Sevilla Travel Forum

Looking for a nice wine tour -- had an excellent trip in Melbourne that took multiple sign ups (instead of a private tour)in one big van to different wineries (had the sweetest, most rib-tickling driver, especially on the trip home! :). Everything I see in Spain seems to center on "private" tours. Any help finding a more "assorted" group (and more reasonably priced) tour? Either Madrid, Sevilla or Barcelona?

You might be able to find wine tasting. The closest area to Sevilla will be Montilla/Moriles DO. Generally you will have to go further North for more conventional wine tasting, i.e. the Marquez Riscal near the Basque area. I had some excellent Ribiera del Duero while in Sevilla, but couldn't tell you exactly where they were from. Try http://www.winesfromspain.com/icex/cda/controller/pageGen/0,3346,1549487_4946338_4944445_1083_-1,00.html,

Karl

Unforunately there are no major wine growing establishments near to Seville so a wine tour like the one you describe is really best by trying the bars and especially the better tapas bars in Seville.

Possibly the closest area for serious wine growing to Seville is Sherry country. I don't know if you are familiar with sherry but there are many types, from the super dry to the extra sweet, and by visiting JEREZ its possible to explore the sherry area. These are 'fortified' wines. Jerez is about one hour by train south of Seville on the way to Cadiz. Tours in sherry land is really limited to individual Bodegas (wine cellar or rather large storage warehouse for casks of wine) such as the popular one run by Tio Pepe : http://www.bodegastiopepe.com/
But there are many others in Jerez and also in El Puerto de Santa Maria - especially OSBORNE http://www.osborne.es/

Spanish wines are very good these days. The reds or 'tintos' used to be mainly made from the Tempranillo grape but nowadays you have more grape varieties and blends. The ageing process in barrels also gives wine in Spain that distinctive flavour especially the Riojas.