A brief update from the vineyards of Rioja

October 3, 2009 – 6:13 pm

I was walking around the vineyards so I thought I’d bring you some shots of what’s happening right now:

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Buy better wine and win a trip to Rioja

August 6, 2009 – 12:46 pm
Dinastia Vivanco Museum
Image by RobWinton via Flickr

The Wine Gang celebrate their 1 year anniversary this month.

If you are not familiar of The Wine Gang (TWG), it is 5 of the UK’s most influential wine writers and communicators – Tim Atkin, Olly Smith, Tom Cannavan, Joanna Simon & Anthony Rose, who collaborate to put together a monthly newsletter with hundreds of their most recent tasting notes and buying tips.

There is a lot of content about wine on the internet, but the content TWG are providing comes from their privileged access to top tastings as well as their undoubted skill as tasters and comunicators. It is not an easy time to create a paid-for newsletter business model on the internet where everything seems to be being given away free these days, but they have managed to make a success of their new venture, so reaching the 1 year milestone ought to be celebrated.

Encouraging more people to discover wine and to buy better, more rewarding wines, is a goal that Dinastia Vivanco is happy to celebrate, so it seemed a great opportunity to help to spread the Culture of Wine by offering to create a unique prize for TWG subscribers.

Any paid-for subscriber of TWG has a chance of winning a three day trip for two to Rioja to visit the region AND a special visit to Dinastia Vivanco as well.

The main event of the visit will be to spend a day, along with one of The Wine Gang, as guests of Dinastia Vivanco. You will visit the facilities in the company Rafael Vivanco who will give you a personal tour of the ‘tribute to wine’ the Vivanco family have built in the mediaeval town of Briones.

In the winery you’ll discover how Rioja is made, and taste the different ages, grapes and styles of Rioja wines, and maybe even discover white and rose Rioja for the first time. This tour will also include an exclusive opportunity to taste future releases straight from the barrels in the underground winery and cellar.

You will get to see hundreds of wine treasures in the Dinastia Vivanco Museum of the Culture of Wine including films, art, sculpture, archaeological artefacts, corkscrews, glassware; in short, anything and everything to do with wine’s development over many thousands of years.

Finally, you will be treated to some fabulous Riojan cuisine in the Museum’s restaurant that boasts panoramic views over the family’s vineyards and the Cantabrian mountain range.

Sound good? Check out The Wine Gang and subscribe now to have a chance to enter the competition.

If you win, you might even get to star in some future posts on this blog – what MORE could you ask for!?

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Still waiting for my little starling

July 28, 2009 – 4:25 pm

saturninoI apologise to the lovely people who sent me a message about getting hold of a copy of Saturnino Starling in the Land of Wine.

I have two copies of the book here already to give away, but I am going to hold off announcing the winners until I have a bit more news for everyone else as to how you can get hold of the book in the UK and US. Sorry!

I hope to work out a way to get this book to you in a timely and cost effective manner – and I have a couple of options.

More soon.

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Wine Culture for Children

July 24, 2009 – 12:09 pm

I am excited to say that a book published by the Dinastia Vivanco Foundation has won an award for Best Illustrated Wine Publication from the Gourmand Book Awards. The book is “El Estornino Saturnino En La Tierra del Vino” (or “Saturnino Starling in the Land of Wine”). You can read an article on Decanter.com about it.

I will write something up more fully today, but in the interim, here is a video I made (very quickly and with no planning) last night. If you want to win a copy, you can send me a message on twitter (@thirstforrioja) or leave me a comment on this blog post. Please tell me why I should send the book to you.
Read More »

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Travel blogs and Rioja

July 3, 2009 – 12:26 pm
Dinastia Vivanco Museum and Winery 23
Image by RobWinton via Flickr

I’m starting to come across more and more travel blogs writing about visits to La Rioja.

This is a great sign that this lovely region is finally making waves in a more international travel arena. So far international visitors to the region are relatively small, especially compared to some other well known wine regions in the world, but the flip side is that those that come now are ‘pioneers’ with a new story to tell their now-very-jealous friends.

I came across a post called “Something about La Rioja” this morning, talking about Laguardia, Haro, wineries and the food of the region. I particularly liked the introduction:

I love to search for charming little places around the world, the type that do not usually fall under the average tourist’s wish-list, places I wish I could savour all by myself and hide from all you other thirsty travelers out there. But, alas, here I am in the magical wine region of La Rioja in Spain, and I am about to-very reluctantly may I say-divulge my precious secret to all.

I must admit I partly came across the post because of the review of the visit to Dinastia Vivanco’s winery and museum:

As a grand finale, I visit the Dinastia Vivanco Bodega, in Briones (www.dinastiavivanco.com). I am speechless. This goes way beyond my expectations.

Thank you for your selflessness in sharing the word! Maybe more travel writers will check out the region too. I shall go on a travel blog hunt, but feel free to drop me a comment with links to your own reviews of the region (travel related only please).

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