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A Christmas Story African Tourism Board style

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Christmas is no longer only for Christians in Africa. Africa became one tourism destination for the world with the launch of the African Tourism Board.

Even in some of Africa’s predominantly Muslim countries, Christmas is still recognized as a secular celebration. In the West African nation of Senegal, Islam is the main religion; and yet Christmas is designated as a national holiday along with Easter, the end of Ramadan, and Prophet Mohammed’s birthday. Senegalese Muslims and Christians have chosen to unofficially celebrate each other’s holidays, laying the foundation for the country’s renowned atmosphere of religious tolerance.

ATB Executive Board meeting London

The African Tourism Board WhatsApp group is reflecting a very good example of how tourism stakeholders from every corner in Africa are coming together for the Christmas Holiday.

Quoting the Tourism Nation Address ATB President Alain St.Ange received a “Thank you, Sir. In Ghana, we say “you Do All”.

St.Ange writes: Christmas is a time of joy, peace, and harmony. It is a time where we share the love and we forgive. A time when families and friends strengthen their bonds.

It is a time of sharing and giving. While some are cheering, some are weeping, others are struggling. Our thoughts this Christmas go out to those who are in need and are facing challenging times. As Christmas is a time when unity reigns, we pray that in our reflections for a better tomorrow, we think of the less fortunate ones.

May our reflections and actions help to give them hope of a brighter future, where they can also receive added joy and comfort during Christmas time. May we be guided towards creating new beginnings for not only ourselves but for our country, and especially the people who are struggling and striving for a better life.

During this time when families and friends unite and build stronger relations, let us support one another and remind each other that we need stronger families to build stronger communities and to become one Seychelles

The Official Dance my Masaka Kids Africana reflects the spirit African Tourism Board members are putting out during the ongoing holiday season.

African Tourism Board can be found in many countries.
ATB has an open invitation for the world to work together on the goal to make Africa one tourism destination of choice in the world.

or many people, Africa is synonymous with arid deserts and tropical jungles; hardly compatible with the northern hemisphere ideas of Christmas. And yet, Christmas is celebrated throughout the continent by Christian communities both large and small. Customs, traditions, and even the date of the holiday differ from country to country but the religious foundation of the celebration remains the same, unifying people from all walks of life and a myriad of different cultures.

How to Say Happy Christmas in Africa

In Akan (Ghana): Afishapa
In Shona (Zimbabwe): Muve neKisimusi
In Afrikaans (South Africa):  Geseënde Kersfees
In Zulu (South Africa):  Sinifisela Ukhisimusi Omuhle
In Swazi (Swaziland):  Sinifisela Khisimusi Lomuhle
In Sotho (Lesotho):  Matswalo a Morena a Mabotse
In Swahili (Tanzania, Kenya): Kuwa na Krismasi njema
In Amharic (Ethiopia): Melkam Yelidet Beaal
In Egyptian Arabic (Egypt): Colo sana wintom tiebeen
In Yoruba (Nigeria): E ku odun, e hu iye’ dun

Click on the country where you will find African Tourism Board members.
Have you joined ATB? Click here to to become a member of ATB.

Kenya

The tradition of having a Christmas tree is one of the customs that continue to be popular in Kenya. In Kenya, people use cypress trees as Christmas trees, and these are decorated for Christmas. In the streets, houses and churches are decorated with colorful balloons, ribbons, paper decorations, and sometimes flowers.

Christmas, families gather together, and the Kenyans who live in the cities travel back to the villages they came from to spend Christmas with their families. Christmas dinner is eaten with the family, and here they often have a barbecue-marinated goat, mutton, beef or chicken, which is eaten with chapati (flatbread).

Another common custom is to participate in a midnight mass on 24 December, where psalms are sung and Kenyans wish their friends and families “heri ya Krismasi”, which means Merry Christmas in Swahili.

Uganda

Christmas in Uganda is hard to notice in most of the country. The place you might most clearly see that it is Christmas is in the capital of Uganda, Kampala, where some of the city’s streets are decorated with lights.

For many in Uganda, it is unusual to give each other gifts for Christmas, But if they do give gifts, they are typically edible ones, such as meat, sugar or something the family has grown themselves in their own fields.

Leading up to Christmas, families eat delicious meals that are different from what they usually eat. In rural areas, the diet consists primarily of beans and bananas or grains the family has grown in their fields. For Christmas, the meal consists of things such as ox meat or chicken with potatoes or rice.

Other than the Christmas dinner, many also go to church on 24 December. It is common to wear your finest attire to church, and women are dressed in colorful traditional dresses with matching turbans.

South Africa

British traditions have also influenced several South African Christmas traditions.

For example, South Africans exchange gifts in the morning on 25 December, after which the big Christmas dinner is eaten. Christmas dinner is often eaten outdoors on porches or in gardens, as it is summer in South Africa in the Christmas month. The feast is very relaxed, and so friends – and even strangers – are sometimes invited along for this meal.

