This is time to make London protagonist of our blog and more specifically, it is time to speak about our distributor Ellis of Richmond the star of these days. We already talked about its history and its foundation in a previous news of our trip, which took place last year.
In a Victorian environment, overloaded with antique furniture of unmistakable style, floral upholstery and immense crystal lamps that illuminate the rooms with a faint and very pleasant light, every year the event of our importer took place in the Vintner’s Hall of the Vintners Palace. This place received its first recognition in 1363 and is nowadays the ideal place to celebrate a classy, refined and exclusive event.
It is worth mentioning the royal decree that was signed in 1973 authorizing this institution to regulate the consumption of wine, delegating important responsibilities such as teaching the consumer to drink properly and in the healthy measures wines, champagnes and cavas in order to spread the culture of wine.
Very often, in this palace courses and events are organized to approach the winemaking tradition in an environment that, without doubt is the reincarnation of the desire of all English to enjoy high quality products in the company of the exponents of sensational wineries such as AB Valley, DFJ Vinhos, Kellerei Kaltern Caldaro, Vignetti Le Monde, Cantina Gorgo,Cantina Crociani, Monte Faustino, Donatella Colombini, Cantine Umberto Bortolotti, Wairau River Family Vineyards, Paulett Wines, David Bruce, Markham Valley, Chono Wines, Backsberg Estate, De Wetshof Estate, Bluebell Vineyards, Lestapis, Lucien Boillot, Domaine de l’Amandine, Champagne AR Lenoble, Château d’Esclans, Jean Baptiste Adam, Caves Languedoc Roussillon, Lorgeril, Chamoagne Lombard, Noelia Bebelia, Bodegas Resalte de Peñafiel, Bodegas Taron, Fincas de Azabache, y Hacienda el Ternero…and obviously Mont Marçal.
Our collaboration with Ellis of Richmond continues for years with excellent results, new challenges, and good expectations between the precision and the strong sense of responsibility and hard work typical of British people and the passionate nature of our land and our precious denomination of origin.
The event lasted two days, on 5th and 6th of February, on a Tuesday and on a Wednesday, ideal days for restaurateurs, managers, professionals and apprentices not to miss this essential appointment. The influx of visitors is amazing, more than 600 people who, visiting our stand, have been transported to the beauty and peace of our vineyards, between the fresh air of the hills that surround us, between the sea breeze that reaches our farmhouse, breathing the Mediterranean essence of our environment and the perfume of our land.
Mont Marçal Reserva, with its freshness and aromatic intensity, Mont Marçal Rosado, with a touch of roses and jasmine and Extremarium with its complexity and its creaminess are the stars of the festival.An event that we will remember with nostalgia, in a great city. Yes, because London creates dependency. While we visited the city, immersing ourselves in its traditions and breathing its history, we met on the street different kind of people and we were attracted mainly by the speeches they make and their open mind.
London sometimes seems like a lion roaring in front of your face that wants to scare you, stop you and throw you back. If you are not willing to let yourself go and be tolerant and open minded, you will not appreciate this city and you will not fit in with the frenetic pace that characterizes it and you will end up feeling disoriented, excluded, isolated in the midst of millions of people.To fully experience the wonderful London you have to have a natural predisposition, courage, put a lot of effort and passion in understanding and appreciating the human race and you will need a lot of energy and be ready to see many rapid changes, as fast as a pedestrian who goes to work crossing the street among thousands of cars that follow their path with speed.
London is a city that transmits feelings, this is a fact, feelings that you live in every corner, because to visit this city you do not need meticulous preparations, just wanting to get lost, to learn and be willing to live with different nationalities: the Bangladesh taxi driver, the Italian who prepares pizzas with all his art, the Moroccan who works in his supermarket open 24 hours or the real Englishman who goes to work thinking about everything he will have to do during the day and waiting for his tea-break.
