Los días 5 y 6 de abril el prestigioso congreso IWINETC tendrá lugar en el área del Penedès. Mastinell, como bodega que forma parte de esta región, estará presente en este encuentro y participará en el ‘Wine Tourism Workshop’ del día 7.
Muy cerca de la zona costera de Sitges, entre las montañas de Sant Pau y Vilafranca del Penedès, se encuentra Mastinell, una pequeña bodega familiar donde se elabora cava y vino de máxima calidad con una producción limitada y artesanal. Esto le ha valido poder formar parte del selecto grupo de las primeras diez cavas más prestigiosas de la D.O. Penedès.
El éxito recae en los valores de Mastinell, pues la bodega se planifica y crea con el objetivo de producir cavas de alta calidad -Reserva y Gran Reserva – de al menos 3 años llegando hasta 10 años, cuando el consejo regulador D.O Cava únicamente exige 9 meses de crianza.
Fruto de esta dedicación, los vinos y cavas de Mastinell han obtenido numerosos galardones de prestigio en todo el mundo.
En el corazón de los viñedos se emplaza Cava & Hotel Mastinell, el recinto hotelero de cinco estrellas y puntero en sostenibilidad que emula una sinuosa imagen de las botellas descansando en rimas durante la segunda fermentación del cava.
Dispone de once excepcionales habitaciones y una suite presidencial abiertas a los viñedos con espectaculares ventanales circulares. Durante la estancia también se puede disfrutar de tratamientos de vinoterapia y cavaterapia en la misma habitación.
La experiencia para los sentidos continúa en el espacio gastronómico En Rima, el restaurante del hotel que se sustenta en una gastronomía autóctona con productos catalanes y locales de km 0.
La oferta se completa con visitas guiadas para divulgar la cultura del vino y el cava empezando por los viñedos y terminando a 15 metros bajo tierra donde descansan durante años los excepcionales cavas Mastinell.
Premio a la Mejor Experiencia Turística de 2014 por la Generalitat de Catalunya.
Una de las 12 bodegas fundadoras de la primera Wine Road del estado, La Carretera del Vino.
12 wineries have joined forces to create Spain´s first ‘Mediterranean Wine Road’ as part of a new wine tourism initiative during mid-2015. La Carretera del Vi is a wine tourism attraction that is based on an ancient route that travels through the Penedès wine region and crosses seven different muncipalities. This road, originally used by the Romans as a wine trading route, begins in Sant Marti Sarroca and journeys through vine-covered mountains until it reaches the seaside town of Sitges. Dotted along the trail are wineries and numerous touristic attractions such as Medieval castles, Iberian villages and fine examples of Modernist architecture.
Historic sites aside, the real purpose of this road was for tourists to experience the region´s wineries. There are many key venues worth visiting along the way, including the family run Bodegas Torres and Finca Viladellops; both of which offer open cellar doors, tastings and guided tours. VINSEUM also gives cultural enthusiasts the ability to step back in time to witness the rich, wine-making history of the region by displaying exhibitions which account for more than 17,000 items. In order to complete their gastronomic journey, visitors can make a well-earned stop at the Mas Rabell Restaurant to taste one of their exceptional menus or even sample their Blind Tapas tour.
The best way to travel the 40 kilometre route is by car but tourists can also opt to do La Carretera del Vi by foot or bicycle, providing that they have somewhere to stay. Comfortable accommodation options include the deluxe, 5-star Cava & Hotel Mastinell and also the Hotel Dolce Sitges which is sure to tempt travellers with their spa and swimming pools.
The La Carretera Del Vi showcases the Cava and wine culture of the Penedès and surely complements the IWINETC as all of the businesses mentioned here are participating as either exhibitorsor in the Wine Tourism Workshop. Additionally, Torres is one of the conference´s Gold Sponsors and will be hosting a guided tour and Gala Dinner at their Mas Rabell Restaurant as part of the IWINETC´s Networking programme.
