Back in the 1980s, before the region of Ribera del Duero became what it is known as today, Jose Manuel Vizcarra pioneered the land and planted new vineyards. In 1991, Juan Carlos Vizcarra followed in his fathers' footsteps and keeps the tradition alive today.
In 2007, the company expanded and moved into what is now their current location in Burgos, near the border of Valladolid. An ideal location for growing, they are located at one of the highest points in the region (at 800 meters high) and do not suffer from frost due to surrounding mountains.
Protos, steming from the Greek word "first," is the 42nd oldest wine and spirits brand in Europe. Beginning in 1927, Protos was the first cooperative in Ribera del Duero and is now in over 90 countries, producing 5.5 million bottles (450k cases) per year.
As the company began to rapidly grow, expanding throughout the region was inevitable and they began construction on a wine-aging cellar in the heart of the mountain that holds up the Castle of Penafiel. In 1995 the wine cellar was enlarged to meet the demands of expanding Ribera winemaking and today, there is 2km of underground cellars that connect the old winery to the new one. As growth continues, the winery has updated its resources to state-of-the-art technology that can produce up to 3 million kilos of grapes.
Through word of mouth, I was told about this new wine bar located in the "Magnolia Park" neighborhood in Burbank. I was not aware of this neighborhood, located at Hollywood Way and Magnolia Avenue, other than the way to the Burbank airport. But, I was pleasantly surprised to find this strip of small businesses and restaurants that have contributed to the resurgence of the area.
Luna Vine Wine Bar opened at the end of January, promoted by nothing more than word of mouth. Starting by the door and ending in an area with table and chairs, the bar fills up most of the length of the long, narrow space. The look is simple and sleek, with exposed rope and wire lighting, and paintings (mostly of elephants) along the opposing wall.
As new restaurants continue to open further and further east in Downtown LA, the new Faith & Flower is located in the heart of Downtown LA, on the corner of Flower and 9th, in the former short-lived Towne Food & Drink. This long-awaiting restaurant is the vision of David Bernahl and Rob Weakley from Coastal Luxury Management and Stephane Bombet, who opened Picca, Mo-Chica and Paiche.
Faith & Flower combines the glamour of old Hollywood with the modernity of current Downtown LA. Everywhere you look you will see a balance of old with new. As you walk in, the restaurant, which seats 140 people, is lined with sofas along the wall, and to your left is the bar and lounge with long communal tables. The main wall from the front entrance is made up of vintage doors from the early 1900s (except one that was a dressing room door for Bob Hope). No attention to detail has been spared, even the host stand is an original ticket booth from an old theater in Downtown, and plates are vintage. But then adjacent to the bar is a mural of a woman by renown street artist Robert Vargas.
Emilio Moro Winery was founded on three generations of family united by pride, effort and dedication. In 1987, current president Jose Moro decided to bring his father and grandfather's wine to the public and invested his family's savings into a grape press. Shortly after, in 1988, the Moro family purchased their first cellar, extending a family tradition outward for generations to come. Their brand name was created in 1989, thus launching the first vintage of Emilio Moro.
Emilio Moro was a viticulturalist and he was the first person to plant on the mountains in Ribera del Duero. People thought he was crazy but today many others are planting there. Situated at an altitude between 750 and 1000 meters above sea-level, the land's climate make this chalky soil unique for producing its 100% Tempranillo varietal.
After three months of beta testing and over $200,000 of wine sales, Underground Cellar is live! This is a fun new way for you to experience high-end wines that you might not otherwise buy, or for that matter, have access to.
What sets Underground Cellar apart from other online retailers and wine clubs is that they use a "reverse discount" upgrade model, as opposed to the "deep discount" e-commerce model. This means that consumers are rewarded with random upgrades to more premium wines. At the same time, the winery can protect its brands by not advertising their wines at discounted prices.
Here's how it works:
A couple decades ago, when I was just out of college, I moved to Italy to work as an au pair. Unlike most travelers, I did not end up in a city like Florence or Rome but rather a small town in the region of Piedmont where no one spoke English. I knew nothing about wine at the time but everyday day I would meet my new Italian friends at the local bar for aperitivi and they would do the ordering. And, each day a glass would be placed in front of me filled with a red wine that was slightly sweet and slightly sparkling and very delicious. It was Brachetto d’Acqui.
A recent trip took me back to Piedmont, to the heart of where Brachetto is from, Acqui Terme. This ancient Roman town, an 1 ½ hour southeast from Milan,became my home base for three days. We settled in at the Grand Hotel Nuove Termewhich overlooks the town square and began the tour of eating and drinking and eating and drinking some more.
O.Fournier, which opened a winery in Mendoza, Argentina in 2001, purchased the property in Ribera del Duero in 2002. O.Fournier is owned by brother and sister José Manuel Ortega Gil-Fournier and Natalia Ortega Gil-Fournier.
Their logo is an Argentine ostrich that was derived from a sacred native cave painting. Inside the ostrich (which represents earth) is a cross (which represents the Southern Cross, or the sky) and together they create unity.