There are no fixed traditions for what the Christmas dinner should consist of, so South African families eat many different things. Some typical Christmas dishes include glazed ham and turkey steak, while others eat shellfish as a starter.

One popular way to spend Christmas Eve is to take part in a “carols by candlelight” event, where

South Africans gather in groups to sing Christmas psalms. Some places have orchestras and choirs, and you can come to hear them sing at Christmas.

Botswana

In Botswana, people decorate their homes in the holiday season much as people do in the UK.

Christmas Eve is spent with family, and they sing Christmas psalms. In the morning on 25 December, the whole family exchanges gifts, just like the tradition in England. A large segment of the population in Botswana lives in poverty, and so the gifts are often home-made.

After the gift exchange, the family eats Christmas dinner together, and the meal typically includes the Botswanan national dish, seswaa. Seswaa is a stew consisting of ox or goat meat served with maize meal. The meat that is served is often an animal from the family’s farm, which they slaughter leading up to Christmas.

Those who love festivities in the holidays will sometimes hold a Christmas party, which lasts for several days.

Tanzania

In Tanzania, Christmas is celebrated on 25 December. The celebration starts when Christian Tanzanians go to the Christmas mass, after which they enjoy a Christmas dinner.

Christmas dinner often consists of ugali, which is a kind of maize meal, and if they can afford it, chicken or fish are served as well.  Aside from this, they eat “pilau”, which is a spiced rice dish, which can be served with meat or shellfish.

After the Christmas dinner, some families also exchange gifts, which are often home-made.

The place you most clearly notice that it is Christmas is in Dar es Salaam, which is Tanzania’s biggest city. Here the shopping centers are decorated with lights, and some places also have Christmas trees set up.

The Catholic churches of the city are also decorated for Christmas with wax candles and flowers, and on Christmas Eve, the church holds a midnight mass.

Namibia

Christmas in Namibia starts with Christmas lights switching on in the big cities of the country around 6 December. Many families take their children around the city to look at the Christmas lights that illuminate the streets and fill them with a Christmas mood.

Some places in Namibia, such as inner Namibia, wax candles are not used, as the summer heat causes the wax to melt. Instead, they use electric lights.

In some shops, you can find German cookies leading up to Christmas. This “tradition” stems from the time Namibia was colonised by the Germans between 1884 and 1915.

A unique custom leading up to Christmas is to decorate a thorny branch with red and green Christmas decorations and hang it up at home.

The country has many different peoples, and they also have different Christmas traditions. In the Zambezi region, it starts on 24 December with a Christmas mass.

In some of the German communities in Namibia, families import Christmas trees from South Africa. Many others decorate thorn bushes instead.

The Herero people have a tradition where children prepare a small Christmas play leading up to the holiday, which they show their parents on Christmas Day. Afterward, the family gathers for Christmas dinner.

Egypt

Egyptian Orthodox Christians or Coptic Christians celebrate Christmas on the 7th of January. According to their calendar, it is the 29th day of the Coptic month of “Kiohk” or “Khiahk”. They fast 43 days before Christmas. This is called “Lent fasting”. During this period they do not eat meat, fish, milk and eggs.
After church service people return to their home and have a special meal called “fatta” The meal usually contains meat and rice. On Christmas day families visit their friends and neighbors.

Ethiopia

Like in Egypt,  most Ethiopian people follow the ancient Julian calendar and celebrate Christmas on January 7th . Traditionally referred to as Ganna, an Ethiopian Christmas typically begins with a day of fasting followed by church services and feast that includes stew, vegetables and sourdough bread. At dawn of Ganna people traditionally wear white cotton clothes called “Shamma” with colorful stripes at its ends. Though most friends and families do not exchange gifts, communities gather to play games and sports, and enjoy the festivities together.

Ghana

Christmas in Ghana coincides with the end of the cocoa harvest and begins on December 1st , four weeks before Christmas. Due to the cocoa harvest, it is a time of wealth. Everyone returns home from wherever they might be such as farms or mines. Families decorate their homes and neighborhoods just like in the US, using lights, candles and ornaments. On Christmas day, things really kick into full swing, starting with a family meal – usually consisting of goat, vegetables and soup or stew with fufu – followed by a church service which includes lots of dancing and a nativity play for the whole community and a colorful holiday parade.

A special and unique Christmas tradition in Ghana is the honoring of midwives, based on a local legend about Anna, who is said to have assisted in the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem and saved his life from a jealous Judean king. Anna’s story is told every Christmas in Ghana.

Ivory Coast

In Cote d’Ivoire Christmas celebrations mostly focus on the religious aspects of the holiday. The commercialization is often absent.   Midnight mass is central to the Christmas celebration.

In Abidjan, Christmas is mostly a time when Ivorian youth indulge in partying and dancing at bars without roofs called “maquis”.

