lunes, 3 de diciembre de 2012

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.











martes, 13 de noviembre de 2012

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.



domingo, 4 de noviembre de 2012

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.


viernes, 18 de mayo de 2012

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?:


          

                            

             

        


miércoles, 9 de mayo de 2012

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. 


 

              

martes, 21 de febrero de 2012

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):




       








lunes, 23 de enero de 2012

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.









lunes, 19 de diciembre de 2011

Hotel Ciudad de Cenicero

On Saturday I had the pleasure and opportunity to visit the hotel Ciudad de Cenicero -La Rioja, Spain-. 
It is cozy, nicely decorated and makes you feel like you're in your own home.
Each and every detail of the decor reminds you that you're in the land of wine.
The rooms and lounges are tastefully decorated and bath products are made with wine products exclusively for the hotel.
Its Chef is Angel González Castro, click here if you want to know more about him and his dishes.
Sorry for the bad cuality of my pictures. I took them with my BB, again. 











miércoles, 14 de diciembre de 2011

Wine tourism: your winery follows these simple rules?

I find it unbelievable that many wineries offer visits in English (or another language) on only one day per week and how many other wineries offer tours only in Spanish. I've been to a winery (I will not say the name out of respect, as I do not take any of my foreign clients there) where they had a visiting group of three Spanish and eight French people and did their tour in Spanish. How would you have acted? If I were in charge of wine tourism in a winery I would do the following:

1. Organize visits to the winery in other languages ​​on any day of the week.
2. Divide people into groups according to the language in which they want to receive the visit.
3. Wine tasting of the principal wines and special discount prices for the visitors.
4. Make the visit enjoyable.
5. Staff is pleasant and polite.

These five simple suggestions do not involve an investment of money from the winery and help to promote more visits and increase the sale of wine.

I have other proposals that do represent an investment but would significantly improve the effectiveness of wine tourism:

1. Having a website that is simple to use. A wineries website should be a place where a customer can easily look at wines and their characteristics as well as visiting schedules without facing an ordeal. The site should be available in several languages.
2. Do not close for holidays. Sound silly? You are about to close for holidays when tourists are on vacation? Believe it or not there are many wineries that do!
3. Offering full use of the wineries facilities for customers. To organize a wine tasting with friends, a wedding or an exhibition of paintings.
4. Audio guides should be made available so you can enjoy a tour of a winery at your own pace.
5. Transport services for the client. Ideally, mini-buses. How is it possible that most of the wineries on the outskirts of Logroño don’t provide any transport for a large number of potential customers.

You never know who could be among the people visiting a winery. That's why a customer must always come first and be treated like a king. Always.

These ten suggestions seem simple but even you do not believe there are LOTS of wineries ignoring them.

I can think of many other things, but if you want to know them please get in touch.

La Rioja

lunes, 5 de diciembre de 2011

Los Parajes

Last Saturday I went to Laguardia (Alava). If I say It is one of the most beautiful places I am not lying. But I dont want to talk about Laguardia in this post but a hotel.

Los Parajes is such a lovely place with a spa, vinoteca and a fantastic restaurant. The decoration is classic and very elegant. Every single detail of the hotel made me fell like if I was in another era.

Downstairs, there are the spa and the vinoteca, where you can anjoy a glass of wine where its unique vibe remembers you that you are in the middle of the wine culture.

If you love wine, good food and you need some time to relax, I recommend you Hospedería Los Parajes.

I found these images on internet. I could not take any picture because my BB was off. Sorry!








martes, 8 de noviembre de 2011

Wine of the Week: Marqués del Puerto- white 2009-

Grapes used: viura 100%

Tasting notes:
 Colour--> pale yellow with golden hues
Aroma--> powerful, fine and elegant. Very well balanced, complex and delicate. Vanilla,      cream and herbs.
Palate--> citrus and apple very well balanced with vanilla. Tasty, fresh, very shoft, long.

miércoles, 28 de septiembre de 2011

Wine of the Week: Lealtanza white vintage 2010

Grapes used:
Sauvignon blanc.

