Cava Brotherhood Welcomes New Members
The Confraria del Cava of Sant Sadurní, or the Brotherhood of Cava, Spain’s world-renowned sparkling wine, recently welcomed the newest members of the Knights of the Brotherhood, who were inducted during ceremonies that took place in Los Angeles and Sonoma.

The Confreres of Merit was awarded to Ted Simpkins, Executive VP and General Manager, Southern Wine & Spirits California, Juan Furné, President of Freixenet America, Eva Bertrán, Executive VP of Freixenet USA, Daniel Olivella, Executive Chef and Owner of B-44 Catalan Bistro in San Francisco and Barlata in Oakland, CA, and Carlos Hubner-Arteta, National Director Spanish & South American Wines, Winebow Inc. Pau Gasol, power forward of the Los Angeles Lakers, received the Confrere of Honor. These events were the first investiture ceremonies held in the U.S. by the Cava Brotherhood.

Drink Ribera, Drink Spain
Following a competitive review process, the Consejo Regulador of Ribera del Duero has chosen New York-based Gregory White PR to oversee the wine region’s €1 million plus strategic marketing campaign beginning August 2009. The new campaign – Drink Ribera. Drink Spain – will include media outreach, social media PR initiatives, trade education, events marketing, consumer sampling and advertising.

Ribera del Duero is one of the most prominent wine regions in Spain, with sales growth of 54% in the U.S. over the last six years, according to data collected by the Consejo Regulador of Ribera del Duero. Well-known to insiders in the wine industry and consistently ranked among the finest wines in the world, Ribera del Duero is a rising star seeking broader awareness with U.S. wine enthusiasts. For more information, visit www.drinkriberawine.com.

Wine Future Rioja 2009
WineFuture-Rioja 2009 is an international conference created by The Wine Academy of Spain. This conference, supported by the DOCa Rioja, will be held in Logroño on Nov. 12th and 13th, 2009. World leaders from the wine industry will meet in Rioja to discuss current challenges facing the wine industry, solutions, ideas, strategies and leadership. One of the stars of the conference is renowned American wine critic Robert Parker, who will visit Spain for the first time. Other influential participants will be Jancis Robinson, Oz Clarke, Steven Spurrier, Kevin Zraly, Robert Joseph, Mel Dick and Troy Christensen, among others. For further information visit www.winefuture.es. Find Wines from Rioja events at www.vibrantrioja.com.

Classical Wines 25th Anniversary
Classical Wines celebrated its 25th anniversary on May 31st, acknowledging the success it has earned as a Spanish quality wines importer in the US. Distributors, shops and restaurants from more than 30 states attended the event, which was attended by the Honorable Brad Owen, Governor of Washington State, and Luis Fernando Esteban, Honorary Consul of Spain in Washington and Oregon.

The philosophy of this pioneering company, headed by the married team of Stephen Metzler and Almudena de Llaguno, has been to "become a supplier of authentic European wines with a great desire to inform, educate and serve." The company now has more than 30 wineries in its portfolio, all possessing unique personality. For more information about this company and their wines, visit www.classicalwines.com.

Miami International Wine Fair
The Miami International Wine Fair (Sept. 26-27, 2009 at the Miami Beach Convention Center) returns for a more diverse and mature 8th edition, benefiting Educate Tomorrow. Riding on the success of 2008’s attendance, which boasted approximately 6,000 visitors over two days, organizers are planning to raise funds for the Florida-based charity by enticing enthusiasts with more than 1,500 wines; introductory to advanced wine seminars; wine pairing dinners and VIP after-parties. Iberwine, one of the leading Spanish wine fairs, is participating as a "Super Exhibitor" at the Miami Fair. At the 2008 event, more than 150 Spanish wineries, along with a few dozen producers from Chile, Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil took part. Tickets are $75. For more information visit www.miamiwinefair.com.

Secret Sherry Society
The Secret Sherry Society, a members-only organization which invites everyone to join, is proud to announce the launch of its new, interactive website, www.secretsherrysociety.com. Members can gather at this interactive site to join the Sherry movement, create their own secret identity, watch videos of Society leaders and celebrity chefs sharing their underground knowledge (watch out for self-destructing video messages), and most importantly learn more about these unique wines from Jerez, Spain. For more information about the Secret Sherry Society, email or call Shannon Maurer at 202-777-3530 or visit www.secretsherrysociety.com.

Rías Baixas Contest
Rías Baixas Albariño wines are easily paired with many ingredients, so why not test out your favorite Asian, Italian, or even South American favorites with this crisp white wine from Spain? Need help discovering your perfect pairing? Check out what the experts have to say at www.albarinofromspain.com. Rías Baixas is hosting a contest again this year for the best recipe to go with Rías Baixas wines. Choose your favorite recipe from last year’s Rías Baixas Albariño recipe contest winners and runner-ups. One voter will win a trip to Los Angeles and two tickets to the 36th Annual People‘s Choice Awards in 2010. Visit www.riasbaixaswines.com/recipes/index.php and good luck!

Spain's Top 100 Wine Values
A total of 114 wines were chosen by Dr. Jay Miller, Spanish wine expert and associate to Robert Parker at The Wine Advocate, to form part of his ‘Spain’s Top 100 Wine Values’ list. The list, which sports wines from 30 different regions with prices under $25 which have earned a rating of more than 90 points, includes ‘Veratón 2006’ from Bodegas Alto Moncayo, ‘Casal Novo Godello 2007’ from Adega O Casal, ‘Rosat Trepat Reserva Brut’, a ‘cava’ made by Agustí Torelló Mata, ‘Pétalos del Bierzo’, from Descendientes de José Palacios, and ‘Emilio Moro 2006’.