On the 25th and on January 1st, families gather at the home of an elder to eat and drink.

Benin

Religious sermons dominate Christmas celebrations in Benin. Some villages include dancing and masquerade parties.

Over 40% of the people in Togo are Christians. French Christmas traditions are common. Unlike most other West African countries, Santa Claus and Christmas trees have become part of the tradition. Only the Christmas dishes remain Togolese.

Burkina Faso

In many Burkina Faso villages, children mix clay, straw and water to build masterpieces outside their compounds, illustrating the biblical theme of the crib. The nativity scenes are highlights in the villages and stand until the rain washes them away, often close to Easter.

Sierra Leone

In Sierra Leone, celebrations are lively and partying is mixed with ancient traditions. Pre Christianity traditions and popular costumes have been mixed with religious sermons, making the Sierra Leonean Christmas a unique celebration. Spectacular and ancient masquerades and masking ceremonies now play a major part in the festivities in Freetown.

Christmas day is a time for family and friends. Excellent dishes are prepared and presents are exchanged. Even the country’s Muslim president once noted that Christmas is a time for giving and sharing with others whatever little one has.

Liberia

Instead of Santa Claus, In Liberia you are more likely to see Old man Bayka, the country devil who – instead of giving presents, walks up and down the street begging for them on Christmas Day. And instead of hearing the usual “Merry Christmas” greeting, expect to hear Liberians say “My Christmas on you” It’s basically a saying that means “please give me something nice for Christmas” Cotton cloth, soap, sweets, pencils and books are the popular Christmas presents, which are exchanged amongst people. A church service is held in the morning . The festive dinner, consisting of a meal of rice, beef and biscuits, is eaten in the outdoors. Games are played in the afternoon and at night fireworks light up the sky .

The Democratic Republic of Congo

Christmas Eve is very important in the democratic republic of Congo. Churches host big musical evenings (many churches have at least five or six choirs) and a nativity play. These plays last a very long time, starting at the beginning of the evening with the creation and the Garden of Eden.

On Christmas day, most families try to have a better meal than usual. If they can afford it they will have some meat (normally chicken or pork).

Nigeria

One of the most popular Christmas traditions in Nigeria is the decorating of homes and churches with palm fronds. According to an old belief, palm fronds symbolize peace and harmony during the Christmas season. Apart from Christmas carols and midnight mass, people in Nigeria have the traditional “Ekon” play. Groups performing this play, dance from home to home carrying a baby. The baby symbolizes the birth of Jesus Christ. Homeowners accept the doll and give presents to the group. Then the doll is returned to the group which continues their “journey”

Senegal

In the West African nation of Senegal, where 95% of its population is Muslim, Islam is the main religion, and yet Christmas is a national holiday. Senegalese Muslims and Christians have chosen to celebrate each others holidays, laying the foundation for the county’s enviable atmosphere of religious tolerance.

Guinea

In Guinea, Christians are also strongly outnumbered. Mostly French religious Christmas traditions have been adopted, including Midnight mass, eating local dishes together with family and exchanging gifts.

Guinea Bissau

In the former Portuguese colony of Guinea Bissau, local Christmas traditions have had time to evolve. In Bissau there is no Christmas eve without “Bacalao”, a plate of dried cod imported all the way from Scandinavia. Prices on the fish skyrocket in Bissau markets before Christmas.

Unlike most other Catholic-dominated West African countries, the 24th of December is when the great family celebrations occur in Guinea Bissau. Clothes are typically given on the 25th. Bissau citizens proudly wear their new clothes on the way to parties. The midnight mass and street parties on the 25th is a time when all citizens participate. Even some of the Muslim majority joins in the street parties, as there is no history of religious tension.

African Tourism Board to the World: You have one more day!
www.africantourismboard.com

Malawi

In Malawi, groups of children go door to door to perform dances and Christmas songs dressed in skirts, made from leaves and using homemade instruments. They receive a small gift of money in return.

Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe, it is a tradition for children to bring little presents to children who are in the hospital or for any reason can’t attend church services. On Christmas day people parade with large intricately made lanterns called “Fanals” in the shape of boats or houses and several families in the neighborhood often party together. Adults have a party in one house and children enjoy themselves in another

Madagascar

In Madagascar, Christmas is the time of mass baptism of children. There is also a tradition of visiting elders and other highly respected people in the community

Seychelles

Xmas in Seychelles is all about food, family and beach time. The family would attend Christmas midnight mass at Anse Royale and then try to get some rest before waking again to much excitement of opening presents on Christmas day and then the mad dash to get to the beach to test them out. Spending Christmas in Seychelles means quality family time and rest. Christmas time in Seychelles is the time for sumptuous banquets and family meetings. During this festive season, every family member usually hosts a lavish dinner which is then followed by gift-giving and evening parties.

