Most wine presentations focus on viticulture and oenology, but wine is a product of local and regional culture far more than it is of geology and climate.
Exploring the world of Spanish wine through the lenses of the country’s history and culture, Paul Wagner traces the roots of the wines that we drink today to the key historical elements that make Spain one of the most fascinating cultures in Europe.
In the end, you will understand far more about Spanish wine that you can glean from a discussion of rocks and rainfall, and you will have a new vision of how to talk, and teach, about wine.
Paul Wagner studied sociology and education at U. C. Santa Cruz and classical guitar at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Seville, Spain.
He has been an instructor for Napa Valley College's Viticulture and Enology department for the past twenty-five years. He is also a guest lecturer at many universities, including the Wine Tourism MBA program through the universities of Bordeaux, Porto, and Rovira Virgili, and has spoken at more than eighty conferences throughout the world on wine, wine tourism, wine education, public affairs, and wine marketing.
With Liz Thach and Janeen Olsen, he authored a book: Wine Marketing & Sales, Strategies for a Saturated Market by The Wine Appreciation Guild, which won the Gourmand International Award in 2008 for the best wine book of the year for professionals. A second edition of that work was published in 2011, and a third edition will appear this year. His second book: Artisan Public Relations, is due to be published in 2019, and a third book, Wine Sales and Distribution, with John Crotts and Byron Marlowe, will be published in 2019 by Rowman and Littlefield. He was a columnist for Vineyard & Winery Management Magazine for ten years, and served on the board of directors of the Society of Wine Educators for many years. With Rick Kushman of Capital Public Radio, he hosts “Bottle Talk” at http://www.rickandpaulwine.com/ a weekly conversation about wine.
Paul Wagner has judged more than 100 international wine competitions, is a founding member of the Academy of Wine Communications, a consultant for the International Wine and Food Society in London, a member of the nominations committee of the Culinary Institute of America’s Vintner’s Hall of Fame, and a member of the Wine Marketing and Tourism Conference Advisory Board. He was inducted into the Spadarini della Castellania di Soave in 2005. In 2009 he was honored with a “Life Dedicated to Wine” award at the Feria Nacional del Vino (FENAVIN) in Spain, and in 2018 was given the American Wine Society’s annual Award of Merit, joining such luminaries as Robert Mondavi and Gina Gallo, as well as named the winner of the McPherson Distinguished Teacher Award at Napa Valley College.
Mr Wagner founded Balzac Communications & Marketing on April 1, 1991. His clients there included the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux, Caymus Vineyards, Seagram Chateau and Estate Wines, Consorzio di Chianti Classico, Furmint USA, La Rioja Alta A.S., Constellation Wines, Sogevinus of Portugal, Bodegas Salentein, Villa Trasqua, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Regione Sicilia, and a host of other wine, food, and regional tourism clients. He is now retired from active duty at the agency, and enjoys the title of President Emeritus there.
In this episode, we are chatting with Rick Fisher, Spanish Wine Scholar Education Director, about Sherry styles and getting a behind-the-scenes peek at the forthcoming Spanish Wine Scholar Program.
Spanish red wines get a lot of press for being good values, but shopping in the Spanish wine aisle can be as daunting if you aren’t sure what grows where within the world of Spanish wines.
Many of Spain’s best red wines are labeled with the name of the wine appellation, rarely by grape variety. At its most simplistic, Spain can be divided into three “bands” for red grape varieties and wines. The Tempranillo grape variety excels in wines from central and northern Spain, Garnacha in wines from northeastern Spain and Monastrell in southeastern Spanish wines.
If you’ve ever felt completely overwhelmed while browsing an Spanish wine section, knowing just a few key wine names will help keep your shopping trip focused and ensure that you have the perfect wine to drink at a moment’s notice.
Rick Fisher, our Spanish Wine Scholar Program® Developer, recently returned from New York City where he was attending the 24th annual Spain’s Great Match, the nation's leading Spanish wine event organized by the Trade Commission of Spain in conjunction with Wines From Spain.
