The Tasting Panel magazine

tween terroir and technology. Spain's new wines also present a defi nite deviation from the oak trend preva- lent in New World wines. "Whereas previously it was all about the oak, there's an emphasis on letting the fruit show through in response to the global market and its tastes," she said. To help producers strategize for the American market, Nora Z. Fa- velukes, President of brand consul- tancy QW Wine Experts, presented a seminar detailing trends for the 68 million Americans who drink wine, with particular focus on "millennial consumers": the 21- to 28-year-old children of Baby Boomers who grew up in wine-savvy households. "This is the future of wine drinkers and we should all be placing our focus here," she said. F enavin, Spain's biennial wine trade show, combines all the elements of a good party: a diverse crowd of hipsters as well as their chaperones, sleek and sophisticated decor, celebrities and plenty to drink. From May 5 to 7, the town of Ciudad Real, south of Madrid in the Castilla-La Mancha region, was transformed into a tent city of some 80,000 wine producers and purveyors as well as leading oenologists, journalists and wine marketers. From giants such as the venerated Bodegas Félix Solís to fl edgling wineries such as Rompesedas in the Toro D.O. (see page 42), Spain's diversity of styles was represented by 1,153 brands. The number of national purchasers nearly doubled from the fair held in 2007, and the number of foreign purchasers—more than 2,100, from 43 countries— showed that Spain increasingly is an important source in the global wine market. Three days of seminars provided checkups on the current state of the wine business for the national and international markets, with pre- sentations by global wine directors from New World superstars such as Chile and South Africa, and experts such as Pancho Campo, Presi- dent of the Spanish Wine Academy, and Federico Castelluci, Director General of the International Organization of Vine and Wine. Global marketers from Spain and abroad conducted a fi ve-part series on wine marketing that included communications strategies, brand building and trend-tracking. Closer to home, the focus was on emerging wine regions, under-ap- preciated or undiscovered varieties and the change in Spanish wines from classic to modern. More wines were promoted as biodynamic, and many specifi cally targeted desirable demographic groups, showing that wine producers are also becoming savvy marketers. —L.B. Catering was provided by Despana in New York City. Olga Procaci, Bodegas Peñafi el. Fenavin '09 Spanish Wine Report Spain's biennial wine trade show grows up The Grandes Pagos de España tasting. On the right is the Marqués de Griñón, Carlos Falcó, President of Pagos de Familia Marqués de Griñón. june 2009 / the tasting panel / 41

• Cover
• TP0609_2