7:00 am – Wake up! A blogger has things to research and prep for the day.
8:30 am – Breakfast buffet. Item of note: ‘bacon’ on Croatia is really fried prosciutto
9:30 am – Branding Nova Scotia’s wine region with Lesley Trites (Girl on Wine). Lesley shared with us that the Nova Scotia has only been developed since the 1980’s and the wines really aren’t exported out of the region. The climate and the soil of the region promote the successful growth of hybrid grapes such as seyval, marechal foch and New York muscat.
11:00 am – Nothing like a little morning banter! Brix Chicks and Luscious Lushes enouraged us to run for the border! In ‘Undiscovered to Discovered’ they highlighted Baja, Mexico as a place to visit for its culinary history, hospitality and wine. Baja has invested thousands of dollars in their tourism prrogram, which now includes wine. They launched a successfful socia media campaign using ‘search, connect and engage’ to get the word out and attract tourists.
12:00 – Case study with new architeture in Bordeaux & Rioja. Unsure of what to expect from this seminar, but being a lover of amazing architecture, I attended. What a treat! Dr. Fabrizio Bucella shared with us his thesis research on architecture and wine. Yes, they are related. Bordeaux and Rioja have taken the approach of having wineries designed by a well-known architect. The idea is that wine is more than a product to eat or drink and it can be highlighted in additional ways. Putting a focus on winery architecture will bring new wine tourists to the wineries and the region.
13:00 – Lunch! A blogger has to keep their energy up.
14:00 – A quick walk to Zagreb’s main square.
15:00 – Georgia – Cradle of Wine. Georgia, the country mind you, has a rich wine history dating back almost 8,000 years! Georgians consider wine a way of life. They prepare lavish feasts and toasts to accompany the wines and consider wine tourism and guests god sent.
15:45 – Goodbye Zagreb, thank you for your hospitality! Hello Georgia next year’s IWINETC host! And now, we drink the wines of Georgia in celebration.
Photo Mary Cressler
