The amazing program of the celebration of the 4th anniversary of the #winelover community in Jerez. By Paladar y Tomar.

TUESD. FEB 9 ARRIVALS WELCOME CASUAL DINNER at Restaurante BOCARAMBO, Jerez
(most of the attendants arrive on Tuesday)

WEDN. FEB 10 DAY 1 JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA
9.30 – 10.00 WELCOME AT THE CONSEJO REGULADOR DEL BRANDY Y LOS VINOS DE JEREZ Bertrán Domecq (President of the Consejo) & César Saldaña (Director)
Address: Av. del Alcalde Álvaro Domecq, 2 (3 minutes walking from the hotel)
MEETING POINT: 9.15 AT HALL HOTEL LOS JÁNDALOS BODEGA 1: TÍO PEPE by González Byass

10.00 – 10.20 10.20 – 11.20 11.20 – 11.40 11.40 – 14.00 14.00 – 16.30

TRANSFER FROM THE CONSEJO TO “VIÑA LA CANARIERA” FROM GONZÁLEZ BYASS TECHNICAL VISIT OF THE VINEYARD
TRANSFER FROM THE VINEYARD TO BODEGAS TÍO PEPE
BODEGAS TÍO PEPE VISIT: “Ages of Tío Pepe” by Antonio Flores, Tío Pepe Sherry Master PAIRED LUNCH AT TÍO PEPE

BODEGA 2: BODEGA LUSTAU

16.30 – 18.00
18.00 – 18.15
18.15 – 20.30
Best Fortified Oenologist*
20.30 – 22.30 GALA DINNER AT BODEGAS LUSTAU
*Manuel Lozano has recently undergone a major heart surgery and we are waiting for his confirmation

FREE TIME IN JEREZ
WALK TO NEXT CELLAR
BODEGAS LUSTAU VISIT: “Amontillados” by Manuel Lozano, Sherry Master & 7 years

THUR. FEB 11 DAY 2 SANLÚCAR DE BARRAMEDA

BODEGA 3: BODEGAS BARBADILLO

10.15 – 10.30 10.30 – 14.00 14.00 – 16.30

TRANSFER FROM THE HOTEL TO BODEGAS BARBADILLO IN SANLUCAR VISIT OF BARBADILLO: “Palomino Fino Full Range ”
PAIRED LUNCH AT BODEGAS BARBADILLO

BODEGA 4: BODEGA DELGADO ZULETA
16.30 – 18.00 FREE TIME IN SANLUCAR, COFFEE AT A MEDINA SIDONIA* & VISIT THE TOWN *refreshments or coffee to be paid

18.00 – 18.15 18.15 – 20.30 20.30 – 22.30 22.30 / 23.00

WALK TO NEXT CELLAR
BODEGAS DELGADO ZULETA VISIT: “Biological Ageing” by Salvador Real, oenologist GALA DINNER AT BODEGAS DELGADO ZULETA
TRANSFER BACK TO JEREZ

FRID. FEB 12DAY 3 EL PUERTO DE SANTA MARÍA
BODEGA 5: BODEGAS GUTIÉRREZ COLOSÍA
10.00 – 10.30 TRANSFER FROM THE HOTEL TO B. GUTIÉRREZ COLOSÍA IN EL PUERTO
10.30 – 13.00 VISIT OF BODEGAS GUTIÉRREZ COLOSÍA: “Verical tasting ” by Juan Carlos Gutiérrez Colosía, owner & sherry master
13.00 – 13.30 WALK TO BODEGAS OBREGÓN
13:30 – 16.30 TRADITIONAL LUNCH AT AN “ALMACENISTA”
BODEGA 6: BODEGAS OSBORNE

16.30 – 18.00 18.00 – 20.00 20.30 – 22.30 22.30 / 23.00

FREE TIME IN EL PUERTO & WALK TO NEXT CELLAR BODEGAS OSBORNE VISIT: “Rare Sherries & Brandy” DINNER AT BODEGAS OSBORNE
TRANSFER BACK TO JEREZ

