My New Year’s resolution for 2009: “I’m resolved to learn about Portugal’s history and it’s place within the wine world.”

In that resolve, I didn’t – in my wildest dreams – think that I’d be traveling to Portugal as part of the educational process, during the course of this year. I just knew that I wanted to explore a new and interesting place in the history of wine for me.

• So far, the universe has delivered a new client… Enoforum Wines, from the up-and-coming Alentejo region of Portugal.
• Now, my new client Delfim Costa, general manager of Enoforum, has invited me to Portugal, so that I may learn firsthand what I discovered in “The First Global Village, How Portugal Changed the World…” (This will be a much deeper understanding of Portugal’s history, its people, their wines, foods, and culture.)

About Enoforum Wines

Enoforum is a commercial company focused exclusively on international markets. Our head office is located in the pretty town of Évora – world heritage – in the heart of Alentejo Region. “ENOFORUM – Comércio e Exportação de Vinhos, S.A.” is a joint stock company established in July 2004. The six founders are the six cooperative wineries from the Alentejo Region, in the south of Portugal. These six wineries encompass 12.000 hectares (296,523 acres) of vineyards, with a yearly production of 60 million litres (100,000 cases) of wine. In September 2005, new shareholders joined this group: “PME Investimentos, S.A.” and “INVOCAPITAL, S.A.”

Enoforum’s offer is even more generous than I would have imagined, though.

It makes me feel like I’m on Survivor and just won the challenge. Do you know how after winning a challenge Jeff Probst always turns to the winner and says, “Congratulations for winning the challenge. And, now you get to take one person of your choosing with you.”

Really? Okay… Where to start?

I need to have a person as passionate about going to Lisbon and the Alentejo region of Portugal as I am. This person must be ready, willing, and able to leave his or her job for a week.

I’m a publicist, so I think in terms of how to do this in a public setting. I came up with an idea for a contest, which was then approved by Delfim…

Why I Want to Go To Portugal to Visit Enoforum Wines with Jo Diaz

Then… it got even better… Once this original blog was published, the following happened:

Ryan Opaz of the European Wine Bloggers Conference (EWBC) read about the contest, “Why I Want to Go To Portugal to Visit Enoforum Wines with Jo Diaz,” and commented with the following:

odd, they should have you come 2 days earlier so that you can be a part of the Wine Bloggers Conference:

would seem silly to miss it!!!

ViniPortugal Gave away 2 trips already!

I replied to Ryan:

Well, we didn’t even look at those dates. It had to do with available times, getting a passport considerations, etc.

From that point forward, the wheels began to turn; and, behind the scenes, the following plan began to take shape.

Enoforum Wines, the sponsor of the contest, has agreed to be part of the EWBC. Both my colleague Delfim Costa (general manager of Enoforum) and I are attending, and the winner of this contest is also going to be given that option.

In all fairness to the winner, s/he will now have to apply for more time away from work in order to attend the EWBC, and that may not be possible. If, however, s/he can take the time, then that lucky person is also going to be able to attend this exciting event, also.

Below are the choices now being offered to the winner.

A. Travel to Lisbon, the same day as Jo, on October 28, and follow this plan:

• Oct. 29 ~ Early in the morning, arrive in Lisbon and rest in the hotel
• Oct. 29 ~ Afternoon and Oct. 30 morning: tourism in Lisbon
• Oct. 30 and Nov. 1 ~ EWBC
• Nov. 2 ~ Visit to Sintra and Cascais
• Nov. 3 – 5: Visit Enoforum Wineries in Alentejo
• Nov. 5 ~ Afternoon: return to Lisbon
• Nov. 6 ~ Morning: flight to the US

B. Travel alone on October 31, meet Jo in Lisbon airport, and work within the original plan.

• Trip will be from October 31 to November 7, 2009.
• Oct. 31, the winner will fly from his/her closest international airport, into Lisbon, Portugal.
• Once in Lisbon, that day will be for resting.
• Nov. 1 -2 ~ Tourism in Lisbon
• Nov. 2: Afternoon: travel to Alentejo Region
• Nov. 3 – 5: Visit Enoforum Wineries in Alentejo
• Nov. 5 ~ Afternoon: return to Lisbon
• Nov. 6 ~ Morning: flight to the US

About Enoforum Wines

Enoforum is a commercial company focused exclusively on international markets. Our head office is located in the pretty town of Évora – world heritage – in the heart of Alentejo Region. “ENOFORUM – Comércio e Exportação de Vinhos, S.A.” is a joint stock company established in July 2004. The six founders are the six cooperative wineries from the Alentejo Region, in the south of Portugal. These six wineries encompass 12.000 hectares (296,523 acres) of vineyards, with a yearly production of 60 million litres (100,000 cases) of wine. In September 2005, new shareholders joined this group: “PME Investimentos, S.A.” and “INVOCAPITAL, S.A.”

THE CONTEST: In 200 words or less…

What’s Being Offered by Enoforum Wines

1. All expense paid trip to Alentejo Wine Region of Portugal, with wine blogger Jo Diaz of Wine-blog.org
2. The trip includes all reasonable expenses: accommodations, meals, air and ground transportation
3. $1000 stipend for your writing

What’s Expected from You:

1. Established U.S. wine blogger, with your own wine blog already established
2. Must be blogging for at least two years
3. U.S. Citizen, based in the United States, with a current passport (I’m in the process of getting mine, so if this is appealing to you, think about getting yours ASAP, if you don’t have one, yet. You never know when you will be able to use it in the future.)
4. Must show proof of Passport, if chosen.
5. Must be 25 years of age or older
6. Must be free to travel to Portugal during the week of November 1, 2009 (Between Saturday, October 31, 2009, returning on Friday or Saturday, November 6 or 7, 2009.)
7. Must be willing to write five blog entries during the course of the week, related to your daily experiences with Enoforum wines and the Alentejo wine region of Portugal. (I’ll have a laptop available, if you don’t have one to take with you.)

How to Apply:

1. Submit to Jo Diaz, on the Portuguese Trip page
2. Write 200 words or less, why you would like to be chosen to accompany Jo Diaz on a trip to the Alentejo Wine Region of Portugal, to learn about Enoforum Wines.
3. I’ll be posting this blog each Monday, with updates, until the contest ends, but you can access this blog by just scrolling down my blog page, as I always have five blog entries at any given time… The contest will remain on my home page.

Important Dates:

1. Deadline for submission of application: 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time), Friday October 2, 2009
2. Winner will be announced on Monday, October 5, 2009, 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Wine-blog.org
3. Trip will be during the weekend of November 30, 2009, and into the following week. You will fly from your closest international airport, into Lisbon, Portugal,. Once there, Delfim Costa and Jo Diaz will meet you for the week’s adventure.