The conference programme of talks began with 3 industry presentations given by Gold sponsor Winalist which looked at the use of OTA’s to boost bookings and revenue, World Tourism Awards which looked at how awards in wine tourism can generate greater awareness and credibility and Armenian based Wine & Grapes Spa discussed the place of Spas and wine cosmetics in wine tourism.

David Mora Coordinator of the Master’s degree in Gastronomy Tourism, Basque Culinary Center showed us what makes people happy on a wine and/or culinary tourism experience and the importance of the guide and visit environment.

Coffee break was followed by a talk by Judith Lewis (yes more chocolate thrown at the audience in exchange for questions) who showed how to do simple and easy digital marketing for small tourism businesses and wineries and this was followed by an inspiring talk on the Czech Republic as a a grape escape destination with Šárka Nádvorníková, project manager of the Czech National Wine Centre leading a Masterclass Wines of the Czech Republic highlighting the follow wines and producers: Veltlínské Zelené 2021 VOC Znojmo, Grüner Veltliner – the most planted variety , Winery: ZNOVÍN ZNOJMO, Pinot Blanc Austerlitz 2019, Winery: Spielberg, Ryzlink Rýnský 2020, Riesling – “The King of Wines and the Wine of Kings”, Winery: SALABKA, Ryzlink Vlašský 2020, Welschriesling – the key grape variety for the region, Winery: Volařík, Pálava 2020 VOC Mikulovsko, Pálava – the original Czech grape variety, Winery: SONBERK Frankovka 2019 VOC Modré Hory, Blaufränkisch – our national red treasure, Winery: Horák.

The IWINETC Director, Anthony Swift closed the IWINETC Conference Talk programme with a few words of thanks to all the supporters of the event and hinted on where the 2024 edition of IWINETC would take place.

In the afternoon it was time for business. 28 wine tourism experience providers from diverse countries such as Armenia, Croatia, France, Montenegro Portugal and of course Catalunya and the rest of Spain. 30 international agents specialised in wine and/or culinary tourism took part in a B2B Wine Tourism Workshop, enabling both parties to make business connections.

The day ended with Networking event – The Vermouth Experience at Casa Vermouth Padrò

The Opening plenary session included welcome speeches from Anthony Swift, IWINETC Director and Narcís Ferrer, General Manager at the Agència Catalana de Turismo and this was followed by a presentation of the The Wine & Culinary Tourism Marketing Strategy for Catalunya 2022-2027 delivered by Damià Serrano I Miracle, Experiential Marketing and Research Director at the Catalan Tourist Board. Roberta Garibaldi concluded the opening plenary session with a talk titled Wine Tourism Future. Between Sustainibility & Attention to the Local Community which looked at the current and future challenges in tourism and highlighted the importance of being connected with local wine heritage. Many wine tourism matching options concluded the talk showing just how wine matches with virtually all types of tourism and tourists except maybe coffee!

During the morning coffee break conference delegates were able to discover a variety of grape escape destinations such as Armenia, Czech Republic (Bohemia and South Moravia), Rhône Valley, Porto and Tarragona as well as a host of others through the Winalist OTA.

The day continued with inspiring talks from industry experts and IWINETC regular keynote speakers: Chris Torres showed delegates how to harness the power of user generated content, Peter Syme demonstrated live how to produce unique writing and photography with AI and Judith Lewis who threw out to the audience several bars of chocolate in exchange for questions delved into the world of connecting brands to markets. Of particular interest was the round table led by Ariadna Ribas, Wine & Food Tourism Brand Manager at the Agència Catalan de Turisme where representatives from 4 active wine routes (Armenia’s Vayot Dzor Wine Route, the Empordà Wine Route, the Penedès Wine Route and the Wine Roads of Northern Greece) discussed the business of marketing a wine route.

Day 1 of talks ended with a “D.O. Cava MasterClass” led by Silvia Culell who looked at the history of Cava, the Cava making process, permitted grape varieties and quality requirements. Sivlia made a specific focus on the Cava de Guarda Superior de Paraje Calificado and 3 of the producers (of 6) included in the Grand Tasting were in this category. Conference delegates were amazed by the quality of Cava included in the tasting.

In the evening many of the conference delegates attended the Torres Wine Tourism Experience and Gala dinner with others staying local for a networking event in the historic centre of Tarragona at Casa Balcells.