Introducing Desedamas – two Spanish sisters who are master artisans in their handling of silk and textiles. Cecília and Mercè Gonzalez are putting on a unique exhibition at the 2016 IWINETC and will be presenting a ‘tasting menu’ of their fine textiles.
“Tast Textil” is the artists’ sensory experience of a degustation that they had at fine dining Catalan restaurant, and is a recreation of the food and beverages that they sampled that night. Through the exhibition, viewers are able to directly experience, both visually and texturally, 14 food dishes and 7 beverages. On the menu are food recreations, one of which showcases the sweetness of a cream covered parsnip dish while another the dark, richness of a decadent chocolate dessert. From the beverage-inspired artworks, you can see the sparkling characteristics of a golden coloured Cava along with a piece that portrays the stillness and purity of water; plus other works representing beer, white and red wines and a liquor.
All pieces are meticulously handcrafted and can take months to create in the Igualada studios as the different fabrics are hand dyed, woven and stitched with the finest of care and precision. IWINETC participants will be able to savour Desedamas’s delicious textiles during the conference´s resource exhibition and have the chance to meet the craftswomen behind these appetising artworks.
Sicily has an average annual wine production ranking between the second and third position among the Italian regions. But what makes Sicily a very significant area for the wine production are the several varieties of native grapes and the dramatic climate and geological differences of the wine production areas which have resulted in twenty-two DOCs and one DOCG. Autochthonous grapes grow in the volcanic soil up in the snowy volcano Etna, in the lush Aeolian island of Salina or ripe in the southern coast of Sicily constantly exposed to the warm African breezes.
With the highest number of organic farms in the whole country, Sicily is perhaps the most eclectic and interesting farming region of Italy. The outstanding quality of our PDO olive oil, durum wheat, cheese, citrus, almonds, cappers, vegetables, herbs and the generous sea provide the fundamental ingredients for our century long excellent culinary traditions.
Paesaggio Sicilia Tour Operator is a team of people with a deep knowledge of Sicily and a great passion for its people, landscapes, culture, history, culinary traditions, agriculture and oenology.
The fil rouge of all our programmes is the personal contact with local people, culture and traditions. We organise wine and food programmes to visit the most traditional and creative wineries and to experience the daily life of rural enterprises.
We offer small group tours, tailor made programmes and private tours for those travellers who want to discover the most beautiful regions of Sicily, moving at nature’s pace in the respect of local culture and environment, travelling freely but discretely in those areas off the most beaten tourist tracks.
2016 sees the PAM DMC born GREEK WINE ROADS, once again making its presence felt in the largest event for the wine and culinary tourism industry in Barcelona (IWINETC 5-6 April), showcasing its innovative and high quality services while promoting Greece as a great grape escape destination.
After more than 30 years of experience in incentives, cultural and special interest tours ranging from archeology to bird watching, PAM DMC is the first agency of its kind to introduce exclusive, tailor-made wine tours in Greece. Our expertise in Greece’s tourism industry, our personal contacts with all major and pioneer wine makers and our constant on the field scouts, led us to design innovative tours combining oenology, culture and tradition along with our personalized and proactive customer service.
Greece, apart from being the most historic country of the ancient wine world , offers today not only rare, fine wines, unknown abroad, but also a great travel experience to the wine lover combining world heritage archaeological sites, some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world, internationally awarded wines, more than 100 indigenous varieties, craft traditions ( olive oil, spirits, cheese, charcuterie, organic and bioclimatic farming), gastronomy ranging from old style tavernas to gourmet restaurants, ideal weather conditions and meetings with wine experts, sommeliers or simply wine lovers.
