Collingwood, Ontario, Canada -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/1/2006 -- From March 1 to March 5, 2006, an Internet forum delegation of over thirty tequila aficionados, led by tequila expert and Collingwood Town Councillor Ian Chadwick, embark on an historic, whirlwind fact finding distilleries tour in Tequila, Mexico.
The intensive Blue Agave Tour will be filled with guest speakers, special ceremonies, and plenty of tequila tastings graciously hosted by the prestigious distilleries of Casa Noble, Jose Cuervo, El Tesoro de Don Felipe, and Herradura, among others.
"I'm intensely curious to learn about the inner workings of the tequila industry—the practices, processes, technologies, and agriculture," says Chadwick. "At heart I'm a researcher, so any opportunity to further my knowledge and to uncover new facts is one I jump at."
Ian Chadwick's website, In Search of the Blue Agave, has been the premier source of tequila information for novices and connoisseurs of the spirit for over 10 years. His online discussion forum, Mumpsimus, boasts more than 700 members worldwide including many involved in the tequila industry.
Joining Councillor Chadwick on The Blue Agave Tour are university students to business owners to management consultants. Most notable are Todd Bowen and Clark Munkel, importers of award winning tequilas Fina Estampa and Herencia de Plata; Cor and Chelle Knijnenburg of Tequila Tastings.com, an entertainment tastings conducting firm; tequila consultant and graphic artist Mark Cannon of Pocotequila.com; David Yan Gonzales, freelance writer; tequila collector and Mumpsimus moderator, Harry Reifschneider; and Mike Morales, co-organizer of the New Mexico International Tequila Experience(TM).
Exclusive guest speakers include Ana Valenzuela-Zapata, botanical and horticultural expert on agaves, and Ron Cooper, importer and founder of Del Maguey Single Village Mezcals.
Among the distillery hosts will be Jose Hermosillo, CEO of tequila Casa Noble, and Carlos Camarena, owner of El Tesoro de Don Felipe.
"I have a personal passion for Mexico," continues Chadwick. "Its culture, arts, society, language--and I really want to get to know it better."
Councillor Chadwick was the driving force behind Collingwood's Sister City relationship with Zihuatanejo, Mexico signed in June 2005.