Tasting notes:
Colour: Pale yellow and green shades with golden glints. 
Nose: The best expression of an elegant grape. A white wine  
reminding nuanced of tropical fruit and citrus. Notice the aroma 
of green apple. We find some hints of mineral aromas. 
On palate: Very well balanced wine,  with a remarkable acity 
but elegant. It is full of personality and flavour. Sweet, nice and 
fresh with herbaceous and fruity tones. 


Tweet-Trip La Rioja 2011

Ayer se celebró, coincidiendo con el Día Mundial del Turismo, el primer (y espero que no el último) Tweet-Trip en La Rioja.
Fue uno de los eventos más interesantes a los que he asistido en el que se trataba sobre Turismo, Gastronomía y, por supuesto, el mundo Twitter contado por unos ponentes de excepción. Estos relataban sus propias experiencias a nivel personal y profesional en esta red social y lo mucho que ayuda esta herramienta a la hora de hacer "branding", comunicarte con clientes potenciales, dar a conocer tu negocio, tu ciudad, en el caso de un restaurante los platos que sirven, etc.

Nos reunimos todos a las 9:15 en el Riojaforum de La Rioja, que está en Logroño. Tras las acreditaciones empezaron las mesas redondas, todo ello retransmitido vía streaming:

1. Reputación en Twitter: la Influencia y el Turismo.
2. Twitter y Turismo: Tendencias y Tópicos.
3. Directo al Mantel: gastronomía como motor del Turismo.

He de decir, que todas las intervenciones de los ponentes me parecieron muy interesantes, pero si he de escoger, me quedo con tres (porque me toca más cerca profesionalmente y porque estoy obsesionada con el tiempo, a ver si llega la temperatura otoñal de una vez): Marta Bonet-@peppersantblai- , Juan Carlos- @olympiavalencia y Emilio Rey -@digitalmeteo- .

De Marta Bonet me gustó la originalidad de su burrita que es la que nos cuenta curiosidades sobre la isla, recomienda restaurantes, lugares a los que ir y, por supuesto, nos enseña su casita rural.
De Juan Carlos destaco su mente empresarial 2.0 aunque creo que él ya ha pasado al 3.0, sabéis que si haces check in en su cafeteria del hotel os regala un café? o si lo haces en su gym tienes un masaje gratis? creo que me voy a pasar la próxima vez que vaya a Valencia.
Qué puedo decir de Emilio? que fué un descubrimiento. Es un encanto de persona y lo mejor de todo es que explica todo sobre la meteorología en su Blog de forma super sencilla y cercana y todos los Jueves a la una está respondiendo en 20minutos.es a todas nuestras preguntas.

Después de las ponencias, llegó la hora de irnos a las Bodegas Altanza, donde tuvimos unos pinchos deliciosos, vino Altanza (me quedé maravillada con su blanco) y mejor conversación. Y después, por si acaso nos había entrado la pereza y ganas de siesta, nos pusieron a vendimiar!!qué experiencia tan divertida, de verdad, nunca antes lo había hecho.

Después hubo una degustación de vinos Altanza a la que ya no pude asistir pero, en donde sí estuve, fue en la Laurel and Tweets! los que me soléis leer sabéis que me encanta comer, soy la mejor compañera de mesa porque siempre me centro en la comida y no hago ascos a nada sobre todo cuando se trata de la Laurel, mi calle favorita. Nos repartieron unas acreditaciones con unas tarjetas que valían por un pincho y vino en los lugares marcados y aunque no quiero mostrar favoritismos cómo nos trataron en La Taberna del Tío Blas no nos trataron en ningún sitio! nos sacaron muchísima comida: arroz negro, muslitos de codorniz, pinchito de chorizo, granizado...de verdad, si venís por Logroño pasad por el Tío Blas porque merece la pena.

La noche terminó en el Buda, un bar de copas con una decoración "a lo budista".

Os dejo algunas fotos del día. Ah! y quiero dar las gracias a todas las personas que hicieron posible este día, a los organizadores y a los asistentes! Y muchas gracias por invitarme!