IWINETC 2023 uncorked with new connections made while on an afternoon walking tour of the Tarragona UNESCO World Heritage Site. Conference delegates embarked on an interactive tour visiting the oldest Roman walls in Spain and discovered through a stroll along narrow city streets, the great Provincial Forum and the Circus recent excavations. The tour then took delegates inside the vaults that support the stands of the stadium where thousands of spectators used to enjoy the ludi circensis or chariot races. Finally, the tour finished up at the Mediterranean sea view amphitheater.

The IWINETC Welcome Reception at the Seminario “Centro Tarraconense” proved very popular! Narcís Ferrer, Director of the Agència Catalana de Turisme gave a few words of welcome followed by Anthony Swift, IWINETC Director, Marta Farrero, Director of the Patronat de Turisme de la Diputació de Tarragona and Victor Franquet Director of Tarragona Turisme.

Thanks were give to the Agència Catalana de Turisme, the Patronat de Turisme Costa Daurada and to the Tarragona Turisme for their support in IWINETC 2023. Thanks too were given to Gold sponsors Winalist and Torres. Wines served at the IWINETC Welcome Reception were provided courtesy of the D.O. Tarragona Wine Route with culinary delights provided by Moon Catering Cooking Show.

Inspiring speakers Jana Humpolíková and Šárka Nádvorníková will unlock the wine and culinary tourism secrets of the Czech Republic through a presentation and masterclass at the International Wine Tourism Conference (IWINETC) 2023 titled: Czech Wine Escapes – Where Wine Pairs with Folklore, Heritage and Design

Destination Prague,Vineyards & the Enchanting Moravia Wine Region  

Jana Humpolíková invites you to discover Imperial Courts as far away as Vienna to Czechia local hobbit-like alleys and the Moravia wine region, nestled in the southeast corner of Czechia where 96% of the country’s wine production is concentrated. Jana gives a taste of her presentation: “The dreamy, scenic region of Moravia is idyllic including folkloric wine alleys, heritage castle wine cellars as well as stunning architecturally designed state-of-the-art wineries offering movie-like scenery that is laced by a picturesque landscape. Weaving through the castles and charming historic towns, stories and secrets of family history are sure to enchant.”

To fully appreciate what this hidden-gem destination has to offer, the destination presentation will be followed by a delightful Czech Wine Masterclass lead by Šárka Nádvorníková 

Czech Wine Masterclass   

Šárka Nádvorníková — as a project manager of the Czech National Wine Centre and a professional wine taster, she organizes training courses and seminars, participates in the publishing of educational and promotional materials and helps with the managing of the Wine Salon of the Czech Republic wine tasting exhibition as well as the Grand Prix Vinex international wine competition. During her Czech Wine Masterclass, participants will be introduced to winemaking in Moravia and Bohemia and will taste six representative wines from different wineries. Three more Czech wines will be available to taste at the Exhibitor Table during the conference.

Šárka Nádvorníková and Jana Humpolíková have extensive knowledge of the wine industry and have helped many wineries and vineyards to increase their visibility and attract more visitors. Their masterclass at IWINETC.com will focus on the latest trends and innovations in wine tourism, as well as best practices for creating unique and engaging wine tourism experiences.   

The (IWINETC) International Wine Tourism Conference program, selection of outstanding speakers, evening networking events and pre and post conference winery tours set the stage for one of the largest gatherings of wine and travel professionals from around the world.

To register for IWINETC here>>  

IWINETC 2023 – Masterclass  Wines from Czechia‘s Bohemia & Moravia Wine Regions.

The following wines and producers included in the Masterclass are as follows: 

Veltlínské Zelené 2021 VOC Znojmo, Grüner Veltliner – the most planted variety , Winery: ZNOVÍN ZNOJMO  

Pinot Blanc Austerlitz 2019, Winery: Spielberg  

Ryzlink Rýnský 2020, Riesling – “The King of Wines and the Wine of Kings”, Winery: SALABKA  

Ryzlink Vlašský 2020, Welschriesling – the key grape variety for the region, Winery: Volařík  

Pálava 2020 VOC Mikulovsko, Pálava – the original Czech grape variety, Winery: SONBERK

Frankovka 2019 VOC Modré Hory, Blaufränkisch – our national red treasure, Winery: Horák

Article: Jessica Stockwell

The DO Cava ‘IWINETC Grand Tasting’ features long-aging Cava de Guarda Superior Gran Reserva as well as a breathtaking selection of winery tour experiences led by professional sommelier Silvia Culell at the International Wine Tourism Conference (IWINETC), Tarragona – Costa Daurada, Spain 23 and 24 March 2023.