SAT. FEB 13 DAY 4 JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA
09.30 – 11.45 PRIVATE GUIDED VISIT OF THE ALCÁZAR – PENDING (would be sponsored by the City Hall)– In any case we would suggest to walk around Jerez and visit the Food Market, really worthy!
11.45 – 12-00 TRANSFER FROM PLAZA DEL ARENAL TO BODEGAS WILLIAMS & HUMBERT BODEGA 7: BODEGAS WILLIAMS & HUMBERT

12.00 – 14.00 14.00 – 16.00 16:00 /16.30
BYOB DINNER
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: FEB. 7, 2016
NOTE:
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- 7 Exclusive winery visits – ONE EXTRA WINERY HAS BEEN ADDED ON SATURDAY - - 4 Paired lunches
- 3 Gala dinners
- All transfers needed
EXTRA ACTIVITIES
- Private –guided visit of the Alcazar: pending - Welcome dinner the 9th – SEE DETAILS -
- BYOB dinner the 13th – SEE DETAILS –
IMPORTANT: This schedule might be subject to slight modifications that will be informe on time.

VISIT OF B. WILLIAMS & HUMBERT: “Sherry Vinatges” by Paola Medina, oenologist PAIRED LUNCH AT WILLIAMS & HUMBERT
TRANSFER BACK TO THE HOTEL
BYOB DINNER at Hotel Los Jándalos. 

20.00 – 23.00

OFFICIAL HOTEL:
Hotel Los Jándalos Jerez Calle Nuño de Cañas, 1 11402 Jerez de la Frontera Cádiz
España
T. (+34) 956 327 230

ORGANIZED by the amazing Paladar y Tomar Team: Valeska, Fernando, and Emma
info@paladarytomar.com

Official Hashtag:

#JEREZ2016 

Cheers,

Luiz Alberto

• >>> Founder of the #winelover community

• >>> Member of the Circle of Wine Writers

• >>> Italian Wine Ambassador

• >>> I combine my passion for wine with social media

• >>> Follow me on twitter: @thewinehub

•  >>> On Instagram: 1winelover

The new specialist of the #winelover community: Panos Kakaviatos, Bordeaux

...and then the #winelover community had a new specialist: Panos Kakaviatos, Bordeaux

The video:

And here a few words telling why he was chosen:

http://www.winelover.co/bordeaux/

Cheers

Luiz Alberto

• >>> Founder of the #winelover community

• >>> Member of the Circle of Wine Writers

• >>> Italian Wine Ambassador

• >>> I combine my passion for wine with social media

• >>> Follow me on twitter: @thewinehub

•  >>> On Instagram: 1winelover

Quinta Do Martelo--Tradition Lives on Terceira Island (Azores) by Philip S. Kampe

      

                                                             Gilberto Vieira

Quinta Do Martelo Azores

What was life like on a traditional farm on Terceira Island in the Azores five centuries ago?  That question was taken literally by Gilberto Vieira, as he turned Quinta Do Martelo, a farm, into a ‘living model’ of what the past was like on this island years before.

Mr. Vieira, a kind, knowledgeable and precise man took on the project of accurately converting the existing grounds into a village that has roots dating back to the beginning of the Azorian settlements.

Quinta Do Martelo is regarded as a ‘Tourist Utility’ by the Azorian Regional Government, a label that draws tourists to the site. The site is only miles from Angra do Heroismo, a World UNESCO city.

On a recent visit to Terceira Island, I had the opportunity to see, first hand, what it felt like to live in a bygone era. The buildings at the Quinta were restored authentically.  All produce is grown on the property and is organic. Numerous animals are raised on the farm.

Quinta Do Martelo is an ethnographic site with a number of houses surrounded by open fields, fruit trees, donkeys, birds, livestock and nature. Originally, the farm contributed to the orange trade when the Azores were very prosperous.

