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I belong to the Spanish Wine Tasting Association (UEC) and, in order to insure that the wine we drink during the tour is at its peak, I purchase and collect it from two different collectors. Most of the first-rate wines you buy retail need years of aging to reach their peak, which is why collecting is so important. Another thing: some tapas can only be fully enjoyed when paired with the right wine, i.e., seafood with pale sherries or blue cheese with the dark, raisin-like wines from the south. 2) How is it possible that I serve expensive wines during the tour and still manage to charge less than my competitors, you ask? Unlike my rivals, I do not work with third parties, such as travel agencies, tour operators and such. People contact me directly via the internet. Consequently, I do not have to pay the standard 20% commission and, therefore, can offer more at a better price. 3) This tapas tour is run by a real Madrileño. Most of the rest are run by non-Spaniards. 4) Unlike my competitors, I do not charge you beforehand; you pay at the last eating stop. Therefore, if your plane is late or you do not feel well and have to cancel, a charge for something you did not experience will not compound an already bad situation. 5) As for The Madrid of the Hapsburgs, the neigborhood in which the tour is held, an image is worth a thousand words: photo 1, photo 2, photo 3 6) The guide is a member of the Spanish Wine Tasting Association. He tastes 400 wines every year. The best ones you will also taste on the tour. 7) The people who join the tour, that is, people with an interest in fine foods & wines, are pretty fine themselves. They have above average sensitivities, minds and manners, which makes them great company for a night out. Every time I visit a new city I feel overwhelmed by the number of
neighborhoods and restaurants, not to mention the country's army of
different wines and dishes. I always try to find a local with a passion
for their city and the foods&wines of their country, to show me the
"not to be missed". I never find them. All I get are
big corporations like Viator that offer vague food&wine tours that
I find expensive and lacking. . |