PAM DMC Director, Thanasis Laskaratos will be delivering a talk within the IWINETC programme aimed at Tour operators and travel agents titled : Discover The Land of Dionysos – Greece
Enoturisme DO Alella will be present at the 8th International Wiine Tourism Confernce, Exhibition & Workshop (IWINTEC) to showcase all the wine tourism resources that our region offers through the DO Alella Wine Route. At our destination you will be able to engage in a broad range of activities related to wine and the vineyards. Cellars, restaurants, wine pubs, wine therapy treatment centers, lodging… all of these provide a unique set of experiences that you will only be able to enjoy in Barcelona’s vineyard.
THE ALELLA APPELLATION OF ORIGIN (D.O.), BARCELONA´S VINEYARD
Very close to Barcelona, nestled between the sea and the mild hills of the Serralada Litoral, we find a landscape of vineyards whose roots go back over two thousand years. The Appellation of Origin Alella, the oldest and smallest in Catalonia, is a tiny oasis currently shared by three Catalan counties, the Maresme, the Vallès Oriental and the Barcelonès. A provocative combination of colors, fragrances and tastes, our wines convey the nature, history, identity and culture of the area. The wine and the vineyards have defined the landscape and the life of a land that offers a rich and well-preserved architectural heritage and a broad and varied offer of cultural, touristic, gastronomic and commercial activities.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
We invite you to discover our territory, taste our wines and enjoy the diverse proposals for a wine-based experience involving all five senses that are currently offered by the different municipalities of the Alella DO.
For more information on the event please visit the IWINETC website>>
Owned and managed by the Domenech family, the Vallformosa winery is now in its 5th generation of wine growers. While the business has evolved since its founding in 1865, it is still very much linked to its family origins and with 3 of the 4 youngest children embracing the passion for the wine business; it stands to be carried on well into the future.
A real feature of the winery is the museum on site which displays old tools once used in the vineyards. This is the first stop for wine tourists and gives an insight into the history of these wines. In its earliest years Vallformosa produced only in bulk, it was only after the civil war they began making wine by the bottle. Seeking to preserve the company’s origins they do still produce some of this wine, however it is only 5-10% of the business.
Vallformosa have found a way to reduce wastage by selling off the sediment and stem residue from the wine grapes to be used in the production of whiskeys and other alcohols. With 12,000,000 wines produced annually, this also means a lot of bottles used. With this is mind, the winery use environmentally friendly glass for their production.
The picturesque surroundings of the winery set a beautiful scene for its visitors to enjoy and make it an ideal venue for weddings and corporate events alike. While the space has been developed to host such things with conference facilities in the new building, one of the most beautiful settings is what they call the “Dome Room”, given its name because of the charming old round ceiling. The room looks through a glass wall to the barrels of wine in the cellar and is complimented by the original 1970s lights, combining an authentic old Spanish feel with a modern sophistication.
Taking advantage of its appealing facilities, Vallformosa hosts an annual solidarity dinner “Vallformosa Fight against Cancer” and works in collaboration with the Catalan Oncology Institute Foundation. Expanding on the success of these dinners they have now also developed special edition caps for their new ranges of Cava to raise awareness for the cause.
Registered conference delegates will have the opportunity to visit Vallformosa as part of the IWINETC Conference programme starting on 4th April at 14.15. Later at 20.00 there will be a Welcome Reception from the host and Premum Sponsors followed by a tapas evening with Cavas and wines.
Sarah Jane Evans is an award-winning wine Cava and food writer. She is a Master of Wine, one of 338 in the world, and is currently Chairman of the Institute of Masters of Wine. She is much in demand as a speaker at wine tastings and conferences worldwide and we are delighted to announce Sarah Jane will one of the keynote speakers at IWINETC 2016.
She has long had a special interest and affection for Spain, its people, its history, its culture, its wines and gastronomy. She has written two books on Spain, one on gastronomy, the other a critically acclaimed history of Seville. She was made a member of the Gran Orden de Caballeros de Vino for her services to Spanish wine. In 2015 she received an Outstanding Contribution award by Wine of Rioja, and in 2013 was voted ‘Communicator of the Year’ at the Spanish Wine Awards.
