Editor’s Letter

Chris Shooting Rous

We are excited to celebrate our twentieth year of Wine Country International® Magazine publishing. This twenty-year ride has created thousands of delicious experiences.

This issue features our September 2022 visit to Madrid and the Rueda wine region. Darcy and I had never visited Madrid, so going there was exciting. As it turned out, Spain's capital city was the perfect starting point for our excursions to Rueda and Ribera del Duero in the north. Madrid is located dead center in the middle of Spain. It is Spain's largest city, with 3.3 million inhabitants and 6 million people, counting the surrounding suburbs.

Madrid had an overabundance of friendly people, delectable restaurants, hotels with rooftop bars, world-class museums, and historical sites. On the way to the Rueda wine region, we had to stop in the historic city of Segovia. This city and its aqueduct were registered as World Heritage sites in 1985. The aqueduct dates to 1008.

Rueda is one of Spain's only designated white wine regions. Today the region produces more than 41% of Spain's white wine production. The primary grape Verdejo is native to the area. Sauvignon is second in popularity. Other white grapes include Viura, Palomino Fino, Viognier, and Chardonnay. Visiting during Harvest was an extra exceptional experience. Many cities and towns were in celebration mode for the first time since Covid impacted gatherings. People were excited to be enjoying life to the fullest.

We also visited Denver's newest French restaurant, Chez Maggy, owned by celebrity Chef Ludo Lefebvre.

Grape Expectations Columnist Elizabeth Woessner demystifies Viognier and nabs a classic Scallop recipe from Celebrity Chef and Author Jacques Pépin.

We hope that you will enjoy this issue in the same way we enjoyed creating it!

Check out the full issue here:

https://issuu.com/winecountrynetwork/docs/winecountry_international_2023_v1