Furniture and building construction followed original architectural designs. Housing is spread out on the property. Each house represents what Terceira was like centuries ago. Decorations, designs and ambiance relates to the past.

Today, the farm is used as a guesthouse. Rooms are completely renovated keeping the main characteristics from the first settlers. Private bathrooms and fully equipped kitchens exist in many houses.

A top rated and internationally recognized restaurant that uses the products grown on the farm help make Quinta Do Martelo special. Dishes are made as they were decades ago. One dish that stood out is Alcatra, known as the national dish of the island.

I asked Mr. Vieira how the meat was cooked. He said the secret is to cook the meat slowly. Alcatra is the most important dish of the traditional gastronomy of Terceira according to Gilberto Vieira,

This is the recipe.
Alcatra

Ingredints|
Pre-soaked unglassed red clay pot or Dutch oven
2 tbs. butter

                                                               The country store

                                                                  Alcatra

1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 ounces of smoked bacon, cut in small pieces

6 cloves of garlic

3 bay leaves

1 pound of shin bone at the bottom of the pot

5 pounds of rump or chuck roast, bone in, cut into 3 inch pieces

½ teaspoon whole allspice

½ teaspoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1 cup water

4-6 cups medium bodied red or white wine or both

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
Generously grease the interior of the pot with butter or traditionally, pork grease.
Place ¼ of the onions at the bottom of the pot followed by some of the smoked bacon, garlic and one bay leaf.

Add the meat, starting with the shin bone.
Repeat these steps using the remaining meat and ingredients used before.
End with the remaining onions and scatter the allspice and peppercorns over the top along with the salt.

Mix the water with one cupof wine and pour over the ingredients followed by enough additional wine to cover everything by one inch.

Place the pot in an oven set to 400 degrees. When the liquid begins to boil, reduce the temperature to 300 degrees, cover the pot with foil and cook, without turning the ingredients until tender—about 3 to 4 hours.

The results are amazing, as I dined on Alcatra, made to perfection at the  Quinta Do Mortelo restaurant. The beef is grass-fed and the vegetables are grown on the property and are organic.

The Quinta recognizes that we are living in the 21^st century and has WiFi available, BBQ facilities, an outdoor swimming pool, sun deck and a convenience store on the grounds.

Visit www.old.quintadomartelo.net for more information about this exceptional Quinta or dial direct to 351 295 642 842. and speak to founder Gilberto Vieira

Looking for something really nice to read? Look no further! "Piemonte, Wine and Travel Atlas" by Paul Balke

"Piemonte, Wine and Travel Atlas" 

by Paul Balke

http://www.winelover.co/piemonte-wine-and-travel-atlas-by-paul-balke-winelover/

Cheers,

Luiz Alberto

• >>> Founder of the #winelover community

• >>> Member of the Circle of Wine Writers

• >>> Italian Wine Ambassador

• >>> I combine my passion for wine with social media

• >>> Follow me on twitter: @thewinehub

•  >>> On Instagram: 1winelover

The reasons why you should go to Vinitaly this year.

VERONA APRIL 10-13 2016

The reasons why you should go to Vinitaly this year, #winelover.

http://www.winelover.co/are-you-a-winelover-this-is-why-you-should-go-to-vinitaly-this-year/

See you in Verona in April!

Cheers,

Luiz Alberto

• >>> Founder of the #winelover community

• >>> Member of the Circle of Wine Writers

• >>> Italian Wine Ambassador

• >>> I combine my passion for wine with social media

• >>> Follow me on twitter: @thewinehub

•  >>> On Instagram: 1winelover

Terceira Island, the 'Gem of the Azores' and home of Verdelho Wines by Philip S.Kampe

                    

                                              The many faces of Angra do Herismo

Terceira Island, the ‘Gem’ of the Azores

The online advertisement read, “Visit beautiful Terceira Island, one of nine islands in the Azores”. The ad went on to say that SATA airlines is introducing weekly flights to Terceira Island from Boston and is offering a “Special Inaugural Deal” to visit this spectacular island.

