Truth is, I’m a heretic. I’m going to say it, and I’m sure someone is going to call me on it, but I can’t stand watching Gary Vay-ner-chuck. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, then you know nothing of the online wine world. My sense is that Gary of Wine Library TV is a great guy, who I look forward to meeting one day; although I hope his interpersonal skills are better than the loud intros he’s renowned for in his videos.

That said, Gary is my hero as of late. Since the moment I first stepped on Portuguese soil, back in 2003 with Gabriella, I have been in love with their wines. I remember driving my Minnesota wine buyer crazy, upon my return, with requests upon requests for obscure Portuguese wines to sell. I knew then, and I still know now, that Portuguese wines are both amazing values and of great distinction. With so many new flavors, styles and unique characteristics, if you don’t love them, you just don’t know them.

And clearly, I’m not alone, as Gary is currently singing their praises as well. And what’s so phenomenal about his love of Portuguese wine is that Gary’s voice is 100 times louder than ours here at Catavino, not to mention that he’s reaching out to young wine lovers who are just beginning to learn about wine. (Congrats on the Revision3 gig!)

I remember when I was a young, impressionable wine lover, still forming my opinions about what good wine was to me. Many of those early ideas are still firmly implanted in my head, continuing to influence my ideas about the way in which I perceive wine. Now just imagine those very same impressionable minds hearing Gary shout, …

Last month, when we were in Portugal for Essencia do Vinho, we had the fortunate experience of meeting Paulo Amorim, Vice President of ViniPortugal. Well, to be perfectly frank, we didn’t just “meet” Paulo, we were required spend several days glued to his side, since he was one of the organizers of our press junket. For the whole of the fair, and many days on either end of it, Paulo literally breathed the event. Every moment was spent consumed with its creation, organization and completion. For many, an event of this magnitude would be self destructive, but for Paulo, it was ecstasy. Because Paulo is not only a person devoted to Portuguese wine, but also someone who appears to have it coursing through their veins. Founding member of the G7 a group of wineries who work together to promote their wines internationally and an active voice for ViniPortugal, Paulo is a jewel in the Portuguese wine world.

Taken from their site ViniPortugal’s mission statement:

Created in 1997, ViniPortugal is a trade association whose aim is to promote Portuguese wines, brandies and vinegars on the domestic and target international markets.

ViniPortugal provides strategic support to the Portuguese wine sector, bringing together organizations representing trade (ANCEVE and ACIBEV), production (FENAVI and FEVIPOR), cooperative wineries (FENADEGAS), distillers (AND), farmers (CAP), demarcated regions (ANDOVI) and government bodies (IVV).

Our promotional activity is financed by a variable sum made from payments by producers to the Institute of Vine and Wine (IVV) for certifying their wines, brandies and vinegar.

Below is a short video we conducted with Paulo during Essencia do Vinho. In it, I inquired into Portugal’s strengths and weaknesses in the world market and possible solutions towards raising awareness of Portuguse wines. Enjoy!!

After Gore’s speech, the keynote speaker at the II International Conference on Climate and Wine in Barcelona was allotted a certain amount of time dedicated to questions and answers. One question fielded by Pancho Campo and asked of Al Gore was, “what is the responsibility of the wine industry in relation to the climate crisis?”

After I had watched this clip for the umpteenth time, it dawned me that his passionate speech about brand loyalty as it relates to trust is really no different than what makes a blog successful. Trust is the key to any successful relationship and the foundation for future growth. It is because of trust that you choose to read and interact with us. It is because of trust that we come to many of you for advice and clarity. Without this trust, without this dynamic relationship, you would not share our site with your friends, nor would they with theirs. I say this because web 2.0 is the new marketplace, where friends tell friends about products they adore, sites they appreciate and companies they respect. I love this clip by Gore because it not only enforces a long held belief Ryan and I have lived by for years, but it give it a tangibility that it didn’t have before. Wineries who place conservation as a priority and the life of their consumers as a focal point is a winery that will have a better chance of succeeding in the future. Interesting thought, is it not?!

Video content from the conference was produced by Richard Gillespie please contact us if you are interested in hiring Richard for your next project.

Before the II International Conference on Climate and Wine begins tomorrow, we were fortunate enough to steal a few moments away with Pancho Campo, the founder of this conference and the pioneer behind research on the impact of climate change in the wine industry. Pancho also happens to be the president and founder of The Wine Academy of Spain, an official instructor for the WSET, and an Official Sherry Educator (one of our favorite of his titles!). And as if you aren’t feeling lazy enough sitting on your chair sipping on a glass of Tempranillo, Pancho is also the founder of the Barcelona Wine Festival and Madwine. Whew! I haven’t even gotten into his professional tennis career and stint as a medical student, but I’ll leave that for him.

What Pancho is, is a man of action, of innovation, of vision, and beyond all else, of purpose. When a seed has been planted in his mind as a goal to be obtained, regardless of how far fetched it may be to a layman, he’ll achieve it. And part of the reason why I think he is so successful in his efforts, is his charisma, which you will see shortly in our interview.

What we hope you’ll take away from this interview is not only Pancho’s reasoning behind the conference, but his succinct and clear message that action must be taken now if we want to continue enjoying the wines we love today, tomorrow. Enjoy the interview!

PS: Slight sync problem with sound, but that’s what you get for a late night edit and no sleep!

We know it’s Friday and that you’re currently daydreaming of grilling, movies, dinner with friends, or just about anything that doesn’t involve active thought. “Hmmmm donuts..” So rather than post something that is either obnoxiously heady or bores you to death with meaningless facts, we’ve declared Friday as a non-thinking day! We’re encouraging silliness, giggling and side-splitting laughter.

So wish us luck while we are busy taking our Official Sherry Exam in Jerez, and enjoy the show

Cheers,

Gabriella