Tour through Spain’s greatest red grape varieties and the most important wines they produce. This webinar will present several wines from Spain’s most iconic vineyards, along with their history, terroir, viticulture, vinification and taste profile, and the cultural connection with their regions.
Lucas Payà currently works as an independent consultant for several quality firms within the wine, beverage, and gastronomy industries.
For five years, Lucas served as sommelier for acclaimed chef Ferran Adrià’s highly esteemed restaurant elBulli, in Catalonia, Spain, with a wine inventory of over $2M. Between 2002 and 2007, he was employed as one
of the restaurant's two sommeliers/wine buyers [working under Juli
Soler's direction] and, one of the core team of fewer than a dozen who stayed on and worked throughout the winter too. During that period of time elBulli's wine list doubled its offerings.
Most recently, he worked as the wine & beverage director for José Andrés ThinkFoodGroup (TFG), where he oversaw the wine and beverage programs for all fifteen TFG restaurants in the U.S. and internationally. His involvement in the design and development of these unique beverage programs also marked the expansion of TFG restaurants outside the DC area.
Prior to working for TFG, he represented and promoted a number of top-tier wineries from Spain in the U.S. wine market, and was a collaborator in
Eric Solomon’s prestigious wine-importing company.
In his early years in the industry, he worked as a sommelier for the Spoon+ concept by chef Alain Ducasse in London.
Lucas is a member of the respected L’Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne and a Certified Sherry Educator. His expertise on wine and beverages has appeared in multiple publications such as Wines from Spain News, The Boston Globe, El Mundo, Verema, Expansion, LA Times Magazine, Gayot,
Angeleno, Gourmet, The Tasting Panel, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Somm Journal, Wine Enthusiast, Wine & Spirits, Food & Wine, Wine Spectator and Punch, among others. Lucas has been invited to take part in numerous international wine events and seminars. He has
visited many wine regions in Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, the US, Canada, South Africa, Mexico and others, as a guest taster and buyer.
Learn more about Spanish wines with the Spanish Wine Scholar study & certification program.
Tour through Spain’s greatest white grape varieties and the most important wines they produce. This webinar will present several wines from Spain’s most iconic vineyards, along with their history, terroir, viticulture, vinification and taste profile, and the cultural connection with their regions.
Lucas Payà currently works as an independent consultant for several quality firms within the wine, beverage, and gastronomy industries.
For five years, Lucas served as sommelier for acclaimed chef Ferran Adrià’s highly esteemed restaurant elBulli, in Catalonia, Spain, with a wine inventory of over $2M. Between 2002 and 2007, he was employed as one
of the restaurant's two sommeliers /wine buyers [working under Juli
Soler's direction] and, one of the core team of fewer than a dozen who stayed on and worked throughout the winter too. During that period of time elBulli's wine list doubled its offerings.
Most recently, he worked as the wine & beverage director for José Andrés ThinkFoodGroup (TFG), where he oversaw the wine and beverage programs for all fifteen TFG restaurants in the U.S. and internationally. His involvement in the design and development of these unique beverage programs also marked the expansion of TFG restaurants outside the DC area.
Prior to working for TFG, he represented and promoted a number of top-tier wineries from Spain in the U.S. wine market, and was a collaborator in
Eric Solomon’s prestigious wine-importing company.
In his early years in the industry, he worked as a sommelier for the Spoon+ concept by chef Alain Ducasse in London.
Lucas is a member of the respected L’Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne and a Certified Sherry Educator. His expertise on wine and beverages has appeared in multiple publications such as Wines from Spain News, The Boston Globe, El Mundo, Verema, Expansion, LA Times Magazine, Gayot,
Angeleno, Gourmet, The Tasting Panel, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Somm Journal, Wine Enthusiast, Wine & Spirits, Food & Wine, Wine Spectator and Punch, among others. Lucas has been invited to take part in numerous international wine events and seminars. He has
visited many wine regions in Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, the US, Canada, South Africa, Mexico and others, as a guest taster and buyer.
Learn more about Spanish wines with the Spanish Wine Scholar study & certification program
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