The central position of Belgium in Europe, a true crossroads of the Latin and Germanic world, multilingualism and political, social and religious freedom have contributed to the cosmopolitan character of the country. Belgium is today a multicultural society based on tolerance and mutual respect. This wonderful country, of which we are increasingly in love, has many pearls that are the fruit of great architectural currents. In the middle Ages, cathedrals and belfries are built, monuments that still adorn the cities of Belgian art.In the twentieth century, Brussels became the capital of art nouveau, thanks to the combination of all these elements, which determine the inestimable architectural wealth of the country.
Belgium also owes its success to other factors: a highly skilled, multilingual and flexible workforce, the proximity of international decision-making centres based in Brussels, multiple financial and fiscal incentives, affordable real estate prices, a long tradition of hospitality and excellent social security. We speak of a hospitable country chosen by many immigrants from different countries who, with hopeful eyes, have seen Belgium as a mirage, a flash of confidence, leading them to establish themselves in the nation. Here, in all epochs, important intellectuals and personalities have found refuge, such as Karl Marx, Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, Charles Baudelaire, Auguste Rodin.
Driving between this pure and intact nature, characterized by large forests, our Export team identify itself in the stillness and landscape beauty of this nation, where deer and hares cross the road without fear, and where the birds approach to get food, knowing that no one will hurt them here, because respect for any living being is a priority and a moral duty of the Belgians.
Our destination is Geel, a city of 40,000 inhabitants, one hour far away from the capital.
Since the 13th century, Geel has been the largest open therapeutic psychiatric community in the world.
In fact, it is near the sanctuary of Saint Dinfna (a girl of Irish origin who chose martyrdom in the seventh century AD not to give in to the incestuous intentions of the father), who is known to treat mental illnesses in particular and protect family assistance.
Throughout its history a network of generalized assistance was formed, a kind of asylum that has fascinated visitors of all times and be cited continuously as a model for therapeutic communities with a view to the deinstitutionalization.
Attracted by these methods of treatment, Vincent van Gogh’s father also thought of sending his son to attend the cures provided in Geel. Here, we attend the event of Serge van Lommel, owner of the AD VINDUM store specializing in different styles of wines from around the world: South Africa, California, France, Italy and Spain have to share the shelves of this beautiful store, decorated in all the details, not only from the visual point of view, but also from the emotional point of view. Yes, because Serge, together with his wife Suzanne, not only sell wines, but also sell emotions, love for what they do, continuous effort, perfection and hard work. With great fatigue, we refer to the fact that both do not stop for a moment, their energy is indomitable, indescribable with words, but only with images. When Serge picked us up at the hotel and took us to a beautiful wooden country house in the middle of nowhere, where the tasting took place, every 5 minutes he got out of the car and, dressed in his elegant suit, without fear of getting dirty, he put the signs that showed people how to get to the event. Serge with his hammer, his panels and so much hope is what will stay engraved in our heads, a very easy-going man…ready for everything!
A wonderful country house has been our home on 13th and 14th of October, days of typical Belgian temperature, plenty of sunshine and 27 degrees! ☺
Tasting is the art of using the senses to discover and appreciate wines and cavas. Thanks to the use of the five senses, you can learn to perceive the tiniest nuances of flavour and aromas, beginning to appreciate the origin of the grapes, the importance of terroir and microclimate to the finished product, for this reason an event more focused on people truly interested in a remote place, has been ideal.
Everything was impeccably organized; our table of the entire Mont Marçal range was located right in front of the entrance, between Flemish paintings and old wine making utensils, being the first stage of the customers, who arrived. The influx of people has been surprising, considering that it was a very hot weekend for the Belgians, who unbelievers enjoyed cavas and wines outdoors in a Renaissance style garden among flowers and old bushes. After moments of high intensity of affluence and of goliardic moments with the guests, the tasting of our products had an exponential success. The most appreciated products were our Grand Cuvé Reserva, our Mont Marçal Brut and … our masterpiece product Aureum. Using PowerPoint presentations of more general explanations about the process of making the cava, the used native grapes and more specifically our products, people were impressed, acquiring even more knowledge.
