Meet the travelers in Spanish Vines’ trip to Spain from April 2010:

Spain Trip part 1

Dear readers,

Here are some quick ‘did you know’ facts about Spain and the Netherlands:

There are just over 20 million bicycles in the Netherlands, and there are 16.7 million people living there
Spain dries just over 39 million hams a year, and the country is home to 40.5 million
The per capita beer consumption in the Netherlands is 20.5 gallons
The per capita beer consumption in Spain is 22.3 gallons
The per capita wine consumption in the Netherlands is 5.7 gallons
The per capita wine consumption in Spain is 8.7 gallons of wine

To put that in perspective, the per capital wine consumption in the USA is 2.6 gallons!!! We have a long way to go and tremendous growth to be realized.

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Now how about the 2010 World Cup and Spain as world champions?!  What a wonderful victory for Spain.

How much do you think Spain’s world cup victory will affect Spain’s economy? A Spanish national newspaper was quoted as saying, “Spain’s run in the World Cup will deliver only a brief surge in consumer spending.” I disagree. Winning the World Cup could be exactly what it takes to pull this country out of one of the worst economic slump in its history.

The same newspaper was quoted as saying, “The tournament has lifted spirits among fans hit by the country’s worst recession in decades, which has resulted in surging unemployment and slumping growth, pay cuts, the housing crisis, credit-rating downgrades, subway strikes and a hamstrung government. For Spain, which never before made it to a World Cup final, the match could be its biggest sporting achievement in history and its main marketing event since the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.”

“It’s more important than the economy, than potatoes, than olive oil, than (worker) strikes,” said Eduardo Lorenzo Conde, a retired Madrid worker, who adds that he prefers bullfights to soccer.

Becoming soccer’s world champion would have a very positive effect on the so-called “Spain brand,” particularly after the economy contracted close to 4% last year, said José María Romero, senior consultant at Madrid-based consultancy, Equipo Económico, before the World Cup finals.

So far this year, the IBEX-35, the key index of the battered Spanish stock market, has been the world’s worst performer, next to Greece; however, it has been on a mini-rally since July 3, when Spain beat Paraguay to advance to the semifinals. It has closed higher for the past six sessions, and above the key 10,000 point mark for the first time in nearly three weeks the day after Spain beat Germany.

Most big sporting events deliver a predictable bump in business: Pizza sales are expected to jump 40% on Sunday, according to Telepizza, a Madrid chain, which will have a staff of 14,000 on duty during the match, and other companies predict increases as well.

There’s no question this victory will have a tremendous impact on Spain’s economy. The Spain brand has really been boosted all throughout the world, which will certainly act as free advertising for all of the country’s products as well as further boost tourism. After Nadal won the 2010 Wimbledon and now world champions in soccer ,what’s next? Viva Espana!

Entender es Disfrutar!

~Josh

P.S.- We’re still taking party theme ideas for our upcoming event in NYC! Best idea wins a FREE case of wine!

Dear Readers,

Two blog entries ago I offered everyone a chance to win a free case of Spanish Vines wine. Unfortunately, thus far we haven’t heard from any of you requesting Spanish Vines in your local wine store or restaurant! Well, because we’re really craving for your tender love and attention we’re now going to offer another opportunity for a second case of wine! That means that any of you could earn two free cases of Spanish Vines wine!

Here’s the deal. We’re launching our all-new Spanish Vines Rioja proprietary blend this fall. We’re having an exclusive launch party in Manhattan in October, but we still need ideas for the party. The theme must be strongly influenced by Spain while also being true to the mission and feel of Spanish Vines. Please send us your ideas as to the theme of this party! The idea we choose for the event will be the winner of the second case of Spanish Vines wine. There are no restrictions as to who can apply and suggest ideas! We look forward to receiving your ideas!

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This week I would like to offer you a lesson on one of the most influential artists of our time: Pablo Picasso.

What artist has the most stolen pieces recorded to date? The answer: Picasso. According to the Art Loss Register there are just over 550 pieces of Picasso’s work missing to date, and several paintings by Picasso rank among the most expensive in the world. Garçon à la pipe sold for US $104 million at Sotheby’s on May 4th, 2004, establishing a new price record. Just last month, on May 4th, 2010, Nude, Green Leaves and Bust was sold at Christie’s for $106.5 million!

Picasso’s Life Wrapped Up:

Picasso is arguably one of the best painters in the world- and that is a pretty big statement to make when there were others such as Renoir, Monet, Manet, Da Vinci, Van Gogh etc. But the most distinctive aspect of Picasso was that he refused to be compartmentalized in a particular style. He managed to master various different styles, the most famous amongst them was of course Cubism. Other than Cubism he spent considerable time mastering; realism, modern art, caricature, the Blue Period, and the Rose Period. He was very prolific in each of these styles.

Pablo Picasso was born in 1881 in Spain and it was obvious to everyone that he had an extraordinary talent with the paintbrush. His father was an art teacher and he guided him in every way possible. As a teenager he would hang out at the cafes in Barcelona and avidly listened to the intellectuals there. He then went to Paris to further his education as art and dissected the works of Henri Rousseau, Renoir, and Toulouse-Lautrec. By 1901, he had a reputation as a good painter.

Between 1901 and 1904 was the Blue Period for Picasso, when he came out with a number of masterpieces. His painting La Vie (1903), which was created in memory of his childhood friend, the Spanish poet Casagemas, is considered to be priceless should it ever, be put out for sale (I’ve never experienced anything like what I did what I saw this painting…almost brings you to tears). The paintings from this period have predominantly blue tones and very effectively capture the underbelly of society. He also began sculpting during this period.

As soon as the Blue Period ended he embarked on the Rose Period. These paintings used colors and character, which were more pleasing to the eye, but they themselves seemed depressed and sad. The characters used were clowns and pantomimes. Picasso’s paintings then took on a new look when he began to dabble in classical themes. He began to worship Henri Matisse for his shocking colors and Henri Rousseau for his caricaturist style. Picasso began to use full frontal images of large male and female figures.

It was only in the 1920s that Picasso began his journey in Cubism. By this time he was recognized as the most famous painter in the world if not the best. He teamed up with Georges Braque and produced distortions of the human body that were beyond the imagination of even acclaimed painters. He also produced outstanding work that related to various Roman mythological figures. His post-cubism paintings reflected his obsession with sex and the nude female form.

There have been accusations that there were others who were better than Picasso but less prolific. But being prolific is not a vice and the quality of his work never dipped. There have been movements in the 20th century that were inspired by his work. There is no painter who can claim to be anywhere close to Picasso as far as versatility is concerned. He was one painter who broke the rule that it is only after a painter dies that he becomes famous.

(A number of quotes were taken directly from an article entitled, The Deconstruction of Pablo Picasso on Buzzle.com)

Entender es Disfrutar,

Josh