Sarah Jane is co-Chair for Spain and for Sherry at the Decanter World Wine Awards, the world’s largest wine awards. She also judges regularly at Bacchus, as well as internationally, and is a qualified Sherry Educator.
Sarah Jane will be delivering a plenary talk titled A sparkling guide to Cava and during this talk she will take conference delegates on a journey through Spain, discovering Cavas from La Rioja, Extremadura, Valencia, and Catalunya. On the way conference delegates will learn some of the key stories in Cava’s history and find out what makes this traditional method sparkling wine so distinctive.
Immediately after the talk, Sarah Jane will lead the Grand Cava Tasting. Cava gets its bubbles by the traditional, or Champagne, method. What makes it special are the grape varieties, the soil, and the sunshine, and the time spent maturing in the cellar. Cava is ready to compete with the very best in the world. Discover the true flavours of today’s Cavas and select your favourites at the Grand Cava Tasting.
Judith Lewis is the founder of the deCabbit Consultancy specialising in integrated digital marketing consultancy and execution. She is a specialist integrated online marketer with skills in SEO, PPC, and Social Media Marketing as well as other digital marketing techniques. She has been doing SEO since before it had a name and has worked both in-house and agency-side.
She has judged both UK & EU Search Awards, is a founding everywoman Modern Muse and is the coordinator for London Girl Geek Dinners. Having both an in-house and agency background, her clients have included Google, Virgin, NSPCC, Zopa, Slendertone, the Guggenheim, SAP, Amadeus, Blue Cross, & ShareThis.
Judith writes for the SEO Chicks and Mostly About Chocolate as well as the Huffington Post. She speaks at various conferences around the world and is passionate about teaching and helping businesses large and small (as well as chocolate) and we are pleased to announce that Judith will one of the keynote speakers at IWINETC 2016 and will deliver two highly relevant and extremely important talks for the today and future of the wine and culinary tourism industry.
SEO Masterclass for the Wine Tourism Industry
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is often seen as a dark art or difficult to learn. This masterclass, delivered in two parts, will help train professionals working in the wine and culinary tourism industry to be able to do it for themselves, including providing all the spreadsheets and free tools needed.
On day 1 of the conference we will cover how Google works (it’s easier than you think), as well as how SEO works, technical SEO (very basic WordPress need-to-know elements – nothing actually “techy”) and on-page SEO which will cover what changes you need to make to a webpage to make it SEO optimised.
On day 2 of the conference, we will learn how to do keyword research and how that works, how to choose which keywords to optimise a page for, how to manage all these changes, a little bit on building links safely for your business plus the latest guidance from Google.
SEO vs PR vs Bloggers – Fight!
With Google suggesting 35% – 40% of the value assigned to a website (which is used to rank sites) is based on links, these are increasingly the focus of wine tourism businesses looking to increase their online visibility. Some PR agencies are selling blogger link building as a service (an SEO specialism) but who can you trust now Google is handing out penalties based on bad links? Most valuable links seem to come from wine and travel bloggers but how to judge who is right for your business? How do you reach the quality wine and travel influencers most effectively? Where are these secret blogger groups? Should you go with a PR for outreach, a specialist SEO agency or do it yourself? In this session you will be taught how to use the tools available to find, assess and reach out to influencers as well as assessing potential bloggers reaching out to you. The session will cover in general the EU guidelines on this type of work as well as delivering practical, real examples of outreach work and responses, as well as insight on what happens in blogger groups. You will leave this session with clear, practical information on how to execute an outreach campaign and how to measure the value of a blogger.
IWINETC, the global event for the wine and culinary tourism industry, has published their provisional Conference programme and they have a number of speakers confirmed who are set to educate and inspire all attendees.
All IWINETC attendees are invited to attend the opening plenary session delivered by key figures in the Agencia Catalana de Turismo and the Diputación de Barcelona at 09.30 to kick off IWINETC 2016 with a lively and visual session on Catalunya as a grape escape destination.