Eswatini (former Swaziland) sums it all up:

In Swaziland Christmas is not consumer/revenue driven; in Swaziland Christmas is truly about Christ and about celebrating His birth, about family and about being together. It is not about the gifts and everything else that goes with it. It is plain and simple, it is beautiful and it is full of joy.

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Drink like a New Yorker

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If you live in New York, work in New York or are doing business in New York – there is only one appropriate drink to order…New York State wines.

New York State of Wine

The New York grape, grape juice and wine industries generate more than $4.8 billion in economic benefits annually for New York State. There are 1,631 family vineyards, over 400 wineries, producing 175,000,000 bottles of wine, generating $408 million in state and local taxes (www.newyorkwines.org). New York’s wineries also contribute to New York State’s exports and in 2012, 19.8% of the wine produced in the state was exported.

Wineries and satellite operations attracted more than 5.9 million tourist visits in 2012, spending $401+ million. The tourism industry (including wineries, hotels, restaurants, retailing, transportation) contributes over 6400 jobs to the state, for a total of $213+ million in wages. The tourist is particularly important to the farm wineries, with sales direct to consumers representing approximately 60 percent of total wine sales volume.

The winery industry directly employs approximately 62,450 people and generates an additional 14,359 jobs in supplier and ancillary industries which supply goods and services to the industry and whose sales depend on the wine industry’s economic vitality.

In excess of 101,806 jobs can be linked to the wine industry and these positions average $51,100 in annual wages and benefits. The total wages generated by direct, indirect and induced economic activity driven by the wine industry – $5.2 billon.

New York State Wines and Wineries (Curated)

At a recent Rockefeller Center/ Rainbow Room wine event sponsored by the Wine & Grape Foundation, Sam Filler, the Executive Director of the organization stated, “New York is home to the first bonded winery in the United States, making our state one of the oldest wine regions in the country.” The objective of the NY Drinks NY Grand Tasting, “…is to showcase the diversity, artistry and accessibility of New York’s wine and food landscape.”

The 8th Annual NY Drinks NY Grand Tasting offered access to over 200 wines from approximately 50 wineries across the state.

  1. Keuka Lake Vineyard. 2017. Turkey Run. Vignoles (Finger Lakes)

Located on the slopes above the southern end of Keuka Lake this winery showcases young vinifera and old hybrid plantings that range from 3-years (representing Cabernet Franc and Vignoles), to vines over 50-years of age (representing Leon Millot and Delaware vines).

Thanks to the Finger Lakes, the vineyard produces excellent fruit. The heat of the summer is retained by the lakes and moderates the extreme cold temperatures of the vineyards in winter. As spring approaches, the frigid waters moderate the warming air temperatures and act as a delay for bud break and lower the risk of frost damage.

The terroir is a glacial mix of glacially laid rocks, sand, silt and clay that has been deposited on the lower slopes above Keuka Lake providing for water drainage that is essential for vine balance and health.

Staci Nugent

The owner is Mel Goldman and the winemaker is Staci Nugent. Nugent attended Cornell and did graduate work in California in genetics. Making a career switch, she enrolled in the wine program at the University of California at Davis, receiving a Master’s degree in Viticulture and Enology. Nugent has worked with highly regarded wineries that include Ornellaia, Italy; Hardy’s Tintara Winery, South Australia; and William Selyem, Sonoma, California. Before joining Keuka Lake Vineyards (2008), she was a winemaker at Lamoreux Landing Wine Cellars.

Sustainable farming practices brings the Vignoles to our attention. The grape is made by crossing Seible and Pinot de Corton, is associated with the Finger Lakes and grows well in the gravel soils (glacial till).

Notes: Keuka Lake Vineyards. 2017 Turkey Run Vignoles

Light bright blonde to the eye, the nose is rewarded with lemons, honey, green grapes and sweet oranges, (lemons and oranges) while the palate enjoys citrus and other fruits with the sweetness tempered by a light acidity. Pair with seafood curry, Buffalo chicken wings, pepper and Swiss cheese.

  1. Red Newt Cellars. 2006. Legacy. Niagara Cream Sherry (Hector, New York)

Located on the east side of Seneca Lake (Hector, NY) in the Finger Lakes region, the winery started in 1998 by David and Debra Whiting and the 1998 vintage produced 1200 cases of Chardonnay, Riesling, Vida, Cayuga, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The first white wines were released in July 1999.

Whiting is considered to be one of the top winemakers in the Finger Lakes Region. Current production of Red Newt Cellars is apprximately 20,000 cases with a white wine focus on aromatic varities: Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris. CIRCLE Rielsing is the most popular and widely distributed wine, made in a classic Finger Lakes style, with hints on tangerine and honeysuckle, citrus and peach on the palate.

Kelby Russell

Kelby Russell is the head winemaker at Red Newt and considered an expert in the art of cold-climate white wines. Thanks to the variable climate of the East Coast, he recognizes that the search for the “perfect wine” is a “false idol, “ finding that the role of the winemaker is to, “…artfully direct what comes into the winery into the best thing and the  most honest expression of the year that you possible can.”

