VOLUME 2, ISSUE 4
JUNE 2010

Save the date!

Vibrant Rioja upcoming events:

June 18 – Consumer Education Event June 18th at Young’s Fine Wines and Spirits offering 15% discounted Riojas for that night (New York)

ABOUT VIBRANT RIOJA
Vibrant Rioja is a partnership between the governing body for wines from Rioja, Spain – called the Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Origen Calificada Rioja – and Wines from Spain, under the auspices of the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade (ICEX).
Our goal is to raise awareness and educate consumers and trade professionals on wines from the Rioja region. Email us your questions or comments at:
newsletter@vibrantrioja.com

WELCOME TO RIOJA BUILDS RESTAURANTS, A NEWSLETTER FOR THE ON-PREMISE AND FOOD SERVICE TRADE BROUGHT TO YOU BY VIBRANT RIOJA. We will be presenting news, trends and ideas to help you build your on-premise business. We will cover anything in relation to the wine industry and the food-service business as a whole. Then, we’ll bring it straight to you in short, concise bites that are aimed to help.

Rioja Restaurant Week: A Media Success
This year, Rioja Restaurant Week was again an extremely successful event for all participating restaurants. From here, we would like to thank everyone who participated and who experienced the food and Riojas firsthand. In addition to increased foot-traffic, Rioja Restaurant Week also received some exciting media coverage in top-tier newspapers and online media including NBC New York, METRO Newspaper, Haute Living, Diane von Furstenberg.com and Mint.com to name a few. Thank you all for helping make this a great success!

Health Benefits of Wine
Besides the all-too-known French Paradox (lowered incidence of cardiovascular disease in France even with a diet full of butter, cheese and other saturated fats), there have been some other amazing health benefits linked to wine. According to Science Daily, researches at John Hopkins have found a link between red wine consumption and lowered brain damage after a stroke. In addition, according to an article in the May issue of Wine Spectator, numerous studies have suggested that wine may help prevent certain forms of cancer. And a study published in Archives of Internal Medicine, consuming red wine showed the biggest link to less weight gain over the years for women.

Due to all these health benefits, an International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research has been created at Boston University School of Medicine and Alcohol-In-Moderation in the UK. The new forum aims to achieve balanced and well researched analysis regarding alcohol and health. Look out for more developments on health and wine consumption!

So, what can we do?
These are the types of stories we want to share with our customers. Remember, adding a personal touch or a story will help customers remember you and increase their overall dining experience. Besides, everyone likes a good story and we all like to feel good! Now you can tell your customers that Riojas are not just delicious, or incredibly food-friendly, but also good for you.

Consumer Spending Is Still Strong
According to reports by card processing firm First Data, consumer spending is still strong, despite actual spending and traffic slowing down when compared to March. In addition, a study by AlixPartners LLP found that even though consumers are still spending less than last year, they plan on dining out more often. (Restaurant News May)

So, what can we do?
This is excellent news for the on-premise business. Though spending is still a little bit less than what is desired, the fact that consumers are willing to dine out more often is a great sign of improvement in the industry. A great way to keep your customers coming back is by offering more Riojas on your wine list. According to a recent post by Eric Asimov on The Pour, Bordeaux has lot a lot of caché, particularly among young wine drinkers. Riojas offers very comparable wines for better value.

More Women Wine Drinkers Than Men
Congratulations ladies! According to the Wine Market Council, 53% of wine drinkers in the U.S. are women. Nevertheless, when a couple or a group of individuals go to dinner, the wine list is usually distributed to the man in a restaurant. (Bloomberg.com)

So, what can we do?
Knowing that more women drink wine than men is quite significant. When bringing a wine list to your customers, one recommendation is to place the wine list in the middle of the table and observe who picks it up. Also, don’t be afraid to ask them if they have any questions or would like any suggestions. Trying to get involved with customers shows a personal touch and yields a better overall dining experience. And if you’re recommending a wine, try recommending a Rioja!

Rioja Pays Off
Lola’s restaurant in Great Neck, Long Island featured a ten-course tapas dinner that was artfully paired with four different wines from Bodega Riojanas. Thirty people attended the prix-fixe dinner, where courses ranged from chicken croquettes to squash blossoms to lamb. The diners were thoroughly impressed with the chef’s unique courses and wine pairings. Each attendee received a Vibrant Rioja gift bag that included a Vibrant Rioja t-shirt, Rioja 101 pamphlet, Vibrant Rioja corkscrew and pen.

So, what can we do?
Want to conduct a tasting? Would you like promotional materials? Need ideas on how to bring customers in? Email us at newsletter@vibrantrioja.com for more information.

Wine Valet: 9480 Dayton Way, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 - (310) 274-9224 www.wine-valet.com

Wine Valet has partnered with the Vibrant Rioja campaign by creating the “Rioja Rejuvenated” event series, teaming up with key restaurants in the Los Angeles area to promote the Rioja Wine Region.

All of the wines poured at the Rioja Rejuvenated Events are available at Wine Valet 310-274-9224 and that for the month of June Pourtal Wine Bar will have 8 Rioja selections in their enomatic machine at 101 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica

Wine Valet offers a superb range of wine choices, for the expert and novice alike. The owners, Julie and Marc, have managed to curate a selection of hard to find wines, plus top sellers in their categories, making Wine Valet the only wine store needed. Check out their website (www.wine-valet.com) to find information on the Rioja Rejuvenated event series.

GET INVOLVED... HERE'S HOW
If there is anything that you'd like to see in the upcoming newsletters that you feel will help other businesses, write a column and submit it to us! We would like to share best practices with all of you, so if you're doing something different to grow your business or would simply like to share your knowledge, please let us know.

Those interested should email Vibrant Rioja (newsletter@vibrantrioja.com) for more information and guidelines. We look forward to hearing from you!

WHAT CAN VIBRANT RIOJA OFER?
• Wine Sourcing -- we can put you in touch with importers and distributors to help you develop a wine program customized to your needs
• Education -- we partner with the Culinary Institute of America to offer seminars and tasting programs that can teach your staff about the Rioja region, characteristics of the wine, and appropriate food pairings
• Food & Wine Pairing -- we can draw on our many relationships with leading chefs and food-and-wine educators to develop an outstanding set of wine pairings for your menu
• Promotional Programs -- we can design and help execute different promotional programs to help you introduce your staff and customers to the wines of Rioja. Some sample programs are: Vibrant Rioja VIP Club – special tastings, food pairings, seminars and guided trips to the region; Vibrant Rioja Winedays – Build traffic on off nights; Vibrant Match – Try a tasting and pairing event customized to your offerings.

That's great, but… what else?
• Vibrant Rioja Materials – we can provide you with a wide range of educational and promotional tools --many customized to your needs. They include bottle-neckers, informational notebooks, maps, gift bags, tasting notes, food-pairing notes and much, much more. If you have an idea, we will try to work with you to produce it.