The media group attending the 2014 International Wine Tourism Conference, IWINETC,  in Tbilisi Georgia is taking shape. As of this writing there are 21 people in the group. Each have different publications where they will write articles about the conference, winery visits, wines and foods. There is so much to cover on the trek to Georgia, that one article will not sufficiently cover all experiences.

Oliver and Terry talking about wine at Franc Arman Winery in Croatia.

I am reminded of this as I enjoy a glass of 2009 Franc Arman Teran. We visited with Oliver Arman at his winery in the Istria area of Croatia a few days before the 2013 International Wine Tourism Conference in Zagreb, Croatia. The dark ruby colored wine is made from the Teran grape, called Terrano in Italy. This wine had dark fruit notes, especially plum, along with licorice for the aroma. The taste also had plum and dark fruit notes with tobacco hints. The crisp finish had fruit yielding to oak influences and tannins. I have had the bottle in my wine cellar for nine months and notice more licorice now than I did when tasting at the winery last winter.

This wine helps warm the body. We have been gripped by a cold spell which saw nighttime temperatures fall to -10ºC to -16ºC. Cold has infiltrated the body and attached to the bones. If we were in the setting for Game of Thrones, we would say, “Winter is coming.” Wine helps. It also reminds me of the snow storm that Kathy and I drove through last March driving through the mountains from Istria to Zagreb.  On our first evening with the media group, we took a walking tour of Zagreb, in the snow.

The 2014 IWINETC is a little later in March. For the last two conferences, the media group experienced snow in Italy and in Croatia. Will it snow the last week of March in Georgia? If so, I am heading to Vino Underground in Tbilisi for some qvevri-made wines. Let it snow!

Cheers,
Terry