DISCOVER THE WINES OF DON QUIXOTE'S SPAIN

The Castilla-La Mancha US Tour will stop in Atlanta, Chicago and New York in May, and
San Francisco, San Diego, and Seattle in July
Featuring Tasting Seminars and a Walk-Around Grand Tasting in Each City

New York, April 16, 2012 – Just as local ‘celebrity’, Don Quixote, traveled through his region seeking adventure and noble experiences, guests at the Castilla-La Mancha US tastings will do the same as they discover the wines of 26 participating producers. The tour will visit Atlanta, Chicago and New York during the week of May 21st and continue to San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle during the week of July 9th. Each of these events will offer opportunities to experience the wines, foods, music and traditions of this distinctive region. The events will welcome members of US wine and food trade and press.

Castilla-La Mancha is the most expansive wine-producing region in the world. It is a land of fascinating foods and cultural traditions and, naturally, a wide variety of wines. The land, composed of limestone clay and a great variety of subsoils, makes the region ideal for growing grape vines. Within the Castilla-La Mancha area, we find nine appellations of origin, four estates with their own appellations and many ‘Geographical Indication Wines’.

“The amount of focus and investment in quality wine production throughout the region of Castilla-La Mancha in the past few decades has been astounding. There is much for the US trade to discover about the quality and diversity of our wines,” said Paloma Juncos, of the Foreign Trade Institute of Castilla-La Mancha, which is organizing the US program.

Each event will commence with a seminar, conducted in Atlanta by Gil Kulers, CWE and in Chicago and New York by Doug Frost, MS, MW (one of only three people in the world to hold both titles). The speakers will share with the trade and press the winemaking history of the region of Castilla-La Mancha, the technical qualities of its wines, and the sales opportunity for these wines in the US market. Each seminar will be followed by an afternoon walk-around tasting enhanced by regional foods and live entertainment.

The participating wineries include Altolandon, Arúspide, Bodega los Aljibes, Bodega Pardo Tolosa, Bodega San Gines, Bodega Virgen de las Nieves, Bodegas Arrayan, Bodegas Camino Alto, Bodegas del Muni, Bodegas La Remediadora, Bodegas Piqueras, Bodegas Romero de Ávila Salcedo, Bodegas Saac, Bodegas Vitivinos, Bodegas y Viñedos Sánchez Muliterno, Dehesa Carrascal , Dominio de Punctum Organic & Biodinamic Wines, Finca El Refugio, Finca la Estacada, Finca los Alijares, Parra Family Organic Imports, Señorío del Jucar, Viña Cerrón, Vinicola de Tomelloso, Vinos & Bodegas, Virgen de las Viñas. 

To register for the events please visit:

Atlanta, Monday, May 21st
http://castillalamanchaatlanta.eventbrite.com/

Chicago, Wednesday, May 23rd
http://castillalamanchachicago.eventbrite.com/

New York City, Thursday, May 24th
http://castillalamanchanyc.eventbrite.com/

Rediscovered variety: Caino Blanco

The Spanish winery TERRAS GAUDA, with an excellent quality 2011 grape harvest, continues to be committed to R&D+i as the factor that sets its wines apart. It has recently participated in research on Caíño Blanco in collaboration with both the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), in the area of Oenology, and the Galician Biological Mission to determine its wine-making characteristics.

This variety, recovered by TERRAS GAUDA as the result of an R&D+i project, was used to produce 6,700 bottles of the first vintage of the only wine of this type on the market: LA MAR. Around 20,000 bottles of the second vintage will soon be available on the market. The winery owns more than 20 hectares where it grows Caíño, representing around 95% for the entire Designation of Origin.

These advances in the area of R&D+i coincide with an increase in market share following the acquisition of the Ribera del Duero winery QUINTA SARDONIA, which has provided significant added value for positioning TERRAS GAUDA in the high-end wine sector. The Group has kept up with its sales forecast for the Spanish market this fiscal year, in spite of the current economic situation, and has expanded to new international markets during the last few months.

TERRAS GAUDA Wineries has begun to market their wines in India (in a Wine Club with more than 8,000 members), Latvia, Estonia and Curaçao. New distribution agreements have also been reached in two countries with great potential: Brazil and China, considered strategic for the winery. In 2010, it had increased its presence in already consolidated markets, such as the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom and established commercial relationships with new distributors in Denmark and Beijing.

The international expansion of the Group, which exports to nearly fifty counties on five continents, has resulted in a 53% increase in its business figures abroad over the last fiscal year, which now account for 2.1 million of its overall turnover of 11.4 million.

TERRAS GAUDA wines have earned international recognition this last year from important magazines like Wine Enthusiast, and ABADÍA DE SAN CAMPIO was the only Spanish White wine to win an award at the Korea Wine Challenge, receiving a Gold Medal.

Sparkling Spanish roses

"Thanksgiving dinner can be unpredictable. With a house full of guests and all of them bringing their favorite Thanksgiving dishes to share, it can be hard to plan for a wine that pairs with such a wide variety of flavors. The simple solution to this holiday dilemma is to serve a wine that is extremely versatile - a sparkling rosé.

"Sparkling rosés are ideal for meals that run the gamut from roasted turkey and veggies to creamy gravy and savory oyster dressing. Rather than overpowering some items on your plate with a robust red, a rosé offers enough structure and body to stand up to some heavier flavors while not overpowering some more delicate dishes. The bubbles also serve as a palate cleanser, toning down the heat from spicy foods while cutting through rich, fatty flavors to refresh for your next bite.

"Here are three méthode champenoise sparkling rosés from Spain that will please your Thanksgiving crowd:

Elyssia Pinot Noir Brut (SRP $18)

The premier Spanish wine house of Freixenet blends century old tradition with innovative flavor to create a rosé sensation to charm the palate. A blend of classic Pinot Noir with just a touch of the Spanish grape Trepat, Elyssia is graced by elegant aromas of ripe raspberries and blackberries. Accompanied by a fruit forward palate, notes of red currant and cherries are balanced by acidity, resulting in a remarkable soft, attractive finish.

Freixenet Cordon Rosado Brut (SRP $12)

Freixenet, America’s favorite imported bubbly, offers another charming rosé sparkler, Cordon Rosado. A vivacious, crisp rosé that is deep pink in color, and delightfully dry on the palate, with engaging cherry and berry flavors.

Segura Viudas Brut Rosé (SRP $10)

"The artisan cava house of Segura Viudas offers an elegant yet affordable Brut Rosé with aromas of raspberry, currant and grenadine, highlighted by crisp flavors of ripe strawberry and cherry. A lingering cherry note on the finish is crowned by a small touch of sweetness.

"Owned and operated by the Ferrer family of Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, near Barcelona, Spain, the Freixenet and Segura Viudas wineries are part of the Freixenet Group, one of the ten largest wine companies in the world, comprised of fine still and sparkling wine estates in Spain, France, Australia, Mexico, Argentina, Italy and California. Imported by Freixenet USA of Sonoma, California, wines produced by the Freixenet Group are sold in all fifty states. To find Freixenet and Segura sparkling wines in your area, visit the Wine Locator section of www.freixenetusa.com and www.seguraviudasusa.com."