Mica Opaz: youngest ever motorbike champion in the making

 "Look Mum it's dead easy to start!"

Caught up with Gabriella Opaz and champion to be – Mica – in centre of Porto today.

 Gabriella looks slightly concerned! Perhaps he needs a crash helmet...

2011 Vale da Capucha, Vinho Regional Lisboa

We chatted and caught up with news sharing a bottle of the 2011 Vale da Capucha – a blend of Arinto, Fernão Pires and Godello. The Capucha was quite weighty but the Arinto gives it good acidity and freshness in the finish. Champion Mica built up his strength with a bowl of soup.   

 

#DWCC13, #DWCC: some fotos from 1st full day

The venue

Some photos taken@the first full session of the 2013 Digital WC Conference – from lunchtime and the opening session with two keynote speakers – Clark Smith and Arto Koskelo (+twitter).  

Ryan Opaz: one third of the Vrazon triumvirate  

Clark Smith 'The Postmodern Winemaker' – first keynote speaker

Clark Smith clearly enjoys challenging received ideas and parts of his presentation were interesting but overall was let down by a lack of coherence. Also some of his challenges to received notions were facile: oak chips are more environmentally friendly than using oak barrels appeared to be based on the premise that oak is used solely to flavour wine, so ignoring its use to soften wine through an exchange of oxygen. It is, however, valid to question whether the demand for new oak barrels isn't using up oak forests at an unsustainable rate.       

Arto Koskelo (above and below)

Arto Koskelo talked about how Google had been the game changer making detailed information instantly available through the net. Communicators needed to find fresh ways of attracting and holding their audiences – speaking with their own voices but based on knowledge. 

Magnus Reuterdahl (@Reuterdahl)

(above and below)

Gabriella Opaz with Mica Opaz – the real star of the show 

Mica with Uncle Robert McIntosh (another third of the triumvirate) 

Mica will have to get used to the attentions of the paparazzi 

(in this instance Roger Kolbu)  

Ricardo Bernardo – DWCC's official photographer

Ricardo with his new Canon EOS 5 Mk3 

Representatives from Rioja: Ricardo Aguiriano (Marketing Director) (above)

below: Pia Mara Finkell

Simon Woolf, who has recently joined the Circle of Wine Writers

 Lotte Karolina Gabrovits – EWCC scholarship winner

currently on a stage (from September to December) 

with a producer in Burgundy

#DWCC – Logroño – BYOB event@e-Abastros Mercado de San Blas de Logroño + tapas

 

Delegates gathering@e-Abastros Mercado de San Blas de Logroño

Ryan Opaz formally opening the 2013 Digital WC Conference

 Gabriella Opaz nursing Mica Opaz  – today's chief keynote speaker 

on influence of grape variety on mother's milk

Robert McIntosh and a representative from Rioja

Quizzical look from Melanie Tarlant 

(Champagne Tarlant) while CRM points the i-fone

Some photos from last night's opening event of the Digital WC Conference

A few wines:

2009 Climat No2 (Vin de France) from Lionel Gosseaume  (Choussy, Loir et Cher). This is an unusual blend of Sauvignon Blanc and the now rare Meslier Saint François. Very well made it has the aromas of ripe Sauvignon with some rich, spicy character and texture but with an attractive freshness in the finish. Although I tasted the individual components to this blend while in tank, it would be good to taste a finished pure Meslier Saint François.    

An attractive Austrian 'orange' wine (above and below) brought to the event by 'Queen' Angelika Deutsch.

2007 Espectacle: powerful 100% Grenache from 120-year-old vines in Priorat  

 

2003 Perrières, Bourgueil, Domaine de la Butte (Jacky Blot)

The 2003 vintage is the closest the Loire gets to the 

richness exhibited by the above old Grenache  

 Tapas bar in Logroño