At Harvard (Class of 2009) Russell majored in government and minored in economics, was a member of the Glee Club and thought his career would follow a path that would lead to orchestra management. During a study abroad experience in Tuscany he discovered the art and science of making wine.

After graduation, when a job with Jazz at Lincoln Center did not materialize, he visited Fox Run Vineyards and thought he had an interview. The staff was busy with the harvest so he was handed a shovel and offered the opportunity to help on the “crush pad.” This was the begnning of his unpaid internships and he got to spend winters in New Zealand and Australia and autumns in the Finger Lakes as an intern.

His first salaried position in 2012 was with Red Newt as an assistant winemaker. David Whiting, the co-founder and winemaker, promoted Russell to head winemaker and the rest is history. He currently directs the Red Newt house styles and reserves and develops his own Kelby James Russell label with a focus on small-batch wines, from dry rose to Australian-style dry Riesling.

Notes: Red Newt Cellars. 2006 Legacy. Niagara Cream Sherry (Niagara grapes)

The Niagara grape develops into a long-aged solera sherry, creating a complex palate experience.

Bright golden yellow to the eye (think daffodils) with the nose picking up hints of honey, raisins, oranges, apricots, yellow apples, and spices. The finish to absolutely delicious, delivering honey, lemons and spices. Perfect as a dessert course or pair with Blue cheese and pate.

  1. Damiani Wine Cellars (DWC)

DWC was started by Lou Damiani, a Cornell engineer specializing in energy conservation, and Phil Davis. Damiani had an interest in winemaking and his education started in the field of food science before switching to engineering. In the 1990s he returned to study winemaking and mentored under Phil Hazlitt.

In 1996 Damiani wanted to plant Cabernet Franc and Merlot and visited an old friend and college friend, Phil Davis, who was also a viticulturist. They started the project and in 1997 Hazlitt pulled out a hybrid vineyard and planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Merlot. When their vineyards started producing in 2003 the next step was to make world class red wines.

Damiani was the head winemaker from 2003 – 2011 and he trained Phil Arras to continue and improve the DWC tradition. In 2007 Glenn Allen joined as a Business Consultant and later became a partner in the enterprise. Today DWC has four main vineyard sites with approximately 40 acres of land under vine and a new tasting room that hosts events and is the retail outlet.

Phil Arras, originally from Philadelphia, moved to the Finger Lakes in 2003 to attend Cornell University and majored in philosophy and political science. Inspired by a class on wine appreciation, Arrras changed his career focus to winemaking. He was hired by Damiani Wine Cellars in 2009 as the assistant winemaker and began “on the job” training. In 2012, Arras became head winemaker.

Notes: Damiani Wine Cellars. NV Marechal Foch “Vino Rosso” Finger Lakes. (Varietal may be a cross between Goldriesling and a Vitis riparia/Vitis rupestris or a cross between Gamay Noir and Vitis riparia – Oberlin 595).

Deep ruby color to the eye, an undertone of tomatoes runs alongside notes of plums and apricots and the tannins are so soft as to be obscure. Pairings might include pasta, barbeque and smoked gouda cheese.

  1. Thirsty Owl Wine Company. 2017. Traminette

Ted Cupp purchased 150 acres of frontage on Cayuga Lake from Robert and Mary Plan, trailblazers who started the Cayuga Wine Trail in 2001. During 2001 and 2002 he began construction on the winemaking facility and tasting room for the Thirsty Owl. In 2002, in cooperation with Shawn Kime, he planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Pinot Noir and Malbec. When the doors to the winery opened in 2002, Thirsty Owl had produced 1200 cases.

Jon Cupp, President

Today, the Thirsty Owl is synonymous with award winning wines, including the Governor’s Cup and the John Rose award for Rieslings. The Pinot Noir had the highest rated North American Pinot at the Taster’s Guild International Competition. Thirsty Owl produces Malbec and Syrah as well as blends, reds, whites and ice wine.

Shawn Kime

The winemaker and vineyard master, Shawn Kime, is originally from Romulus, New York and attended Morrisville College and Cornell University. Kime started to work in agriculture at the age of 14 and started winemaking after spending 2 years working with one of the earliest Finger Lake Vinifera growers.

The goal of the Thirsty Owl is to “…make changes in the vineyard and winemaking based on the year to produce wines that not only reflect our region but the growing season…. As a Finger Lakes native, I am proud of the fact that we are producing cool climate varietals that are on par with any region in the world.”

Notes: Thirsty Owl Wine Company. 2017 Traminette (cross between Gewurztraminer and Joannes Seyve 23.416).

To the eye, highlights of golden yellow. The nose finds apricots, peaches, pears, honey and fresh lemons as well as florals (especially roses and tulips) and a bit of spice. The palate is entertained with citrus and lemons, oranges and a bit of earth. The finish brings light acidity making it an interesting dessert wine.

