Old World Wine Meets New World Marketing at the First European Wine Bloggers Conference, in La Rioja, Spain.

(I-Newswire) July 16, 2008 - London & Barcelona, 16th July 2008. Leading wine bloggers from around the world will gather in La Rioja, Spain this August 29-31, 2008, to participate in the very first conference of its kind. Participating wine bloggers who collectively represent a growing number of wine lovers, will discuss the impact wine blogging is having on the wine world, and its benefits to winemakers and wine consumers.

Catavino's goal in co-organizing the first wine bloggers conference is simple, "We want to bridge the communication divide between Iberian winemakers and wine lovers around the world", says Ryan Opaz, co-founder of Catavino. Recognizing a wine lover's constant quest for a great bottle, Catavino is on a mission to educate and spread the word about the great Iberian wines, while also helping winemakers understand the connection and value that technology and blogging can have on their business.

European sites are still hampered by lack of scale, language issues and limited commitment from retailers. But Catavino believes, "wine bloggers circumvent this impasse by writing in multiple languages, using the latest technology and social media to get the message out, all the while creating a more intimate relationship between wine producers and wine consumers" says, Gabriella Opaz, co-founder of Catavino.

The 30 or so wine bloggers attending this event generate, together, around 200,000 unique readers every month which is a substantial reach if you compare it to, say, Decanter Magazine's 40,000 monthly printed copies. Bloggers are also building relationships with these readers who increasingly interact with the sites." says Robert McIntosh, of The Wine Conversation. The First European Wine Bloggers Conference is a perfect opportunity for wine makers to engage with this highly influential group.

"We are excited to work with significant partners such as Amorim, Dinastia Vivanco, La Rioja Turismo and Vinus TV, all who are interested in bringing a new level of appreciation to the high quality of Iberian wines we have here in Europe", says Gabriella Opaz.

Catavino is looking forward to working with Iberian wine makers to spread the word about Spanish and Portuguese wines, and making the European Wine Bloggers conference an annual event, hosted in key wine producing locations throughout Europe, "This is really just the beginning of an entirely new chapter in wine appreciation. Technology is finally touching the world of wine, this gives wine makers enormous potential to reach wine lovers around the globe, faster and more economically than traditional advertising ever could", says Ryan.
At the moment blogging is still a new concept to many, but those wine makers who are quick to understand the benefits and leverage the new way the world is communicating, will certainly fill more wine lovers' glasses than any competitor who is slow to adapt. The European Wine Bloggers Conference provides an open door to this highly influential group, wine makers who want to learn about this new medium are invited to get in touch with Catavino.

For more information, please contact: Gabriella Opaz: gabriella@catavino.net
mobile: +0034 656 432 417

About Catavino - http://catavino.net - http://catavinomarketing.com
Gabriella and Ryan Opaz are the founders of Catavino.net, a website dedicated to educating people about Spanish and Portuguese wine. They also run Catavino Marketing, a business dedicated to making Iberian wineries, such as Cortes de Cima and Abadia Retuerta, among the leading lights of the new social Internet.

About Robert McIntosh - http://www.wineconversation.com
Represents a number of prestigious wineries from Rioja in the UK & Ireland. He writes about wine marketing, culture and innovation on The Wine Conversation, and is administrator of the Open Wine Consortium, the global wine networking site.

Wines for the Saturday night Keynote Tasting are currently provided by: Dinastia Vivanco, Herdade do Esporao, Casa de las Ermitas, Bodegas Bentomiz, Bodegas RODA, Bodegas Muga,Dominio de Tares, Niepoort, Casa de la Ermita, Heredade Esporao, Abadia Retuerta, Cortes de Cima,Lopez de Heredia, Luis Pato and Taylors Fladgate and Bodegas Valdepusa.

Company Contact Information
European Wine Blogger Conference