Featured in May 2004 Travel
and Leisure, "The Ultimate Guide to Cooking Schools."
About
the location: El Masroig is a small, agricultural town of merely five
hundred inhabitants, nestled in the beautiful and unspoiled Priorat
wine-producing region of Catalonia. Your home during the stay will be a
fourth-generation family house, built in stone by Chef Alicia’s
great grandfather.
The home, named Catacurian by
Alicia, has recently been completely restored and transformed into a
private “hotel,” fitted with all of the amenities necessary
to make your culinary vacation a truly exquisite experience. Some of the
wonderful features include hardwood floors, thermostat in each room,
beautifully outfitted bathrooms including terrycloth bathrobes, and a
private sitting area with a fireplace and computer with internet access
for guests’ use.
About the cooking lessons: Catalan cuisine is a form
of cooking that still closely reflects its medieval origins; occupied
for nearly seven hundred years by the Romans, followed by several
centuries of the Visigoths, and then four hundred years of occupation by
the Moors, the varied influences are still discernible today. During the
program, you will have a chance to visit some of the Priorat's best
wineries where the wine tastings and one-on-one presentations will allow
you to discover what makes the wines so fabulous and renowned.
You’ll also discover why the Priorat olive oils are so outstanding
with the help of an official olive oil tasting session.
Alicia is a native of the Priorat region and will be
teaching you her region’s specialties in the very home that her
family has occupied for the last 4 generations. You’ll immediately
feel at home here, thanks to Alicia’s warmth and enthusiasm for
Catalan cuisine. The lessons focus on using the freshest ingredients
including seafood, vegetables, and specialty meats.
Wine & Cuisine of the Priorat
"Catacurian," El Masroig (Tarragona), Catalonia
3-Night Cooking Vacation Itinerary
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Day One
- Pickup in Barcelona around 10:30 am from either the Barcelona airport or the Barcelona city center (at a pre-arranged
location, the Plaza España).
- Arrival at the property Catacurian and time to settle in.
- Welcome Tapas lunch.
- Cooking class followed by dinner.
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Day Two
- Breakfast.
- Visit to the Costers del Siurana winery (producers of Clos de l'Obac) in Gratallops with a tasting of their wonderful wine.
- Back at Catacurian, a cooking class followed by lunch.
- Free time to relax in your room, outside on the patio, or perhaps for a walk in this lovely village.
- Official olive oil tasting session where you learn what distinguishes the different types of olive oil and how to tell if an
oil is truly superior.
- Cooking class followed by dinner.
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Day Three
- Breakfast.
- Visit to the breathtaking Scala Dei monastery.
- Visit to the La Conreria de Scala Dei winery for a tasting.
- Cooking class at Catacurian, followed by lunch.
- Free time to relax.
-
Cooking class followed by dinner.
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Day Four
- Breakfast followed by dropoff in Barcelona city center or transfer to Barcelona airport.
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6-Night Cooking Vacation Itinerary
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Day One
- Pickup in Barcelona around 10:30 am from either the Barcelona airport
or the Barcelona city center (at a pre-arranged location, the Plaza España).
- Arrival to the property Catacurian and time to settle in.
- Welcome Tapas lunch.
- Cooking class followed by dinner.
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Day Two
- Breakfast
- Visit to the Bodegas Ithaca winery and vineyards in Gratallops with a tasting.
- Back at Catacurian, a cooking class followed by lunch.
- Free time to relax (and digest!).
- In the evening, a cooking class followed by dinner.
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Day Three
- Breakfast
- Visit to the Costers del Siurana winery (producers of Clos de l'Obac) in Gratallops and tasting of their wonderful wine.
- Cooking class back at Catacurian, with lunch to follow.
- Free time to relax in your room, outside on the patio, or perhaps for a walk in this lovely village.
- Official olive oil tasting session where you learn what distinguishes the different types of olive oil and how to tell if an
oil is truly superior.
- Cooking class followed by dinner.
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Day Four
- Breakfast
- Visit to Reus, birthplace of the famous "Modernisme" (Art Nouveau) architect, Antoni Guadí. We will do the
the "Gaudí route," enjoying some of
his spectacular designs, and then will stop at the Reus food market. After the market, enjoy free time for shopping.
- Tapas lunch in Reus.
- Free time back at Catacurian.
- Cooking class followed by dinner.
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Day Five
- Breakfast
- Visit to the breathtaking Scala Dei monastery.
- Visit to the La Conreria de Scala Dei winery for a tasting.
- Cooking class and lunch at Catacurian, followed by free time for relaxation.
- Cooking class followed by dinner.
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Day Six
- Breakfast
- Visit to the Joan d'Anguera winery in Darmés.
- Visit to an artisanal ceramics store in Miravet.
- Cooking class with combined lunch and dinner.
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Day Seven
- Breakfast followed by dropoff in Barcelona city center (Plaza España) or transfer to the Barcelona airport.
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2009 Price Per Person
6-night program:
US$3160 per person, double occupancy for a minimum of two
US$560 single supplement
US$2960 per person, double occupancy for three or more
US$560 single supplement
3-night program:
US$1680 per person, double occupancy for a minimum of two
US$280 single supplement
Us$1540 per person, double occupancy for three or more
US$280 single supplement
4-night Grape Harvest Special (Sept. 6-10):
US$2450 per person, double occupancy
Single supplement: please inquire
Maximum number of guests is six.
Please inquire for details on: two nights in Barcelona with Alicia as your personal guide or a
three-night Wine Tour.
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2009 Tour Dates
6-night program
May 20-26 (1 room left)
August 3-9 (1 room left)
August 11-17 (1 room left)
September 6-10 (Grape Harvest Special*, 1 room left)
September 16-22 (Grape Harvest Special, SOLD OUT)
November 11-17 (Olive Harvest Special, 2 rooms left)
December 23-28 (Five-night Christmas special, please inquire)
*Special 4-night itinerary, please inquire.
3-night program
May 6-9
June 2-5 (2 rooms left)
June 10-13 (1 room left)
June 24-27 (2 rooms left)
July 8-11
July 22-25
September 30-October 3 (SOLD OUT)
October 8-11 (1 room left)
October 14-17
October 28-31 (1 room left)
November 25-28
December 9-12
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Included in the cooking vacation:
- Pre-arranged transfer to and from the Barcelona airport or Barcelona city
center (in front of the Catalonia Barcelona Plaza Hotel on Plaza España) at
around 10:30 am on the day of arrival and after breakfast the day of departure
(If you cannot make the transfer, a taxi between Barcelona and Catacurian will cost around 180 Euro each way.)
- Welcome apéritif
- Accommodations w/private bath
- All breakfasts, lunches, and dinner, including premium Priorat wines
- Catalan cooking classes as per itinerary
- Open bar with fine liquors and Cuban cigars
- Diploma, apron, gift and recipe book
- Transport and entrance fees for all of the excursions
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Cooking Vacations 
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