Pair with spicy/sweet and sour sauces on chicken, pork and veal and Cheddar, Fontina and Gruyere cheese.

  1. Benmarl Winery. 2015 Baco Noir. Hudson River Valley

Benmarl (slate hill) Winery is located in Marlboro, NY and covers 37-acres and is considered to be the oldest vineyard in America (it holds New York Farm Winery license no.1). It was owned by magazine illustrator turned vintner Mark Miller from 1957 -2003. In 2006 Victor Spaccarelli purchased the vineyard and Matthew Spaccarelli is currently the winemaker

In the 17th century, wine was being made by the French Huguenots in New Paltz, New York. Andrew Jackson Caywood started his vineyard in the early 1800s. The community was incorporated as the Village of Marlborough, a cluster of grapes carved in its seal commemorated its major crop (1788).

Caywood became an important viticulturist and leading authority in the development of new grape varieties. The Miller family bought the Caywood property in 1957 and renamed it Benmarl. It was purchased in 2006 by the Spaccarelli family. They replanted many abandoned vineyards, refurbished the estate and carry on the tradition of experimentation, planting new hybrid varieties like Traminette as well as Old World vinifera.

Notes: Benmarl Winery. 2015 Baco Noir. Hudson River Valley

The Baco Noir, made from estate-grown fruit, brings dark plum hues to the eye, and delivers the aromas of dark plums, cedar and sage to the nose. On the palate are flavors of blackberry with hints of spice.  Tannins give it a structure that is delicious and the finish delivers spice and black berry fruits. Benmarl has been producing Baco Noir for 50 years.  Pair with pork roast, pasta with meat sauce, beef burgers with blue cheese.

The NY Drinks NY Event

The elegant Rainbow Room @ Rockefeller Center was the venue for the New York Drinks New York event. As an important wine trade events, many hundreds of wine buyers, sellers, sommeliers, wine educators, and writers convened to experience a wine-range of quality wines produced in New York State.

Wines of Distinction included:

Brotherhood Winery

Brotherhood Winery is the oldest continuously operating winery in America, producing wine for 180 years in Hudson Valley. It features one of the most modern bottling facilties for wine on the East coast, with a capacity of 1.5 million cases er year. A wine current featured focuses on low calories (approximately 90 calories per glass).

Glenora Wine Cellars

Glenora Wine Cellars produces award-winning Finger Lakes wines for over 40 years with a focus on sparkling wine and Riesling, sourcing grapes from 13 growers across four of the Finger Lakes. Glenora opened the first winery on Seneca Lake (1977).

Saltbird Cellars

Robin McCarthy is the owner and winemaker at Saltbird Cellars that started in 2014 and, based on the unique maritime terroir, developed Stainless Steel Sauvignon Blanc, Migratus Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc and Stainless-Steel Chardonnay.

Hosmer Winery

Hosmer Winery is located on Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes. Grapevine plantings date back to the 1970s and early experiments with plantings of classic Vinifera started in 1985. The 70-acre estate includes Rieslings, Chardonnays, Cabernet Francs as well as French-American hybrid varieties.

For additional information: @NYWineGrapeFdn and NYWineGrapeFdn

© Dr. Elinor Garely. This copyright article, including photos, may not be reproduced without written permission from the author.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Italian exhibition group launches key words for the 2020 tourism industry

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Active food and wine tourism, the quality of life, the search for beauty and creativity: the combination of ingredients on which tourists increasingly base their choice of vacation will be at the center of the 2019 expo showcase of TTG Experience, SIA Hospitality Design e SUN Beach&Outdoor Style, the three leading expos dedicated to the tourism chain – respectively focused on vacations, the hospitality sector and that of outdoors and beaches – organized by Italian Exhibition Group, being held from Wednesday 9th to Friday 11th October 2019 at Rimini Expo Centre.

The tourist flow scene confirms positive signs from Italy: in the first eleven months of 2018, with 208.5 million nights’ stay by foreign tourists in accommodation facilities (+1.8%), Italy is in second place in Europe, ahead of France (134.7 nights, +5.7%) and behind Spain (287.8 million, -1.6%). In this context, the three expos, with an unequalled offer for the expo sector, will respond precisely to the tourist trade’s requirements.

TTG Travel Experience

The 56th edition of TTG, is a national and international reference point for the Italian offer for tourists and Italian tourism abroad. The most important B2B tourist expo and the one most attended by tourism professionals will host 130 destinations, in a layout divided into three areas – The World, Global Village and Italy – conceived to highlight all the latest in vacation products.

TTG Travel Experience 2019, with two special projects, will intercept the trends that increasingly influence tourists’ choice of destination: the interest in wine and food and that for active vacations.

223 million euros were spent in 2017 by foreign visitors to Italy on food and wine, 70% more than spending in 2013. With the Eatxperience project at TTG Travel Experience 2019, an entire hall will be dedicated to food and wine tourism with a format conceived precisely for trade members: food service in hotels is also among the opportunities to include in travel proposals.

