Category: Wine Tourism

Women in Wine Talks with Chile and Argentina [October 20, 2020] Another Successful Sold Out Event!

I would like to thank our Women of Wine Talks panel members today who hail from Chile and Argentina. Each discussed their wineries, terroir, and other conditions that make their wines unique. During the last 15 minutes of the talk, there was a Q and A discussion period on sustainability, vineyards 1,000 meters above sea level, the wide variety of climates and valleys, in particular a cold climate valley in Chile, and the wine varieties that are emerging.

 Panel Members:

CHILE

Viviana Navarrete – Chief Winemaker of Viña Leyda

Viña Leyda was a pioneer in the development of cold climate coastal vineyards in Chile. Located just 4km from the sea, the marine influence sustains temperatures around 13°C. This allows the grapes to ripen very slowly, enhancing and improving its flavors, aromas and natural acidity, whilst providing a saline character to the wines. As such, Viña Leyda requested the creation of a new ” Leyda Valley” Appellation of Origin, which became official in 2002 giving rise to a new style of wine.  The Pinot Noirs and Sauvignon Blancs by Viña Leyda enjoy great international prestige.

ARGENTINA

Susana Balbo – Owner & Chief Winemaker of Susana Balbo Winery

After more than 30 years offering her talent to the service of national and international wineries, in 1999 Susana Balbo decided to make her dream come true, to have her own winery. It was at this point in time that she started the construction of Susana Balbo Wines, which is in the heart of Lujan de Cuyo in Mendoza.

Also, after over 10 years of sustained growth in the international wine trade, another dream of Susana´s came true: her children, José, a winemaker from UC Davis University (California) and Ana, Business Administration major from San Andrés University, joined the Susana Balbo Wines team.

Susana and her team comply with the highest international quality standards in all their processes, including Sustainability and Corporate Social responsibility platforms. Their philosophy is to produce terroir-driven wines to express the unique characteristics of each varietal. Susana Balbo Wines are amongst the most recognized and awarded wines in Argentina.

Andrea Ferreyra, Chief Winemaker Finca La Celia

A Pioneer is someone that leaves behind a unique legacy. Eugenio Bustos was one of them. When he arrived to Uco Valley, Argentina, more than 100 years ago, he sold his best horses to purchase land and planted a varietal grape from France, giving birth to Finca La Celia, named after his daughter. La Celia is the oldest winery in the Uco Valley in Mendoza, Argentina. This vineyard was the first one to plant Malbec in the region, which currently is the most iconic varietal from Argentina. La Celia has 400 hectares planted and ever since its first production, Finca La Celia has never stopped innovating. Their committed team of professionals, pursue their dream of producing excellent wines recognized worldwide, pushing the envelope always a little bit further, constantly innovating.

This group of formidable women leaders have been and are committed to the development of wine in their countries and internationally.

They have demonstrated through their life and work, and their leadership in their fields, that women make a difference. They have become incredible role models for their countrywomen and women internationally — and serve as an inspiration across countries, regions, and generations.

Thank you!

Pouilly-Fuissé gets 22 premier cru vineyards

The French National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO) has officially recognized 22 premier cru ‘climats’ within the Pouilly-Fuissé appellation.

The AOP Pouilly-Fuissé will become the first appellation within Burgundy’s Mâconnais sub-region to benefit from premier cru vineyards.

The 22 new premier crus account for a total of 194ha of land planted to vine, corresponding to circa 24% of Pouilly-Fuissé’s total vineyard area (800ha), spread over the four communes of the appellation: Chaintré, Fuissé, Solutré-Pouilly and Vergisson.

A proposal for the recognition of these climats as premier crus was first submitted to the INAO 10 years ago. Since then, the INAO has been working in partnership with the Organization for the Defense and Management (ODG) of the Pouilly-Fuissé appellation to assess the worthiness of these ‘terroirs’.