The obvious first question I had was, “Where are the Azores?”

Even though I still maintain my amateur radio license (WA5EAM) and know a lot about geography, I really did not know enough to pinpoint the location of Terceira Island.

Yes, the islands are a possession of Portugal and yes, they are closer to America than any other European hamlet, but, really, where are they located? After a little research, the answer appeared. The Azores are on the same latitude as Lisbon (Portugal), but nine hundred miles closer to America, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

In essence, a flight from Boston to Terceira Island takes a mere four hours and forty minutes, which is shorter than a flight from Boston to Los Angeles. Obviously, if the Azores are a third closer to America then the rest of Europe, the weather conditions, the seafaring history of the island and wine varietals may be unique to the islands.

Climate
Terceira Island has a temperate, maritime climate with average temperatures average 72F (22C) in the summer and 58F (19C) in the winter. As we witnessed, weather wise, it’s possible that all four seasons of weather can occur in one single day. Rain can be found on one part of the island, while sun, only a few miles away. When it rains, the duration is short, rarely more than two days in a row. Wind is another story. Like the clouds, wind exists daily, more during the winter season than the summer.

Terceira Island
The island is 18 miles long, from east to west and 11 miles wide, from north to south. The highest elevation on the island, Serra de Santa Barbara, is 3,350 feet. The land area equals 154.7 mi or 396.75km. Terceira is also referred to as ‘Iha Lilas’, the lilac or violet island. The islands population is 56,000 inhabitants. The historical capitol of the Azores is Angra de Heroismo, the Azores oldest city and UNESCO heritage site. The name, Terceira, origin comes from the Portuguese word that means the ‘third’, as in ‘the third island’ or ‘third to be discovered’. Terceira Island is in the Central Group of the Azores archipelago.

History
Terceira Island is one of the archipelago of nine Azorian islands and is a symbol of the new world created by the Portuguese voyages of discovery. Dates vary as to when the island was discovered, but remnants from 2000 years ago were discovered, indicating a history of settlement.  The island was originally named Jesus Cristo before the name change to Terceira Island. The second oldest recorded history of the island dates back to 1325, prior to 1460 when Flemish Jacome de Bruges brought Portuguese migrants to the island. Production of wheat and pastel-a plant used in dyeing- was introduced and exported to northern Europe. Shipping expanded during the 16^th century and Terceira Island was a stopover for fleets returning to Europe with spice, silk and porcelain from Asia. Ship repairs were made on the island before returning to Europe.
In the 17^th century, Spanish ships stopped for repairs, after returning with gold and silver from their South American conquests. Occupation by the Spanish followed in due time, which eventually led to Portuguese rule.

Economy
Livestock is the main economic activity on the island, followed by dairy based products, such as cheese, yogurt and ice cream. Terceira has two main seaports and a commercial airport. The outlook for tourism is bright.

Terceira’s Geography
The island consists of four overlapping ‘stratovolcanoes’ built over a geologic structure called the ‘Terceira Rift’, a triple junction between the Eurasian, African and North American tectonic plates. These volcanic structures rise 5,000 feet (1,500 meters) from the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. Historically, the oldest volcanic activity began 380,000 years ago. Due to thousands of years of volcanic activity, the island possesses an abnormal amount of basaltic soil, formed from the basaltic lava that flowed from the eruptions.