On the other hand, with a high visual impact, the special Be Active project will feature proposals, opportunities and trends for vacations in Italy, where in 2016 18.6% of the tourists indicated sport as the motivation for their vacation.

SIA Hospitality Design

The expo that is a national reference point for the hospitality sector, SIA Hospitality Design, at its 68th edition, boosts its format linked with design and Italian-made products, addressing three issues that are particularly topical for the hospitality sector: Design (design for hospitality will not only be the first focus of SIA, but also the leitmotif of the entire expo); Water: (bathrooms, wellness and swimming pools, as well as services, technology, products, cosmetics and wellness treatment); Taste (the most important food service moments for accommodation facilities: breakfasts and aperitifs). Each project will have a dedicated arena involving professionals, an exhibition and expo areas.

Sun Beach & Outdoor Style

For decades, the b2b expo that is a reference point for the outdoor, beach facility and campsite worlds, SUN Beach&Outdoor Style, at its 37th edition, has focused on two macro sectors: the beach facility world and the campsite and village show world.

Contests are confirmed, in collaboration with Mondo Balneare, Best Beach Bar, Best Design Beach and Best Italian Beach, to award prizes respectively to the best beach facilities from the point of view of food & beverage, architecture and tradition. All the new products and services on the start-up front will be featured at SUNNext, the space dedicated to innovation, in collaboration with Mondo Balneare and CNA Emila-Romagna.

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GCC produces 1.8 million overnight stays in Germany during 2018

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The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) has announced that it will be showcasing a range of key destinations at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2019, which takes place at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 28th April to 1st May.

Participants from Germany partnering with the GNTB this year include the ‘Hotel Palace Berlin’; ‘Frankfurt Tourist and Congress Board’; ‘Baden-Baden Tourism Board’; ‘OUTLETCITY METZINGEN’, the State Tourist Board SouthWest-Germany (Baden-Württemberg Tourismus) and the Black Forest Highlands (Hochschwarzwald Tourismus).

The GNTB’s tourism partners covering local tourist boards, luxury hotels, hospitality, retail, spas and theme parks, each has its own unique proposition, whether spring, summer, autumn or winter, emphasising that Germany is a diverse and unique all year-round travel destination.

Underscoring the relevance of ATM to ‘Destination Germany’, Sigrid de Mazieres, Director for the Gulf countries at the German National Tourist Office (GNTO), an affiliate of the German National Tourist Board (GNTB), commented:

“ATM presents us with an ideal opportunity to showcase our wide-ranging tourism offering from dynamic cities to breathtaking countryside with fairytale castles, lush forests and mountains. In addition, there are great family attractions, excellent shopping centres and superb sightseeing opportunities – visitors will be fascinated by the incredible diversity that Germany has to offer.”

The GCC market is Germany’s third-largest non-European source market behind China and the US and is important for Germany. GCC travellers tend to stay an average of 11 nights and spend on average $5,300 per person per trip, significantly more than other international travellers.

According to the latest forecast from the GNTB, GCC nationals visiting Germany are expected to grow to 3.6 million overnight stays by 2030, compared with 1.8 million guest nights from Gulf nationals recorded in 2018, with key markets being UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

The forecast increase is being attributed to the collective efforts of all German Tourism stakeholders identifying and accommodating the travel requirements of GCC nationals, not to mention the excellent connectivity provided through flights from the GCC to Frankfurt, Munich, Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Berlin. In Germany’s hospitality and retail sectors, it is common to meet Arabic speaking staff, familiar with Islamic culture and tradition. Hotels offer copies of the Quran and prayer mats on demand, connecting family rooms, plus restaurants serving halal food are easy to find.

Germany’s attraction as a destination of choice for tourists, is further illustrated by the number of visitors recorded in 2018. Last year, Germany’s inbound tourism figures reached record levels for the ninth year in a row. According to the German Federal Statistical Office, there were 88 million international overnight stays recorded (in accommodation establishments with at least ten beds) – an increase of 5% compared with 2017.

According to IPK World Travel Monitor’s annual survey, in 2017, Germany was the top ranked country among European tourists for cultural trips and with 13.1 million inbound business travellers from Europe, it ranked number one as a business destination in 2018.

The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) will be at ATM 2019 stand no. EU5930.

 

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Tartan pride celebrated nationwide and in Hawaii, too

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Tartan Day is a North American celebration of Scottish heritage, observed April 6, the date on which the Declaration of Arbroath (Scottish Declaration of Independence) was submitted to Pope John XXII, in 1320. It was written in Latin, and essentially decreed Scots will choose their own king, and furthermore, Scotsmen rejected the propaganda that God desired the English kings to victimize and abuse them.  Among the signatories of this papal protest was Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland, the progenitor of my ancestors, the Stewart Kings of Scotland.  Throughout the North American Continent, Tartan Day was celebrated this past weekend.

