To follow up the recently completed English course for staff from Rioja wineries, we have organised a trip to Portugal to visit Oporto, this year's European Cultural Capital, and the Port wine makers. The trip is over the long weekend, April 28th-May 1st, and includes stops on the way there and back to visit wineries in Ribera de Duero and Galicia, as well as a Quinta in Peso de Regua, the caves of Vila Nova de Gaia and a cork factory.


Holidays: We close for our annual summer holiday from 8-23 September. We apologise for any inconvenience.


Wine harvest: The vines look healthy and the grapes are beginning to ripen. The weather has been fairly kind, although storms in the Rioja Baja destroyed part of the harvest. Grape-picking should start at the end of September or early in October, depending on the sub-zone.


Meanwhile, exports of wine from Rioja have recovered and prices seem to have stabilised at a more reasonable level. For the latest news from the appellation, see the web site of the Consejo Regulador at www.riojawine.com