2011 Harvest

The year 2011 has been marked for its lack of rain and high spring temperatures which has resulted in one of the earliest harvests of recent years. Ripening raced through our different vineyard areas producing a very quick harvest.

Consequently we find ourselves with a grape in suberb healthy condition which will give Covila quality wines with outstanding colour, a good alcoholic strength and high intensity in the mouth.

Generally, throughout the Rioja D.O.C. appellatione we have had similar conditions with a shortage of rain and advanced fruit maturation which caused an early start to the harvest - as early as 24th August in the town of Azagra.

The total grape collection in the whole region comes to 387 million kilos with great expectations for the quality of the forthcoming Riojas, vintage 2011.

COVILA IN NUEVA YORK

Last month, Basque gastronomy moved to New York at the hand of the Basque government. In a showroom of 28 companies, amongst whom Bodegas Covila could be found, New Yorkers came a step closer to our gastronomy: wine, jams, cheese, sweets and so on. The open day included visits from the great Basque chefs: Martín Berasategui, Juan Mari Arzak y Andoni Luis Adúriz.

Lehendakari Patxi López assured us in his opening speech that the US is one of the markets in which the Basque “are capable of competing and offering something new and of high quality”. He added, “I hope you enjoy this journey to the heart of the Basque country through palate and that, around a table, we tighten relations between The Basque Country and The U.S.A.”
See video.

This event took place with the aim of helping these enterprises with the task of exportation and spreading the word about the quality of Basque products, where the motto was “Quality food and drink, the future of the Basque Country”.

As a finishing touch to this great day, The Basque Culinary Centre (CCV), the only Faculty of Gastronomic Science in Spain, signed an agreement of alliance with the prestigious Culinary Institute of America (CIA).

Wine, Women and shoes!

From the 13th to the 15th October Bodegas Covila took part in a very original event: ‘Wine, Women & Shoes’ which took place in Cincinati with the participation of around 200 women.

It involved an interesting proposal for all “sole sisters” that included a mini-fashion market, an original shoe-showroom, wine-tastings and sales, presented using shoe metaphors to make the sometimes complex world of wine more accessible to women.

These unique events also offer fundraising possibilties for various benefits and have raised no less than 7 million dollars over 70 functions.

To find out more about this initiative see this video.

Covila winetasting in Ohio

In October, Bodegas Covila held a winetasting aimed at professionals from the channel HORECA in The Wine Bistro The Wine Bistro, a bar in the North American city of Columbus which offers a wide selection of food and wine in comfortable surroundings.

Around 20 professionals frm the sector came to the event hosted by our Ohio importer.

Bilbao-Bordeaux Regatta

This year Bodegas Covila collaborated in the Bordeaux-Bilbao Regatta Race organised by the Bordeaux and Bilbao Chambers of Commerce with the cooperation of both city councils, the General Council of Aquitania, The Basque Government, The Port of Bilbao and the maritime Clubs of Alba and Port Médoc.

On this occasion, which took place in summer, 56 sailboats of 10 to 15 metres, flagged by various wineries and French châteaux, amongst whom Covila could be found, ran the 170 nautic miles that lie between Bordeaux and Bilbao, battling through waves of up to 3 metres, strong winds and challenging crossings.

In the end the French boat 'J'awa (J92)' sponsored by Francois Maurens, was the triumphant winner of this second race in which over 300 competitors took part.

The 'BB Race' figures as part of the official Atlantic Trophy Calender of 2011 alternating with the Prince of Asturias Cup.