There are well over 4,000 tartan designs that are registered. However, there are only about 500 tartans that have ever been woven.  The most exclusive is the Balmoral, worn only by the Royal Family of The United Kingdom.  Queen Victoria made wearing tartans popular; bringing back a tradition that was once banned, following the Battle of Culloden in 1746.  She dressed all her sons in kilts regularly. Prince  Alfred Ernest Albert, Duke of Edinburgh, was the second son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.  On August 2, 1869, this Duke of Edinburgh (called Affie by his parents) arrived in Honolulu.  The kilted Duke was feted by King Kamehameha V, the future Queen Liliuokalani, and the Queen Dowager Emma, with whom Prince Affie danced at a magnificent ball held in the original Iolani Palace.  The tartan-clad prince was so popular, the city’s leaders named one of Honolulu’s streets for him – Edinburg Street, which was the block of Bishop Street between Queen Street and Ala Moana Boulevard. Of course, Beretania (the Hawaiian word for Britannia) was already taken, for it was the road leading to the British Consul, and the community where Brits lived.  The area where the British consulate stood in 1843 is now Washington Place, the historic home of Queen Liliuokalani.  Before coming to the throne, Princess Lililuokalani along with Queen Kapiolani, attended Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in London in 1887. The Hawaiian Royal family was one of Queen Victoria’s greatest admirers.   Affie started a wave of Brito-mania that endured for decades.

With the rise of kilts, so to speak, Victorian clan chiefs adopted tartans for their respective clans.  Later, individuals, organizations, and governments followed suit. There is even an official tartan for the State of Hawaii. British motifs have been popular in Hawaii for over two centuries – recall that the Union Jack of the British Empire is represented on the Hawaiian flag.

Members of The Saint Andrew’s Society of Hawaii, The Caledonian Society of Hawaii, Hawaiian Scottish Association, Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, and tartan-proud members of the Celtic community gathered at the Hawaii State Capitol to celebrate Tartan Day on April 6. The capitol is across the street from Washington Place, home to the original British community in Honolulu, and location for the formal dinner given to HM The Queen Elizabeth II on her Hawaiian visit.  Although most people associate tartans with Scotland, they are popular in multiple Celtic nations.  Dr. Nancy Smiley, MD, brought a variety of Celtic flags to the Capitol, which were gallantly flown, all day long, to celebrate Tartan Day.

Some of the tartan enthusiasts posed in front of the Father Damien statue, honoring the Catholic priest who gave his life helping Hawaiians afflicted by Hansen’s Disease (leprosy).  The victims suffered the humiliation and injustice of being banished to Kalaupapa, on the island of Molokai, beginning in 1866.  Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson was a friend and guest to King David Kalakaua and Princess Victoria Kaiulani (heiress to the Hawaiian throne). The princess’ father was Archibald Cleghorn, a wealthy Scottish financier who married the king’s sister, Princess Likelike.  Robert Louis Stevenson was the Stephen King or J. K. Rowling of his era, and he took a keen interest in Hawaii and her people. He traveled to Molokai for eight days and seven nights in 1889 to research the work of Father Damien, after which he published a scathing 6,000 word polemic attacking the way these patients were discarded like human garbage. Stevenson targeted Rev. Dr. Charles McEwan Hyde, a Congregationalist “Christian” who placed great importance on fashion and how he looked in public, but was rather hateful toward the Catholic Priest Damien, and, by consequence, Damien’s passionate devotion to the leprosy victims.  At one point, Stevenson said he wanted to stab the good Reverend Hyde to death.  A blood-soaked white shirt wouldn’t look so fabulous on the dapper Reverend Hyde, you know. The Scottish rebuke from Stevenson became the most famous account of Father Damien, featuring the future saint in the role of a European aiding a benighted and maltreated native people.

The famed Father Damien statue was unveiled at the Capitol Rotunda, almost exactly 50 years ago, on April 15, 1969. Damien’s story, as told by Stevenson, is an attestation to fiery Scottish tempers – a people who are resolute in standing against injustice, just like they did at Arbroath in 1320.  And the statue is as hard as a hard-headed Scot  – constructed from bronze. Bronze is generally harder than wrought iron.   Not many craftsmen are able to produce works like this anymore. This piece was cast at a foundry in Viareggio, Italy, an area famous for creating sculptures, dating way back to 1541.

Marco Airaghi, who recently flew to Hawaii from Northern Italy, participated in the Tartan Day gathering. “The general area of Switzerland/Italian Alps/Austria is now accepted by anthropologists as being the aboriginal home of the Celtic peoples,” Airaghi said. “I’m a citizen of Italy, but Celtic passion runs deep in my soul, and these Hawaiian Celts are so much fun!  They exhibit a lot of integrity, they work very hard, and they are highly compassionate. I like that.”

Follow the author at facebook.com/ILoveAnton.

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