For the past month, I have been involved in a campaign unlike anything I had ever heard of before. In the past month, I have had the opportunity to visit cities across the U.S. that I had never been to before. In the past month, I have met and befriended people that I may not have ever had the chance to meet before. And, I couldn’t be more grateful for all of the above.
As the Grab a Fork! Tour Ambassador, it was my job to mix and mingle with all of our Happy Hour guests. Not your average hard day’s work if you ask me! From Cape Cod (with Julien Gervreau representing Tapeña) to Tampa and Miami to Chicago and finally Dallas, Tapeña Wines was able to introduce itself to people interested in exploring unique Spanish wine varietals. Being that wine is a subjective sport (let’s call it a sport since it requires serious mental and physical participation – i.e. thinking about aromas and deciding on tasting notes), it was fascinating to watch young and old wine aficionados and novices selecting their favorite. Additionally, with the help from all the great, local venues we were at, the paired tapas really brought out the flavors of our wine. Whether it was the tropical notes found in the Verdejo or earthiness found in the Tempranillo, for two whole hours people were able to conduct a personal investigation of Tapeña. But not only that, through our national campaign, we were able to introduce people to the vibrant culture that is Spain. Through sharing small plates with friends and relaxing to sounds of the Flamenco guitar, we all got to escape from our everyday lives.
While it took a tremendous amount of organization and preparation, the entire experience was so rewarding. I had a wonderful team surrounding and supporting me the entire time, whether they were at our home base in California or natives of each city brought on to help amp the Tour. In as loud of a voice that is possible via type, I say, THANK YOU to all those involved!!! I couldn’t have done a thing without you!
Call it what you want, it’s a beautiful city. Walking around and seeing its vibrancy, scaling buildings, luscious parks juxtaposed to the silver and grey of the towers and the immense feeling of something grand, Tapeña seems like the perfect wine for this city. With the enveloping warmth of the day and evening, the Verdejo and Rosé fair perfectly. With the incredible variety of cuisines, especially that famous deep-dish pizza (I’m waiting for mine now at Giordano’s on Rush Street), our Garnacha and Tempranillo could do it all justice.
This is my first time in Chicago, and, well it might be love. The slight accent of natives, the hustle and bustle in the streets, the sound of the train going north, south, east, west, the architecture that paints the skyline, the museums and galleries that haunt each corner and the strangely large number of Monarch butterflies I’ve seen flurrying about – I can’t get enough. Traveling alone allots for plenty of one-on-one time and while I miss a companion to share my comments with (albeit my slightly sarcastic ones), I’ve been able to soak in the smaller things that I may have otherwised missed.
TONIGHT (July 20th) and Thursday (July 22nd) evening, I challenge Chicago to make this trip even better than it has been by coming out and having a great time with me while trying some Tapeña wine. I promise you won’t regret it!
Well we’ve been a bit busy lately but we’ve been having a great time doing all the work! We have now successfully completed four of our Grab a Fork! Happy Hours and I think the photos (and videos to come!) speak for themselves. We have uploaded all the event photos on Facebook so be sure to have a look!
In two days we have conquered Harwich Port, Hyannis, Tampa and Miami with Chicago and Dallas waiting for us. On Tuesday night, Grab a Fork! enthusiasts wined and dined at The Port Restaurant in Harwich Port and Ceviche and Tapas in Tampa. Wednesday night, Tapeña followers enjoyed our Spanish wines and tapas at Embargo Martinis in Hyannis and Chophouse in Miami.
It was so rewarding to see our guests having a great time at each venue. People came with old friends and met new ones too. They sampled each varietal and some even walked away with our great raffle prizes! It was without a doubt a win-win situation for all those involved.
Still plenty of time to register for the Chicago and Dallas events. Please visit our Facebook Events page for more information and to register!
Well Tampa is just as I expected, warm and lovely. I am so excited to get the Tapeña Grab a Fork! 2010 Summer Tour underway with our first Happy Hour at Ceviche and Tapas tomorrow evening. We’ve got our corkscrews ready and waiting for all our guests and the menu looks absolutely delicious.
We’ve all been working on this tour for quite some time and it will be wonderful to see it all come together in the next few weeks here in Tampa, off in Miami, then in Chicago and lastly in Dallas. I have no doubt that every guest will have a fabulous night and walk away with a new love for Tapeña Wines.
I sign off tonight, the eve of the big tour, with an old Spanish proverb stuck in my head…
With wine and hope, anything is possible.
Come join us at any of our Grab a Fork! Happy Hour’s to celebrate Spain! Visit our Facebook Events page for more information!