If you are a wine lover or a connoisseur of fine beverages and involved in wine and/or culinary tourism, you cannot miss the opportunity to attend the upcoming ‘Grand Tasting’ organized by DO Cava, in Tarragona, Spain. The DO Cava ‘Grand Tasting’ event promises to be a memorable experience for wine enthusiasts and professionals alike. IWINETC Day 1 March 23  from 4:15pm to 5:30pm.

Tasting EleganceSilvia Culell will introduce a selection of DO Cava Guarda Superier Gran Reserva by winemakers dedicated to emphasising the importance of terroir, long-aging, and full production that is carried out by the same winery from start to finish. The results are the production of outstanding and presigious Cavas from Spain.

Winery Visits & Trendy Experiences

Silvia Culell will also introduce some of the majestic tour experiences in the region. From sophisticated evening events viewing the Catalan Pre-Coastal Mount Montserrat to casual walking among the vines in the midst of the Serralada de Marina Natural Park, a step from the Mediterranean Sea. Conference delegates will learn about the grape varieties as well as hear some of the generational family stories and secrets. Then step into the cellars where Cava is produced. Each tour and visit tells the story of family heritage, special attention to sustainable practices to protect the grapes and personal care throughout the year.  

From blind wine tastings with local food pairings to a sunny afternoon with DJ-led Juke Box Vinyls sessions at Alta Alella, to visits with gastronomic delights and vineyard strolls at sunset, there is something for everyone to discover in the DO Cava family of wineries across Spain. 

The (IWINETC) International Wine Tourism Conference program, selection of outstanding speakers, evening networking events and pre and post conference winery tours set the stage for one of the largest gatherings of wine and travel professionals from around the world. Don’t miss this chance to be part of a world-class wine tourism event. To register here>>

The following producers and Cavas included in the Grand Tasting are as follows:

Alta Alella, LAIETÀ Gran Reserva, Cava de Guarda Superior Gran Reserva

Cavas Hill, Cavas Hill Panot Gaudi Reserva Brut, Cava de Guarda Superior Reserva

U MES U, Larus – Rara Avis Collection, Cava de Guarda Superior Reserva

Segura Viudas, Segura Viudas Brut Rose, Cava de Guarda

Giró Ribot, UMa Brut Gran Reserva 2016, Cava de Guarda Superior Gran Reserva

Vallformosa, Vallformosa 150, Cava de Guarda Superior Gran Reserva

Article: Jessica Stockwell

Discover Europe’s Vineyards, Wine Secrets and Meet the Winemakers with Winalist.com as your Wine Experience Destination Guide at the International Wine Tourism Conference (IWINETC) 23 & 24 March 2023.

Each country in Europe has its own unique wines, and with Winalist.com, you can explore the best wineries in each country. From the crisp whites of Spain and sparkling Cavas of Catalunya to the bold reds of France, you’ll find something to suit your taste. In Italy, you can explore the famous Chianti region and in Portugal you can sample the famous port wines. With Winalist, you can easily find the perfect winery for your wine-tasting trip.

Finding the perfect wine tour is not an easy task, says Nicolas Manfredini, CEO and founder of Winalist. During the pandemic, worldwide tourism stopped, “Our Winalist team decided to use this time to join efforts to increase the number of experiences more globally, in Europe”. The first year, 2020, the concept was tested in the Champagne French Wine Region, where Nicolas quickly established a winning solution for both prestigious wine estates and international visitors looking for a film-like wine estate experience.

Wine Lovers

Browse freely, and dream of your trip to Europe and then add your cirteria for your personalized interary and book your wine-tasting adventure in Europe. It’s that easy.

Did you know there was so much to discover? Now it’s easy for vineyards and winemakers to reach out to wine lovers through Winalist.com. Unique exeriences from food and wine pairings to intimate wine tastings, and also walking tours through the vineyards where you can touch, learn and you even talk to the old vines if so inclined.  Don’t want to walk—there are eco-vehicles, 4x4s and even helicopters that can deliver you, your family and friends to the wine estate and vineyard of your choosing. Maybe you have a wedding party in mind, a 50th birthday, or a graduation to celebrate. Winalist’s Vineyards and Winemakers of Europe have many secrets to share.

Wine Professionals

Winalist.com is an innovative platform for wine professionals and enthusiasts. With its state-of-the-art technology, Winalist.com provides an interactive and winelover-friendly experience for its visitors to the site.

