Ribera del Duero: Bodega Emilio Moro

It has been some time since I published a post recommending a place I have visited and liked. A little more than a month ago I had the opportunity to visit the Bodega Emilio Moro, which is near Valladolid, in one of the most internationally recognized wine regions, ‘Ribera del Duero’.

I had the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful scenery, full of vineyards and Bodegas of every kind. My attention was grabbed by the architecture of a Bodega Cepa 21 that belongs to the Emilio Moro group, famous because some of their shareholders are famous.

When we arrived to Emilio Moro, I had the opportunity to try one of their wines, Emilio Moro 2009 along with some delicious ham. After, I took a guided tour of the Bodega- the guide was wonderful. This was followed by a meal typical of the region and some wine tasting.

I recommend the place for its history, for its scenery, the friendly people and, of course, for its wines. But, sadly, if you don't speak Spanish you need to book on the day they tell you.

Is it necessary to go so far?

Yesterday I read in the online version of a fashion magazine that a glamorous trip would be to go to Tuscany. 

When I finished reading it I kept thinking, “is it necessary to go so far?” In Spain we have many wine regions, with top quality wines, restaurants with Michelin star chefs, wineries with architectural grandeur, truly dreamy landscapes.

So why go to Tuscany to Napa Valley or anywhere else rather than Spain? It really annoys me.

The problem with the Spanish is that unless it’s a party, an omelette or ‘tinto de verano Don Simon’, we do not know how to sell ourselves. Like it or not.

Who is to blame? Better not to give names, but yes, "some people" appear not to have noticed that tourism is changing rapidly. Ladies and Gentlemen, we should do something or we will become further out of touch as "Third class tourism".

Ayer leí en la versión online de una revista de moda que un viaje glamuroso sería irse a la Toscana. Cuando terminé de leerlo me quedé pensando, "es necesario irse tan lejos"? 

En España tenemos muchas zonas vitivinícolas, con vinos de primerísima calidad, restaurantes con chefs de estrella Michelín, bodegas con grandiosidad arquitectónica, paisajes verdaderamente de ensueño.

Entonces, por qué irse a La Toscana, a Napa Valley o a cualquier otro sitio antes que a España? Realmente me indigna. El problema de los españoles es que a no ser que sea fiesta, tortilla de patatas o tinto de verano don Simón, no sabemos vendernos. Nos guste o no es así.

Quién tiene la culpa? Si los súper entendidos son conscientes de que las experiencias que busca el turista están cambiando, por qué no cambiamos a la misma velocidad que ellas. Señores y Señoras o hacemos algo o nos convertiremos en la Torrevieja mundial.

Really? Just this? OMFG.

Wine tourism and gastronomy go hand in hand

I've been over a month mulling over the same idea in my head that if I don’t do something with it, it will disappear. It has to do with wine tourism and gastronomy and how they complement one another in an intense way that allows the tourist to experience things with all five senses.

It’s trying to sell an experience that catches attention with its mystery of flavors, aromas, sensations, colors, textures and history.

If there is something Americans do well it is telling stories and doing things in an easier and more accessible way- so that whoever wants to can enjoy the product. Why in Spain, with base products of such quality, some of the best cuisine in the world, ancient cellars, modern and dreamy landscapes, fine wines at a very reasonable price, hotels in conditions, do we tell our story so badly?

On recent visits to wineries that I have seen I could not have been more bored, it is always the same, it seems that they want to prove to each other that they are best because their way of making wine is more traditional or because they use the latest technologies ... Stop it, ladies and gentlemen! Let's do something together (wineries, restaurants, hotels, transport services ... etc..) Something that makes the tourists get caught up in the excitement of the wine, its culture and find a way of marrying it to our premier culinary culture.

Experiences… this is the keyword.

Is wine for old people?

A week ago I took part in a forum about wine in the Club de Marketing of La Rioja. In one of the discussions the theme of how wine is always related to people of a certain age, social class and economic position came up. It was then compared with the general image of beer. Beer is often associated with young people and an idea of fun. It also seems that everyone, with or without being especially informed about beer and its properties, can enjoy one.

I am going to give my opinion, from a standpoint a little removed from the culture of wine as I am from Madrid which is not a city with a history of wine like La Rioja where the whole environment, from the gastronomy to the very tiles of the streets remind you of this region’s special tie to wine.

I think there are three factors behind the reason why young people in Madrid often think “wine is for old people”:

1. Communication: The logos, the bottles and their labels, the colours used, the language used… everything conveys a sense of age, of something ornate, that has difficulty reaching an audience if they don’t not know if the wine should have been X months in a barrel and who knows how many in a bottle to allow the wine to taste fruity or to have a woody or smoky flavour because it has aged more or less.

