ESCAPE TO THE VINEYARDS OF CORDOBA

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1 ITINERARY ESCAPE TO THE VINEYARDS OF CORDOBA Day 1 FRIDAY Arrival to Malaga Airport (early afternoon, if possible) Transfer from the airport to a rural hotel in Montilla surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. Check-in and dinner at the hotel's gastronomic restaurant. Day 2 SATURDAY MONTILLA WINE REGION Guided visit to an olive mill farm and museum to experience the production of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Olive oil and fresh baked bread taste. Guided visit to Lagar Blanco, a family owned winery located up the hills of la Sierra de Montilla. Here you will learn the production process from the grape variety Pedro Ximenez. Together with tasting the 5 different wines from this region, you will also enjoy a nice local tapas lunch at the winery. Free afternoon (optional horse ride for 1h or 2h) Evening walking tour around Montilla. Wine pairing dinner in one of the most emblematic wine taverns in town dated from 1929: traditional andalusian food and organic local wines. Day 3 SUNDAY CORDOBA Guided visit to the winery Pérez Barquero, one of the oldest bodegas in Montilla with the most awarded wines from the area. Wine tasting at the winery Tapas lunch Transfer to Córdoba (Unesco World Heritage city) In the afternoon, guided visit to the Mosque and the Jewish quarter Horse show at the Royal Stables. Dinner at a typical patio restaurant in Córdoba Day 4 MONDAY DEPARTURE Transfer to Málaga airport for a fight back early evening Please note: the above itinerary may change at any time due to circumstances beyond our control

2 WHAT WE DO AND WHAT'S INCLUDED Accommodation (3 nights) At JUST EXPLORE we only use pre-selected and pre-viewed 3/4 star boutique hotels. For this wine tour, we are using 3* rural hotels. Bedrooms are normally for 2 people sharing (double/twin). Supplement for single use is applicable Guides (Knowledge is everything) Our team of offcial local guides, expert profesors and historians, speaking fuent English, will help you to explore the culture, the history and the secret tales of magic Al Andalus. All tickets and passes are included. A tour guide will be escorting you for the whole scheduled program and will be reachable 24h if any help is required.

3 WHAT WE DO AND WHAT'S INCLUDED Transport: Depending on group size, transport will be provided using either: *Private chauffeur car *Minibus *VIP coach All are included in package costs Meals and drinks All breakfasts are included. All meals and drinks mentioned in the itinerary are also included. Activities / Show Spanish Horse show at the Royal Stables in Córdoba Olive oil taste Wine tastings

4 MONTILLA is the center of this Denomination of Origin wine zone. The winemaking history of this area dates back to the Romans and the Moors and it's quite possibly the oldest in Andalucia. The landscape here is dry and the soil is a blinding white Albariza (white marl composed of clay, calcium and marine fossils). Its excellent moisture retention is very signifcant as this area is hotter than almost anywhere else in Spain. The main white grape variety of this area is the worldwide known Pedro Ximenez. With a delicate skin and high sugar content, the wines that are made from it, reach up to 14 and 16% alcohol. They are matured using the solera system and classifed into the following styles: Joven (young and fruity), Fino (dry and nutty), Amontillado (gradually oxidated), Oloroso (richer and heavier) and Pedro Ximénez (sweet and thick, honoring the actual grape name)

5 Cordoba is a mid-sized city of 350,000 people. Very few places in the world can boast of having been the capital of a Roman province (Hispania Ulterior), the capital of an Arab State (Al-Andalus) and a Caliphate. This ancient city was the political and intellectual capital of the Caliphate of Cordoba since the advent of Islamic rule from the 8 th century. Nestled in a valley along the Guadalquivir river backed by the Sierra Morena mountains in the noth, it provided strategic defence position enjoying the auspicious energy of the mountain and river. Under the rule of the Caliph Abderraman the III, it became the centre of education and learning. Under his rule, hundreds of mosques and splendid palaces were builtd, and an irrigation system for agriculture and infrastructure was developed. Cordoba was at the zenith of its importance in that era, but id did not survive the march of time. It soon declined in importance but its legacy lives on, and today, UNESCO lists its historic centre as a World Heritage Site. One of the most magnifcent legacies of Moorish architecture is the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba. The Mosque went through four stages of transformation by various Islamic rulers. It became the centre of not only religious but also cultural, social and political activities. When King Ferdinand III reconquered Cordoba in 1236, it was consecrated as a Catholic Cathedral. Walking through the Cathedral it is like walking through a timeline of Moorish rule and Christian reconquest. It is a breathtaking piece of architectural wonder created by skilled Byzantine artisans and architects.