Eat. Sip. Spain.with Chef José Mendín

Before the adventure officially begins, join Chef José Mendín and Chef Richard Gruica for a relaxed meet-and-greet with a playful preview of the week. The chefs have a special surprise: let's just say it involves alcohol, pork and plenty of joy.

Food and drinks this evening are courtesy of the chefs. Your hotel for this night is not included in the trip package.

A private, chef-led tour of Madrid's legendary markets with Chef José: ruby-red prawns, silky jamón, saffron and sweet temptations.

Then we roll up our sleeves for a hands-on lesson in the perfect paella, down to the golden, crispy socarrat, and share it as our main meal. Between bites, we wander some of Madrid's most iconic plazas and avenues.

A VIP walking tour of hidden corners and lived-in neighborhoods, with Chef José and Chef Richard bringing the city to life through food and drink. We sip where Madrileños sip, from markets to historic plazas.

Mid-afternoon, an epic meal at Botín, founded in 1725 and the oldest recorded restaurant in the world. The rest of the day is yours: siesta, spa or Madrid's famous nightlife.

North to Segovia and its soaring Roman aqueduct, with lunch on the city's iconic cochinillo, suckling pig roasted slowly in a wood-fired oven.

Then into Ribera del Duero, where wine has shaped life for over two millennia. We visit Peñafiel Castle and its wine museum before arriving at Castilla Termal Monasterio de Valbuena, a restored 12th-century monastery with a thermal spa, for dinner with Ribera wines.

Chef José returns to one of his earliest teachers, Chef Jesús Ramiro, for a hands-on lesson in sopa castellana, the garlicky, paprika-kissed bread soup of Castile, shared with local wine and stories of mentorship, family and memory.

Lunch is at Fuente Aceña, a former flour mill on the Duero, followed by Dominio Lubiano, a family winery on the Golden Mile run by Emilio Lubiano and Mónica Peñas. The rest of the day: vivir sin prisa.

We begin at Tonelería Duero, a family-run cooperage whose barrels are trusted by many of Spain's top wineries, then Dominio de Cair among century-old vines near La Aguilera.

The day ends at Bodegas J.A. Calvo Casajús, where the welcome begins with bread, a nod to the founder's family of bakers. Taste the celebrated NIC, then Chef José and Chef Richard cook alongside the family for a meal shared around their table.

At Pago de Carraovejas, “Landscapes with Alma”: a winery tour and four wines, each paired with a bite from Ambivium, the on-site Michelin-starred restaurant.

Next, wine and Churra sheep's milk cheese at Bodegas Raíz de Guzmán, then lunch at Asador Nazareno for wood-fired lechazo asado, cooked with nothing more than fire, salt and time. The rest of the day is yours at the monastery.

A slow morning at the hotel, then back to the capital for one last meal together to relive favorite moments and raise a final glass. The evening in Madrid is yours.

We say farewell, but not goodbye. Eat well. Sip often. Travel deeply.