2. When you grow up in a land of wine it is naturally easier to acquire knowledge about the development and enjoyment of a good wine.  Maybe, like me, when you are at home you have a glass of wine at lunch or dinner; as it is traditionally said to be good for your health.  As my father says “Wine is art”. But it often isn’t like this and when you start to drink beer, vodka or whiskey for the first time (and this is related to the first factor), what is communicated by these drinks? What is transmitted in their ads? Youth, partying, fun and modernity.

3. Knowledge: why is it that it seems that in order to appreciate wine -or to have an opinion as basic as ‘whether I like it or not’- we have to have an intimate knowledge on the subject? I do not understand beer or vodka or how they are prepared and know if I like the taste or not. The other day, I said I preferred a crianza to a gran reserva and the accusing looks I got almost killed me, as yes, I prefer fruity flavours to a smoky or woody taste.

And to explain all this with some pictures, what do the following images transmit to you?:

          

                            

             

        

Winery Francisco Gomez

I want to introduce you to a winery in Alicante, Bodegas Francisco Gomez. Finally, I found a winery that practices really good wine tourism. You can choose between three kinds of routes:

1. The wine route: a guided tour through the winery and a tasting of wines and olive oils with a tasting of Iberian

charcuterie.

2. The wine lover and gourmet route: wine route + lunch at restaurant.

3. The wine culture route: wine route + a cultural tour of the town of Villena.

Also, you can have another extra services:

1. The "Biar" route: it is a small town where you can find castles, handmade pottery, snow pits, etc.

2. The Medieval castles route:  the valley of Vinalopó is a place where lots of castles where built in the middle           age: Castillo de Villena, Castillo de Sax, Castillo de Bañeres y Castillo de Almansa.

3. Scenic route: you will visit hermitages, snow pits, heritage trees, etc.

4. A hot air ballon flight over the winery.

5. Sailing Route with lunch on Tabarca Island.

6. Museum route.

7. Route with golf at Equélite Golf Villena. 

More info: http://www.bodegasfranciscogomez.es/ 

 

              

I need EspaÑa. Do you?

Carnival of wine 2012

Last Friday I was lucky to be invited to Carnaval del Vino en Haro (Carnival of Wine in Haro)-La Rioja, Spain- . It was in Hotel los Agustinos with a medieval atmosphere. All of us had to wear special costumes and masks.

I have to say it was an amazing experience in a such beautiful place with a live show and stands where different wineries from Haro offered their wines.

Participating wineries were:

• BODEGAS ALBERTO GUTIERREZ
• BODEGAS BILBAINAS
• BODEGAS CARLOS SERRES
• BODEGAS CVNE
• BODEGAS IBAIONDO
• BODEGAS LA RIOJA ALTA
• BODEGAS MARTINEZ LACUESTA
• BODEGAS MUGA
• BODEGAS PATERNINA
• BODEGAS R.LÓPEZ DE HEREDIA
• BODEGAS RAMÓN BILBAO
• BODEGAS RODA
• BODEGA VIRGEN DE LA VEGA, S.COOPERATIVA

I took some pictures (as much as my five glasses of wine let me ;p):

       

FITUR 2012

This year I finally made it to FITUR. In this post I will tell about you my impressions of the stand La Rioja had and the activities I undertook during the days I spent at the show. First, I would like to start with a general impression.

On the days that I could observe, I noted that unfortunately for Spanish tourism the international stands attracted more visitors. In fact, every time I visited an international stand it was full of visitors. Spanish stands, on the contrary, although not woefully under populated were not as full as they had been in recent years.

Nonetheless, I want to congratulate Andalusia Tourism for the part they played at FITUR. They are truly worthy of admiration because of the resources and the effort they put into promoting themselves. It is true that Andalusia is a community that lives in large part through tourism and they always know how to put their best foot forward. How? By exploiting the image that most outsiders have of them. One of fiesta, flamenco, beaches, good food, relaxation and good living.

With respect to La Rioja´s stand- it was attractive and shouted out for attention with a variety of activities to show off the great variety of food and wine in La Rioja. The Stand was similar to last year but this year the difference was in the dress of the hostess, without a doubt one of the best of all the Spanish stands. Here was a stand where the public could enjoy many organized activities such as, wine therapy treatments, wine tasting, Cameros cheese, cookery, etc...

On Thursday I had the honor of being invited to the Day of La Rioja, attended by the President of the Community, Pedro Sanz. He was correct to say that La Rioja is a timeless destination, that any season is ripe for a visit. He also commented that in La Rioja there is so much to see, we have dining, paleontological sites, rural tourism, etc.. He added that the Riojans are people who  will welcome you with open arms and make you feel at home. He can attest to this by saying that he himself visited La Rioja and never left.

I end the post with a brief reflection as a result of a conversation I had in Madrid. In times of crisis-Is tourism is something dispensable? Does it change the mode of travel or destinations? In my humble opinion, tourism is evolving with or without crisis, which affects it. People are still traveling but their destinations are closer to home so tourism has not been affected the crisis, people are still traveling and discovering new destinations .

From here I invite you to visit La Rioja, it will not disappoint you.