The day will finish up with award-winning wine and food writer, Sarah Jane Evans Master of Wine, (one of 338 in the world and currently Chairman of the Institute of Masters of Wine) delivering a talk on Cava Tourism as a way of boosting both enoturismo and Cava and wine sales in Spain and Sarah Jane will follow on and lead the Grand Cava Tasting which will demonstrate through the palate just how great Cava is.
Allison Markin, based in the heart of British Columbia wine country, will deliver a session that looks at the steps to create a tourism-centric business plan, including: identifying the idea and opportunity, researching trends, finding the right data from destination marketing organizations, identifying partners/funding, and building a marketing plan.
Returning speaker from IWINETC 2015 La Champagne, Hilarie Larson CSW,FWS will look at creative ways for wine territories and specific businesses within to keep up-to-date with ever-changing customer tastes and desires.
Other pithy research based talks include one from home-grown Damià Serrano, Barcelona University, based on his recent PhD Thesis about Wine Tourism in Catalonia and one from Vasco Santos, Portugal looking at an empirical & conceptual model of consumer behaviour in wine tourism based on primary research in Porto.
Numerous sessions on Branding and Marketing have been included in the IWINETC talk programme as these are key for gaining business ideas for all wine tourism professionals. Talks include:
How to appeal and market to wine and tourism students
How to create ways to attract, engage and retain that most valuable asset – the customer.
How to create new wine tourism proposals, encouraging cooperation within and across territories
Ho to use branding, marketing and customer service to transform any winery or tasting room into a leader in the wine tourism market.
How to differentiate yourself from everyone else in a crowded industry, become THE destination of choice, and create marketing messages that are effective 100% of the time.
How to plan for and create content as part of a winning retail strategy.
Tour operators and travel agents working in tourism have dedicated sessions under the Grape Escape Destinations category and will discover destinations such as Greece, Hungary, Romania and many other destinations on show in the exhibition area and present at the wine tourism workshop.
A wine tourism conference would not be complete with out wine tastings and a winery visit programme pre and post conference.
Conference delegates will get the chance to taste wines from not only regions of Catalunya but also from Champagne, Greece, Hungary, India and Romania. There’s even a chance to gain insights and knowledge into the world of beer tourism thanks to a talk and tasting led by Robin Barden of Edge Brewing.
As part of the winery visit Programme there will be a number of exciting visits to wineries in the Cava, Conca de Barberà, Penedès and Tarragona wine regions ranging from visits to Wine Cathedrals to family run producers making wines from specific and special terroirs.
Anthony Swift, Director of IWINETC commented, “in this exciting 8th edition of IWINETC conference delegates will find many dynamic sessions on a wide range of topics around wine tourism and the latest industry trends. Some of the highlights are case-study presentations from people simply working in wine tourism as well as sessions on branding & marketing, professional development, social media and big data, to name just a few.”
IWINETC 2016 will take place from 5th to 6th April, with a Wine tourism Workshopon the 7th. The one day Wine Tourism Workshop will take place the day after the Conference on 7th April. Registration is now open and all wine and culinary tourism industry professionals are invited to register.
El éxito recae en los valores de Mastinell, pues la bodega se planifica y crea con el objetivo de producir cavas de alta calidad -Reserva y Gran Reserva – de al menos 3 años llegando hasta 10 años, cuando el consejo regulador D.O Cava únicamente exige 9 meses de crianza.
En el corazón de los viñedos se emplaza Cava & Hotel Mastinell, el recinto hotelero de cinco estrellas y puntero en sostenibilidad que emula una sinuosa imagen de las botellas descansando en rimas durante la segunda fermentación del cava.
La experiencia para los sentidos continúa en el espacio gastronómico En Rima, el restaurante del hotel que se sustenta en una gastronomía autóctona con productos catalanes y locales de km 0.