                                          Island cuisine includes seafood and livestock

Wine
Prior to the 1857 phylloxera outbreak, all nine of the Azorian islands produced wine. Today, Terceira, Pico and Graciosa are the three remaining wine producing islands. In the mid-15^th century, Franciscan friars played a major role in the introduction of vineyards to the Azores. Historically, Verdelho, the key Azorian grape used in wine, was exported during the 17^th and 18^th century to northern Europe. Legend has it that when the communist revolution of 1917 ended, bottles of ‘Verdelho’ were found in the Russian Tsar’s cellars. The three wine producing islands are DOC’s of volcanic origin. Pico produces the most wines of the three islands due to the fact that the soil is a black basaltic, which supports vine growth. There was a burst in winemaking in the 1990’s, when winemakers began producing wines from the three traditional grapes, Verdelho, Arinto and Terrantez.

The focus of this article is to educate you, the reader, about the general aspects of the Azores, specifically Terceira Island. In forthcoming articles, the focus will be on the Wine Museum of Terceira Island; O Pescador Restaurant from Praia: the second largest city on Terceira; Quinta do Martelo: a village that recreates the general ambiance of Terceira from decades ago and Quinta dos Acores: a modern technological dairy, restaurant and meat packing house.

To learn more about the Azores, contact www.visitazores.com


Philip S. Kampe
philip.kampe@thewinehub.com

        

                                                          Philip S. Kampe

The 4th anniversary of the #winelover community. Where are you going to be? Jerez or Athens? Both!!!

In February we celebrate the 4th anniversary of the #winelover community. 

Jerez

We'll be celebrating the existence of our community once again... And for the first time in Spain! 
The festivities will be from the 10th until the 14th of February. I'll see you there! 

https://www.facebook.com/events/144107595920432/

Athens

We'll be celebrating the existence of our community once again... And for the first time in Greece!
The festivities will be from the 14th of February until the 17th. I'll see you there! 

https://www.facebook.com/events/409219749264585/

Cheers,

Luiz Alberto

• >>> Founder of the #winelover community

• >>> Member of the Circle of Wine Writers

• >>> Italian Wine Ambassador

• >>> I combine my passion for wine with social media

• >>> Follow me on twitter: @thewinehub

•  >>> On Instagram: 1winelover

He loves Vranac, she loves Vranec. A beautiful love story.

Vranac or Vranec? 

It doesn’t matter, you will love them both!

This is why:

http://thewinehub.com/home/2014/04/21/vranac-or-vranec-it-doesnt-matter-you-will-love-them-both/

You can get Ivana’s e-book here: http://winelover-store.myshopify.com/collections/books

And, by doing that, you help our #winelover against cancer campaign! 

http://www.winelover.co/chapter-1/

Cheers,

Luiz Alberto

• >>> Founder of the #winelover community

• >>> Member of the Circle of Wine Writers

• >>> Italian Wine Ambassador

• >>> I combine my passion for wine with social media

• >>> Follow me on twitter: @thewinehub

•  >>> On Instagram: 1winelover

The 5 S’s of wine Tasting.

The first thing you have to do in order to really appreciate a wine is to make a mental decision: you will not simply drink it as you would do if you were having a glass of orange juice or milk. You will actually taste it.

The rest? You will find here: http://thewinehub.com/home/features/wine-tasting/

Cheers,

Luiz Alberto

• >>> Founder of the #winelover community

• >>> Member of the Circle of Wine Writers

• >>> Italian Wine Ambassador

• >>> I combine my passion for wine with social media

• >>> Follow me on twitter: @thewinehub

•  >>> On Instagram: 1winelover

4th anniversary of the #winelover community in Jerez, Spain.

Jerez and its amazing cellars... the place where we'll celebrate the 4th anniversary of the ‪#‎winelover‬ community next February... 

There were a couple of cancelations, so if you are interested in going but you didn't have a guaranteed spot, now it's the time to talk to me! smile emoticon


Please send an e-mail to contact@thewinehub.com if you are interested.

Cheers,

Luiz Alberto

• >>> Founder of the #winelover community

• >>> Member of the Circle of Wine Writers

• >>> Italian Wine Ambassador

• >>> I combine my passion for wine with social media

• >>> Follow me on twitter: @thewinehub

•  >>> On Instagram: 1winelover