Winalist resources provide visitors to the site with the tools they need to develop their wine knowledge and skills. One of the most exciting features is its wine discovery tool. This tool allows you to discover new and exciting wines from around the world, as well as track your favorite wines and producers.  The platform offers a wide range of tools that are designed specifically for wine professionals, including wine tasting notes and wine ratings. These easy to use features allow wine professionals to keep track of the wines they have tasted, as well as share their insights and knowledge with others. And as an added bonus—Winalist offers a wine trading platform, allowing wine professionals to buy, sell, and trade wine with other professionals from around the world.

Winemakers and Wineries

Winalist.com has built trusting relationships with over 1200 wineries throughout Europe. The Winalist team brings together today’s winemakers and wineries who have a unique-know how to share and a story to tell. Winalist now offers wineries a platform to list their winery, activities and prices—all for free—to broaden their reach to the international wine tourism market including wine enthusiasts, the wine education sector and wine and culinary arts industry professionals.

Winalist.com is the perfect tool for anyone looking to take their wine knowledge and appreciation to the next level. So why not join us at IWINETC 2023 Tarragona and come and meet Nicolas and his team in the IWINETC Exhibition Area and/or join him for a talk within the conference learning programme

Fresh perspectives on Wine & Culinary Tourism for 2023 programme

IWINETC has announced the provisional conference programme for the International Wine Tourism Conference, Exhibition & B2B Workshop, which takes place at the Hotel Cuitat Tarragona from 23 to 24 March. Featuring a refreshed format with an impressive line up of 8 keynote speakers with several Industry experts and five targeted tracks, this year’s Conference Programme has been carefully designed to provide cutting-edge insights and tangible take-home learnings.

IWINETC’s first keynote speakers will be General Director of Tourism of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Marta Domènech I Tomàs  and will present Catalunya as a grape escape destination and this will be followed by a presentation of the wine and culinary tourism strategy plan 2022 – 2027 given by Experiential Marketing and Research Director at the Catalan Tourist Board, Damià Serrano

Roberta Garibaldi – one of the most forward-thinking wine tourism experts in the world will be discussing how to take wine tourism outside of the winery to the surrounding territory.

Chris Torres will be focusing on the marketing potential of user generated content for the wine and culinary tourism industry and Peter Syme will be answering the question How Artificial Intelligence Will Transform Wine & Culinary Tourism

Regular keynote speaker Judith Lewis renowned digital and media consultant will be packing in hundreds of business takeaways in her two talks: Connecting Your Winery or Travel/Tourism Brand to the Consumer and Optimising Your Business Website for the New Search: Practical Solutions for Small Business in Search.

Day two features keynote culinary tourism specialist David Mora Coordinator of the master’s degree in Gastronomy Tourism, Basque Culinary Center who will looking at Designing Experiential Wine & Culinary Tourism Products that WOW.

Another highlight of the two day event are two wine masterclasses. On day 1 renowned sommelier and journalist, Silvia Culell on behalf of the DO Cava will show us exceptional Cava producers to visit and of course to taste. On day 2 project manager of the National Wine Centre in the Czech Republic, Sarka Nadvornika will be delivering a mastercalss with Wines of South Moravia

Anthony Swift, Event Director, IWINETC, comments: “Our unique market-leading Wine Tourism Conference, each year is the place to be inspired by some of the best expert speakers from within the wine and culinary tourism industry, all under one roof. We’ve gathered an amazing line up of speakers for 2023, to deliver fresh perspectives, interesting solutions and thought-provoking concepts. IWINETC content delivers tangible, take-home value, and inspires delegates to think outside the box and help them create their own incredible wine tourism experiences for their markets. Adding value to the event is an exhbition area, a B2B Wine Tourism Workshop and optional post conference tours to discover some of the diverse landscapes, wines and wineries within the destination”

IWINETC kicks off on 22 March with a guided walking tour of historic Tarragona courtesy of the Tarragona Turisme and the official IWINETC Welcome Reception in the evening at the historic building of the Pontificial Seminary, situated the Tarraconensian Centre courtesy of the Agència Catalana de Turisme

www.iwinetc.com

The setting for the International Wine Tourism Conference (IWINETC) 2023 Welcome Reception will be the historic building of the Pontificial Seminary, situated the Tarraconensian Centre. The IWINETC Welcome Reception will take place in front of the chapel dedicated to Saint Paul set within magnificent neo-gothic cloisters. The Chapel is built on a rock where it is alleged that the apostle Saint Paul sat to preach the Gospel to the people of Tarragona back in the XIII Century.