The 22 new premier crus, commune by commune

Chaintré:

  • Le Clos de Monsieur Noly
  • Les Chevrières
  • Aux Quarts
  • Le Clos Reyssier

Fuissé:

  • Le Clos
  • Les Brulés
  • Les Ménétrières
  • Les Reisses
  • Les Vignes Blanches
  • Les Perrières
  • Vers Cras

Solutré-Pouilly:

  • La Frérie
  • Le Clos de Solutré
  • Au Vignerais
  • En Servy
  • Aux Bouthières
  • Aux Chailloux
  • Pouilly
  • Vers Cras

Vergisson:

  • Les Crays
  • La Maréchaude
  • Sur la Roche
  • En France

#wine #bourgogne #burgundy #pouillyfuisse #Mâconnais

WOMEN IN WINE TALKS Announces an exclusive “Live Talk” with Albiera Antinori – Tenuta Guado al Tasso and Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta – Tenuta San Guido

WOMEN IN WINE TALKS

hosted by

Liz Palmer, President – Les Dames d’Escoffier (Ontario Chapter)

 

It is our great pleasure to invite you to be part of an exclusive “live talk” with

Albiera Antinori – Tenuta Guado al Tasso

and

Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta – Tenuta San Guido
Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy

 

This event is scheduled for

Monday, September 21st at 7 pm (Rome time) on Zoom Platform  

Shari Mogk-Edwards (Canada) and Filippo Magnani (Bolgheri) will modulate the discussions between Albiera Antinori and Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta. You will learn about the amazing story of their families, the Bolgheri territory, and its wines.  This is not to be missed!

 Albiera and Priscilla, two women representing two historical and renowned Italian wine estates in Bolgheri, producing the iconic wines Guado al Tasso and Sassicaia. Nowadays, these two women together with Cinzia Merli from Le Macchiole winery, are also guiding the direction of the Board of Consorzio DOC Bolgheri and will discuss the vision of this wine appellation and territory.

Filippo Magnani, one of the top global Italian wine travel experts in Italy, will provide an overview of Bolgheri as “the hidden gem of Tuscany”, and why Bolgheri should be the next wine destination for both wine enthusiasts and wine professionals.

Host and Organizer:

Liz Palmer – President of Les Dames d’Escoffier (Ontario Chapter), Award-winning author, Dame Chevalier de Coteaux de Champagne, Educator, Wine Judge and voted one of the “Top 20 Global Wine Influencers for 2020 “ and founder of UPSocial Wine and Spirits Agency www.liz-palmer.com

Speakers from Bolgheri:

Albiera Antinori – Owner of Tenuta Guado al Tasso in Bolgheri / President of Consorzio DOC Bolgheri Tuscany / Member of the Association Le Donne del vino in Italy  (The Women of Wine of Italy) www.guadoaltasso.it  

Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta – Co-owner of Tenuta San Guido in Bolgheri / Vice-President of Consorzio DOC Bolgheri Tuscany / Member of the Association Le Donne del vino in Italy  (The Women of Wine of Italy). www.tenutasanguido.com

Moderators:                                    

Shari Mogk-Edwards is the founder of Shari’s Picks Consulting. Her career spans 36 years with the world’s largest single buyer of beverage alcohol – the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. As a former VP and head buyer at LCBO, Shari Mogk-Edwards tasted and selected wines and spirits from around the world. She developed Shari’s Picks and now makes wine recommendations. www.sharispicks.ca

Filippo Magnani – Wine Travel Expert in Italy and Writer  (The Italian Wine Insider). In 1999 he founded Fufluns Wine Tours, a boutique travel operator specialized in Wine Tours in Tuscany & Italy. www.filippomagnani.it – www.fufluns.com


Zoom link to join the Women in Wine Talk 7 PM (Rome)
on
Monday, September 21st 

[complimentary ticket] Click here for your complimentary ticket!

Eventbrite Page:

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/women-in-wine-talks-with-albiera-antinori-priscilla-incisa-della-rocchetta-tickets-120133780371

We look forward to seeing you.

