When the glitz and the glamour of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week descends on Bryant Park September 5 -12, wines from Rioja, Spain’s greatest wine region, makes its second appearance at the event as the official wine sponsor.
Each day, from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., a different Rioja wine will be served to guests in the main lobby at the Lotus Bar, allowing the fashion savvy to become wise about wine as well. At the bar, several prominent Rioja brands will offer a variety of red, white and rosé wines. These brands include Marqués de Riscal, Bodegas Faustino, Bodegas Montecillo, Campo Viejo, Conde de Valdemar, Sierra Cantabria and El Coto.
Rioja will also be backstage for some of this season’s hottest designers, including the innovative and colorful Agatha Ruiz de la Prada. “My spring 2008 collection is a celebration of Spanish colors which come from the same soil as Rioja,” the designer says. “I am thrilled to have Rioja with me on this special night.”
Under the famed tents, red will be the new black, and Rioja wine will be the accessory of choice for trendsetters and celebrities alike. Striking Vibrant Rioja models will be adorned in Rioja’s signature red stripes and will press temporary “Blame It On Rioja” tattoos on guests. The Rioja stripes will also be on napkins and temporary tattoos. Wine will be served from Rioja branded, embossed tumblers.
“The synergy between Rioja and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week continues to grow as we see wine becoming more a part of the fashion-forward lifestyle,” says Rioja Brand Ambassador Lisa Carley. “Knowing what color, pant width or wine is in style is a big component in the lives of the fun and fashionable.”
To further fuse fashion and wine, Rioja will work with co-sponsors such as MAC Cosmetics, LYCRA®, American Express and Havaianas footwear to introduce the wines at several events during the week. On Thursday, Sept. 6, Rioja will pour red wine in the MAC lounge to merge the worlds of wine and beauty. In addition, Rioja will team up with Havaianas footwear, the Brazilian shoe company, to offer a daily Vibrant Rioja giveaway that includes two bottles of the featured daily wine.
In conjunction with Vibrant Rioja’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week sponsorship, New Yorkers can learn more about the wines at several New York retailers that will offer discounts on all Rioja wines sold in their stores and feature a series of free Rioja wine tastings. These retailers include Union Square Wines & Spirits, Vintage Grape Wines & Spirits, Columbus Avenue Wines & Spirits, Park East Wines & Spirits, Rosetta Wines & Spirits and Skyview Wines & Spirits. For additional details, please visit www.unionsquarewines.com.
Located in north central Spain, south of the city of Bilbao, Rioja is Spain’s most recognized wine region and one of two areas to be designated with the prestigious Denominación de Origen Calificada (D.O.C.a.) appellation – Spain’s highest wine designation, given to wine regions that have consistently demonstrated the highest quality levels over many years. The U.S. Vibrant Rioja integrated marketing campaign has a mission of utilizing creative new outlets to keep this established wine relevant to tastemakers of all generations. Visit www.vibrantrioja.com for more information about the campaign.
About The Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Origen Calificada Rioja
The Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Origen Calificada Rioja operates under the auspices of Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture with the following specific functions: ensuring compliance among wineries and growers of the quality standards established under Rioja’s D.O.C.a.’s appellation; ongoing quality control of the Rioja wines carrying the D.O.C.a. appellation on the label; promoting the image of the Rioja D.O.C.a. brand in Spain and abroad; and trade relations among growers, wineries and other interested parties. (www.vibrantrioja.com)
About Wines from Spain
Wines from Spain, a promotional division of the Trade Commission of Spain in New York City, under the auspices of the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade (ICEX), is committed to promoting the awareness of Spanish wines and spirits throughout the United States, through education, informational materials, special events and promotions. For further information on specific wine regions and producers, please contact: Wines from Spain, Trade Commission of Spain, 405 Lexington Avenue, 44th Floor, New York, NY 10174-0331, or by email at: newyork@mcx.es.
About CRT/tanaka
CRT/tanaka (www.crt-tanaka.com) is an award-winning public relations and marketing firm, known for creative solutions and workplace culture. The agency was formed in 2005, when Carter Ryley Thomas acquired New York consumer agency Patrice Tanaka & Company, Inc. to form one of the top independent agencies in the country. Headquartered in Richmond, Va. and New York, with offices in Los Angeles and Norfolk, Va., CRT/tanaka specializes in three practice areas – Consumer, Health and Corporate. The agency’s Consumer Practice is renowned for its specialty in brand marketing PR, cause and event marketing and marketing to women. CRT/tanaka has been recognized with more than 260 national and regional awards. Clients include Wines from Rioja (Spain), Target Stores, MAGIC International, Sprint, Capital One, Atkins Nutritionals, Charles Schwab & Co., Girl Scouts of the USA, HoMedics, All-Clad Metalcrafters, De’Longhi, VHA, the Better Business Bureau, Performance Food Group and ITT Corporation.