know what shuttle zone the Palace is and also how soon should I plan on leaving for my 8:20am flight? I am flying NW to the states---but, my 1st flight is on KLM to Amsterdam---don't know if that makes a difference or not.

Thanks again---don't know what I would do without you!!!

Maribel

peyton,

"We all have a price point for suffering". My thoughts, exactly!

Please don't try the metro to the airport with bags filled with wineO


Just take a taxi. Taxi fare from the Palace to Barajas will be about 24€ to T1-2-3, including the 5.25 supplement, and the trip in the early am won't take longer than 20 min.

The Aerocity will take longer, depending on how many hotel pickups the van makes (2-3). Which means you need to leave the comfort of your 5 star hotel earlier!

The Aerocity zone for all downtown hotels is the same. It's zone H1. Price is 17€ for one.

Your KLM flight for Amsterdam will leave from T2. Their check in counters are 400+


For an 8:20 departure, I would leave the Westin Palace at 6, just to allow plenty of time, since it's an international flight. But ask the concierge for a 2nd opinion.
Barajas with those morning intra European business flights can get really busy.

cruiseluv

Peyton,

I don't think you'll be saving that much money by using the shuttle. Also, the same advice re the bus that applies to get to your hotel goes for going from hotel to airport. The taxi fare should be no more that 25 euros (unless things have changed dramatically in the last year and a half). It's around 20-30 mins to airport

I love the bars/ tapas places in Santa Ana , specially Vinoteca Barbechera , already recommended by Maribel. Very convenient to the Westin Palace.

Enjoy your trip!

Maribel

Hi cruiseluv,
Didn't see your post while composing mine! We've just booked your hotel, the Villa Real, for 4 nights in late March-early April (switched our loyalty from the Gran Canarias, which has changed ownership and hasn't set a reopening date yet). Really looking forward to it!

peyton18

Many thanks

travelgourmet

tt

Maribel

hi peyton,
For your purchases of wines that can't easily be found in the states, I thought about the wines that "The Spanish Table", so far, doesn't sell at its fabulous wine/foods shops because of import problems or limited production.

TST has a truly wonderful selection, and terrific wine buyers,so there's not much they don't have.
But here are a few "hard to get" labels you won't easily find stateside:

WHITES:

Martín Cendoya Malvasía from Heredad Ugarte, Rioja

Gramona Vi de Gel (ice wine) Gewürztraminer, Penedés

Organistrum albariño '05 from Martín Códax, Rías Baixas

REDS:

Pago La Moravia '04 from Ribera del Duratón, Castilla y León

Finca Garbet '04 from Cavas del Castillo de Perelada, L'Empordà-Costa Brava

They may or may not have them at the wine stores I mentioned above, but why not ask?

Have fun wine shopping!