While the IWINETC Welcome Reception won’t have Saint Paul to welcome conference delegates there will be Marta Domènech i Tomàs – Managing Director of the Tourism, Narcís Ferrer i Ferrer – Director of the Agència Catalana de Turisme and Damià Serrano i Miracle – Director de Marketing of Experiences and Research also at the Agència Catalana de Turisme. Also saying a few words of welcome will be the Mayor of Tarragona, Mr Pau Ricomà Vallhonrat​.

The IWINETC Welcome Reception provides conference delegates travelling to Tarragona from some 25 different countries to start IWINETC in style by networking and connecting with industry colleagues over a selection of delicious traditional Catalan tapas dishes and of course wine!

Industry professionals can register to attend IWINETC 2023 Tarragona here>>

Dream – team of Keynotes for industry-leading Conference Programme

IWINETC has announced 5 keynote speakers for IWINETC 2023, which takes place in Tarragona, Spain, from the 23^rd to 24^th of March.

4 of the big 5 namely Roberta Garibaldi (Vice President of the OCED Tourism Committee, Italy), Judith Lewis (Digital & Media Consultant), Peter Syme, (Tour Specialist & Strategic Advisor) and Chris Torrres, (Brand and Digital Tourism Expert) are back by popular demand.

The 5^th keynote announced is the Coordinator of the Master’s degree in Gastronomy Tourism, Basque Culinary Center: David Mora.

David will be delivering a talk titled Designing Experiential Wine & Culinary Tourism Products that WOW

Why does travelling makes us happy? Is everything in life an “experience”? We will get to know some of the elements that would lead to a memorable food and wine tourism experience, as well as a possible itinerary to design them.

Additional expert speakers will be announced in early January 2023

Anthony Swift, Event Director, IWINETC, said: “We’re very excited to welcome back some of our “regulars” to deliver once again inspiring content in our market-leading conference talk programme. Post-pandemic, we’ve all become that much more immersed in and open to the incredible potential of digital marketing and technology, and we’re delighted to have sessions led by Judith Lewis, Peter Syme and Chris Torres which will provide attendees with tangible learnings to take back and implement in their own businesses.

We are also very excited to have David Mora join us to focus on not only wine tourism but also food tourism in the framework of designing experiential tourism products.

We can’t wait to share the IWINETC experience direct to a live audience next March under the slogan “Fermenting ideas for a Bubbly future”

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IWINETC 2023 takes place 23 & 24 March 2023  and will incorporate a Welcome reception for all attendees, a day and a half of conference talks, an exhibition area, a B2B Workshop, Fam trips for Agents and optional pre and post conference wine tasting tours for delegates.

The event brings together around 300 wine and culinary tourism professionals from around the world for two days of business events, networking and inspirational education sessions.

www.iwinetc.com

The International Wine Tourism Conference (IWINETC), the most established global wine tourism conference and trade event for the wine and culinary tourism industry, has announced the destination and dates of its 14^th edition, which will take place in the County of Tarragona 23 & 24 March 2023.

IWINETC will incorporate one and a half days of plenary talks, panel discussions, case studies, and speeches, a half day of one-to-one business meetings, a comprehensive networking programme and several post tour programmes to the eight wine regions located within the region namely Cava, Catalunya, Conca de Barbarà, Montsant, Penedès, Priorat, Tarragona and Terra Alta. As in previous editions of IWINETC exhibitors, B2B Workshop providers, Hosted Buyers and Media will benefit from IWINETC’s bespoke appointment system, matching agent’’s business needs with supplier’s services to ensure they meet with people with whom there is a strong chance of doing business.

IWINETC’s  day and half Conference programme will leave attendees inspired and motivated to apply their learnings to their place of work and/or businesses. Speakers already confirmed include Judith Lewis, Chris Torres, Peter Syme and Roberta Garibaldi. Additional expert speakers will be announced in due course.

Commenting on IWINETC 2023, Anthony Swift, IWINETC Event Director, said: “We’re excited about this year’s IWINETC as it’s been 7 years since we last held the event in Catalunya and it will be interesting to see the huge development that has happened with respect to wine and culinary tourism specifically in the County of Tarragona’s 8 wine regions. Working with local partners, we’ll be putting  together a comprehensive content schedule, full of sessions that have a genuine practical application for our delegates. The programme is a great opportunity for wine and culinary tourism professionals to enhance their time with us in Tarragona with targeted learning, business and networking opportunities that complement the whole event experience”

Trade professionals can register to attend IWINETC 2023 here>>. The event is expected to welcome around 250 attendees from around 25 countries