Half a dozen US journalists called in on DO Rías Baixas in the first week of June to deepen their knowledge about the appellation’s wines. During the trip, the professionals visited various endorsed bodegas and vineyards and also took an in-depth look at Galician cuisine. This activity falls within the framework of the marketing campaign launched for the fifth year running by the Regulating Council together with ICEX and IGAPE in the US.

The journalists are experts in the world of wine and collaborate with various publications, websites and blogs, as well as television and radio programmes. In addition to this outstanding professional profile, some of them also take part in conferences and courses, as well as acting as jury members in various competitions and some are even authors of wine guides and books.

This US marketing campaign has a yearly budget of $750,000 (€530.000). Currently, this is the appellation’s main market, concentrating 52 percent of exports.

Various marketing campaigns will be carried out on the US market in 2009. In addition to the trade press missions, which as a novelty this year will also incorporate other professionals from the industry, just some of the other highlights are; the sommelier events, the tapas trails aimed at prescriptors, and a seminar plus lunch for trade press, led by opinion leaders.

Some of the other activities planned for this year in the US involve the appellation’s participation in the Great Match Chicago, New York and Houston. These traditional events, now in their tenth year, are organised by Wines from Spain USA, and are held in various cities around the US. On average they are attended by some 1,000 individuals. Wines under Rías Baixas will also take part in the James Beard Awards, regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of US cuisine, as well as the Food & Wine Festival in Arizona.