Belgium is a very important market for us, the Belgians are connoisseur and curious tasters, they know how to consume our products and how to pair them with their exquisite local gastronomy. The most remarkable aspect was the retention of visitors, most of those arrived at the beginning of the event and stayed until the end, a very positive signal that translates as something important, people were at ease, in harmony with the others and in a friendly environment, so much of spending the whole day there.
We will take in the heart the sweetness of Suzanne, always accompanied by her faithful Chihuahua Oesie, the kindness of two other collaborators who helped us from the organizational point of view, and the energy, the optimism and the fun of Serge.
We hope to see them soon, probably in the next event in March.
Hartelijk dank AD VINDUM!
Harvest means trembling leaves tending to the colors of autumn, golden or orange colors and hearts hunched and hopeful. With the beginning of autumn and the first rains, the moist soil mixes its aromas with the aromas of ripe grapes. The wind sweeps great white clouds, which contrast with the intense blue sky. The atmosphere is cheerful; the harvest is a tradition that is repeated every year, with the unaltered peasant spirit, typical of our region.
2018 has been a rainy year especially in spring, more specifically in the month of March, where the data mark a high rainfall. From the agronomic point of view, the development of the vineyards, initiated under the best auspices, was conditioned by a strange climate that altered the frosts, the rains and the humidity. Therefore, it will be the year in which the capacity of our winemaker will make a difference in the result.
The recent lowering of temperatures has helped to increase the good quality of the grape and its maturation, after a long period of excessive heat. This has allowed the ripening cycle to slow down to ensure a good harvest development.
Due to the weather conditions that our vineyards have suffered, a reduction in the harvest is expected, which will not affect the quality. In fact, the grape enjoys a great balance between freshness and maturity. The phytosanitary status is optimal and we hope that by dedicating the appropriate efforts and pampering each grain of the cluster with the same affection, we will obtain excellent wines and cavas. The harvest, which began on August 11th, seems definitely better than last year, where the drought had staged the entire vintage.
Next stop for our export team was the wonderful Netherlands, cradle of great culture and beautiful meadows, which extend throughout its flat topography, until reaching the height of the sea to the north and west! The first stage was Horst aan de Maas, about 20 kilometers from the German border, to attend the meeting of our big distributor Wjintransport.
They are for us a cozy family. Bas, Leen, Marc have a piece of our heart, their involvement and their commitment is so strong that we always have the same closeness. Bas, the executive director, gave us important information about our current situation in Germany and Netherlands. Everything is stable, with good forecasts like last year. The situation in Germany, a crucial market for what is the cava, which tends to collide with the native Schaumweine, is improving.
We started our journey to Salzgitter to meet the owner of EVM WEINDEPOT, Klaus Elblinger. From the outset, the friendly owner, together with his wife, in all sincerity admitted that the quality of our products is very good; they tried in their frequent trips to Spain different cavas and found none at the same height as ours in price –quality terms.
Encouraged and eager to show us the spaces for tasting, storage and leisure activities, Klaus accompanied us throughout his huge installation. In their portfolio, they dispose of different references such as limoncello, high quality grappas, brandy, cognac, whiskey, wines from Chile, South Africa, France, Portugal, Italy and Spain. The part dedicated to the tasting, with a capacity of 180 people, has a design with a typical German style, all wooden and the interior reminds a typical German “Kneipe”, with two huge and modern kitchens, which they use when they organize pairing, events and dinners. All the offices are in an annex building where the whole logistics and administration part is centralized. It was a pleasant meeting, they hope to keep more deal with us, do some event together and collaborate more side by side.
The second stage was Haibach to attend the appointment with the importer Getraenke Breunig, where the owner Joe Breunig attended us impatient. What to say, a very nice and friendly customer with an immense desire to learn and to dare to bring trend products and emerging brands of vodka, whiskey, gin, brandy, cognac, grappa and Porto. His philosophy is to touch all the ranges of a producer and thus give the client the possibility to choose what they prefer, depending on their interest, demand and economic availability. Our products include the Aureum, Mont Marçal Brut y Mont Marçal Rosé y los Marcelona blanco, tinto y rosado. This has been a meeting of knowledge, contact and exchange of opinions. Joe usually arranges his proactive team together. He takes us into consideration to give him support when he needs it, specially what tastings are concerned.
