Why I Want to Learn More About Spanish Wines

Jun 15

Why I Want to Learn More About Spanish Wines

Food, Wine Events, Wine Tastings Add comments

Photo credit: Modern Language Center

I’m a wine geek at heart so when I heard about an opportunity to receive a scholarship to attend a 3-day Spanish Wine education course sponsored by the Wine Academy of Spain and Catavino, I jumped at the opportunity to find out more about the program.

I’m well aware of some of the initiatives this well-respected academy has headed up in the past, including the World Conference on Climate Change lead by Pancho Campo. If you have an interest in the impacts of climate change and how to adapt to a new climate, check out some of the audio files I uploaded a couple of years ago.

As for their latest venture, Catavino is responsible for the organization and development of awarding one scholarship to a blogger in each of the twelve cities the Academy plans to visit. Integrating the social media aspect into the business model of the Wine Academy is a smart move …and lucky for me, they’ll be hosting one of their 3-day certification programs right here in Portland!

What first caught my eye about the 3-day certification course was the opportunity to taste more than 50 Spanish wines during the intensive program. If you’re like me and don’t have a copious amount of Spanish wine at your disposal, this would be a great opportunity to sample some remarkable wines while educating your palate.

The course also covers detailed information about Spanish Appellations, climates, soils, history, wine styles and grape varieties providing participants with a solid foundation to prepare for the exam, which takes place on the third day of the event. And best of all? The top 15 highest scorers across the USA will win a weeklong Spanish Wine Tour covering Spain’s top DO’s (Denominación de Origen)! How cool is that?

So how does one qualify for the scholarship? Simply answer a question via blog post, video or podcast – its’ obvious I opted for a blog post ;) Why do I want to learn more about Spanish wines? In a nutshell, although the Spanish wine sector has changed considerably in recent years, Spanish wines are often misunderstood, underappreciated and overlooked by many wine consumers.

My intent is to complete the course and educate consumers about the many facets of the Spanish wine industry by encouraging wine lovers around the world to explore beyond their safety zone and to discover what Spain has to offer. Spanish cuisine is also an important component, so my intent is to educate consumers on the regional foods and to explore the many wines that compliment the regional dishes.

It would be quite an honor for any blogger to receive one of the twelve scholarships offered – and an even higher honor to join the elite group that tours Spain’s top DO’s!

Even if you’re not a blogger, I highly recommend and encourage any enophile to attend; with twelve major cities on tour, you’re bound to be near proximity of one of the locations. Take my word – the wines you will taste at this event will more than pay for the price of the ticket alone so you should take advantage of this great opportunity.

…and if you haven’t joined the social media movement, I encourage your participation. It will open your world to discover and share opportunities with a network of personal and business relationships. I’ll end this post by saying that if it wasn’t for social media, there’s a good chance I may not have stumbled across this great opportunity — and a special thanks to Steve De Long for bringing this to my attention! If you’re already a member, friend me up on twitter & facebook, and if you wish to pursue a business relationship, you can find me on LinkedIn.

~Pamela Heiligenthal

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11 Responses to “Why I Want to Learn More About Spanish Wines”

Steve Says:
June 15th, 2009 at 6:00 AM
This sounds interesting but I notice that the class may be canceled if less than 10 people sign up and the fees are nonrefundable, although they may be applied to another course. It would be nice to know who else would like to attend since I, for one, might not otherwise attend a different event. I plan to travel to Spain next year and visit some of the wine regions and this would be a great preview and helpful as I plan my itinerary.
enobytes Says:
June 15th, 2009 at 8:06 AM
That would be a shame if they cancelled some city stops but I guess it could definitely happen. Seattle would be my second pick, but I’d have to incur additional costs (hotel, etc.) I’m so envious you’re going to Spain next year. I’ve been wanting to go for some time now and I agree with you that this course would be perfect to preview all the great regions! Let’s keep our fingers crossed that we run into each other at the class or in Spain ;) ~Pamela
Mark Norman Says:
June 15th, 2009 at 9:44 AM
Spanish wines are really changing in their style. Many of their different varietals offer a refreshing change of pace. I started learned about them from two (free) publications called “The Wines of Spain”. One is just an earlier edition of the other but they have changed and updated the second one (so it was not reading the same thing over again). They have a website where you can request the book (about 120 pages or so) and it does take about 6 weeks to get it. But if you are interested in Spanish wines it is a surprising good source of information.
enobytes Says:
June 15th, 2009 at 10:03 AM
Hi Mark, I agree, it is a refreshing change of pace, isn’t it? Wines from Spain – by Doug Frost, right? That is a good book. What’s funny is that I ordered a copy and completely forgot I placed the order – then the book arrived like 6 months later! I think they were printing more copies. It is a good book packed with lots of great information. ~Pamela
Ryan Says:
June 15th, 2009 at 11:57 AM
Great post Pamela – Steve turned me on to the scholarship too. What a decent chap he is! :-) Good luck – you’re much deserving of the opportunity! We should definitely talk some as there’s a good chance I’ll end up in your city come fall.

Cheers!
enobytes Says:
June 15th, 2009 at 1:21 PM
That’s great Ryan! Let me know when your in town and we’ll show you around the Willamette Valley & wine & dine :) ~Pamela
Winners for the Spanish Wine Certification Course Are… - Catavino Says:
June 24th, 2009 at 2:10 PM
[...] OH (August 7-10): Pamela Heiligenthal of Enobytes What first caught my eye about the 3-day certification course was the opportunity to taste more [...]
Winners for the Spanish Wine Certification Course Are… : Wine Blog Reviews Says:
June 25th, 2009 at 8:29 PM
[...] OH (August 7-10): Pamela Heiligenthal of Enobytes What first caught my eye about the 3-day certification course was the opportunity to taste more [...]
enobytes Says:
July 1st, 2009 at 7:45 PM
It’s time for the full scholarship winner announcements. I’m going to the Spanish Wine Certification Course in Portland! I think I’m required to give a speech or something at the Academy. Oh wait, not really, but I’d like to thank Gabrielle & Ryan Opaz of Catavino for this wonderful opportunity and I’d like to give a special shout out to Steve DeLong for bringing this to my attention.

Stay tuned as I blog and twitter about my adventures & join me as we unravel all of the unexplored territories Spain has to offer – it’s going to be a blast! Have Qs? Respond to this post and I’ll ask them at the event. ~Pamela
What Did I Learn from My Spanish Wine Certification Course? - Catavino Says:
September 15th, 2009 at 6:27 AM
[...] OH (August 7-10): Pamela Heiligenthal of Enobytes “The Spanish Wine Educators course is a definite must for any wine professional. It’s [...]
What Did I Learn from My Spanish Wine Certification Course? | Catavino Says:
July 31st, 2010 at 11:39 AM
[...] OR (August 7-10): Pamela Heiligenthal of Enobytes “The Spanish Wine Educators course is a definite must for any wine professional. It’s [...]

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