With warm regards,

Liz Palmer
Founder of Women in Wine Talks
President of Ontario Chapter Les Dames d’Escoffier

 

Reims Tourism Office offers free Champagne to promote tourism

Attracting tourists post-Covid is undoubtedly a challenge. The Greater Reims Council has launched a new initiative called “Champagne, to make your summer awesome!” Visitors to the city will be treated to a bottle of grower Champagne. The greeting has an undeniably elegant touch, though there are some strings attached.

 

A total of 3,000 bottles, sourced from 68 different producers, will be given (one/adult) to those who qualify. The giveaway is said to have cost €50,000.

 

This initiative was launched July 15 and is subject to certain criteria. To qualify, tourists must spend at least two consecutive nights in the City of Reims, or the surrounding area, and stay in a hotel, guesthouse or gîte. Airbnb does not qualify. Also, during their trip, visitors must eat in a local restaurant and order at least one dish and drink. Fast food outlets are excluded from the list. Finally, in order to qualify, tourists must provide proof that they have paid for one leisure activity, such as renting a kayak, a winery visit, bike hire, or cinema ticket. Once they have paid for these holiday treats, visitors are required to go to the Reims tourist information office to receive their complimentary bottle.

This follows news of poor sales of Champagne during the Covid-19 pandemic. Industry body Comité Champagne said that sales were down 32% for the period January to May compared to the same period in 2019.

The European Union Announces “Exceptional Support Measures” for Wine Sector

The Commission adopted yesterday an additional package of exceptional measures to support the wine sector, following the coronavirus crisis and its consequences on the sector. The wine sector is among the hardest hit agri-food sectors, due to rapid changes in demand and the closure of restaurants and bars across the EU, which was not compensated by home consumption.

These new measures include the temporary authorization for operators to self-organize market measures, the increase of the European Union’s contribution for wine national support programs, and the introduction of advance payments for crisis distillation and storage.

Janusz Wojciechowski, Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner states:“The wine sector has been among the sectors hit hardest by the coronavirus crisis and the related lockdown measures taken across the EU. The first package of market-specific measures adopted by the Commission has already provided significant support. Nonetheless, the uncertainties surrounding the scale of the crisis at EU and global level, and a close monitoring of the market has led us to propose a new package of measures for the wine sector. I am confident that these measures will provide rapidly concrete results for the EU wine sector and soon provide stability.”

The Exceptional Measures include:

  • Temporary derogation from the European Union’s competition rules: Article 222 of the Common Markets Organisation Regulation (CMO) allows the Commission to adopt temporary derogations from certain EU competition rules in situations of severe market imbalances. The Commission has now adopted such a derogation for the wine sector, allowing operators to self-organize and implement market measures at their level to stabilize their sector and in the respect of the functioning of the internal market for a maximum period of 6 months. For example, they will be allowed to plan joint promotion activities, to organize storage by private operators and to commonly plan production;
  • Increase of the European Union’s contribution: the European Union’s contribution for all measures of the national support programs will increase by 10% and reach 70%. A previous exceptional measure had already increased it from 50% to 60%. This will provide financial relief to beneficiaries;
  • Advanced payments for crisis distillation and storage: the Commission will allow Member States to provide advanced payments to operators for on-going distillation and crisis storage operations. These advances can cover up to 100% of costs and will allow Member States to fully utilize their national support program funds for this year.These measures complement the recently adopted package, which benefited the wine sector through the flexibility provided under market support programs. This included for instance an increased flexibility of tools to control production potential, the so-called green harvesting tool, and the possibility to include temporary new measures such as the opening of distillation of wine in case of crisis or an aid to crisis storage of wine.

In addition, the Commission also launched two calls for proposals for promotion that aim to support the sectors most affected by the crisis, including the wine sector. The two calls will be opened until 27 August 2020.
The commission said it is the first time that it has issued such calls. One call relates to ‘simple programs’, which can be submitted by one or more companies from the same EU country. The other relates to ‘multi programs’, which can be submitted by at least two companies from at least two EU member states, or by one or more European organizations. Janusz Wojciechowski, states that the first package of support measures had “already provided significant support”.