We continue to tour the great Germany to get to touch the splendid and youthful city of Mannheim Suedlandhaus Horst Beiderwieden is our destination. A very big store where products of different price ranges are sold. In their portfolio, they have more than 35,000 articles of food as well as Delikatessen. The portfolio ranges from oils, vinegars, tea and cereals to cognacs, gin, grappa, whiskeys, brandy, and wines. For them, the search for gastronomic products, which respect their criteria, is increasingly difficult since the globalization of artisanal products is already very advanced. However, as a family business, they attach great importance to a personal relationship with producers and are open to new proposals.
Finally, we ended the trip in Stuttgart to visit Hans and Oliver Schmid from Weinimport Handels. From the beginning, they pointed out their satisfaction in the type of collaboration and relationship that we established. They are lovers of the Mont Marçal range that easily fits the profile of customers they have in their region.
It is necessary to open an interesting parenthesis, in this trip we touched different regions, in this case Baden-Württemberg, and previously Niedersachsen and Unterfranken. Being Germany historically a Country of principalities and nowadays a Bundesrepublik, the differences between the regions are very marked, this means that the clients of a region are a world apart compared to the clients of another and this is a relevant fact to keep in consideration at all times.
This trip was very important for the entire export team. In this way, we have been able to present ourselves to clients by dissociating ourselves from the stereotypes they had of us and explaining the new reality of Mont Marçal.
We will see you soon dear Germany, land of opportunities, prosperity and respect. Auf Wiedersehen!
The sixth edition of Wine Gardens at Sieraków Manor (Poland) took place on 8th of June.
This year was full of innovations, which gave admirable results. Apart from the good optimization of time and of the organizational aspects, one of these new initiatives was the 60s ˗themed party, very funny! Concerts, music, dances and, of course, wines, cavas, prosecos, and champagnes, have undoubtedly been the protagonists.
The fun-professionalism binomial has perfectly worked, leaving a mark on the hearts of the participants, who surely understood the philosophy of our distributor Dom Wina and the eccentricity and uniqueness of the event.
The participants were 400, most of them from the wine club of Dom Wina and there were many bloggers and journalists.
A total of 140 wines and spirits from countries such as Argentina, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, Uruguay, Georgia, Moldova, Slovenia, Hungary, Poland, Israel, Italy, France, Spain and Scotland.
A competition of wines and spirits took place during the event with the following results:
I. Best white wine
1st place – Winnica Turnau Solaris
2nd place – Winnica Turnau Hibernal
3rd place – Golan Heights Winery Yarden Chardonnay
II. Best rosé wine
1st place – AT Roca Brut Rosat
2nd place – Chateau Vartely Individo Cabernet Sauvignon
3rd place – Chateau Gassier Le Pas du Moine
III. Best red wine
1st place – Golan Heights Winery Yarden Merlot
2nd place – Monte Faustino Amarone Valpolicella ex-aequo
2nd place – Santalba Ogga ex-aequo
3rd place – Salvano Barolo
IV. Best spirit
1st place – Dwor Sierakow Elderberry Vodka
2nd Place – Jura 18 YO
2nd place – Vodka Sierakow Manor Pepper ex-aequo
2nd place – Vodka Sieraków Manor Roast Grain ex-aequo
3rd place – Rum Dictador 12 YO
For our export, team it was an experience never lived before. We did not hide our initial perplexity in disguising ourselves, but we had such a happy and funny night that soon shame left room for good vibes and extravagance.
The influx to our stand was very good, there were moments where the queue to try our range of cavas was endless, moments of stress that we could quickly overcome with encouragement, motivation and gratitude in having been able to participate in such a great event. We hope the seventh edition will arrive soon and we cannot wait to discover the new themed party!
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