California Wine Sales to Sixth Largest Export Market Rebound

SAN FRANCISCO — Wine Institute President and CEO Robert P. "Bobby" Koch joined Governor Brown's trade mission to Mexico City this week to help spur sales of California wines in its sixth largest export market.

One of the traditional pleasures of a Marvel Comics film is the much-awaited end-credit sequence, which usually contain allusions to plot lines from future movie releases.

James Gunn’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” which is opening nationwide on Friday, has at least one, the director confirmed via Twitter.

The footage was leaked earlier this week – a bit of a shocker because the end credits have been left off the version used at early screenings of the movie.

Even so, somebody with a cell phone or a camera at a screening recorded the end-credit sequence and posted it on the video sharing site, VK.

If you don’t want to have any spoilers about Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” before heading to the theaters, then stop reading right now.

The sequence opens on the principal villain in the movie, Benicio del Toro’s character, The Collector, sitting in the same room he was in at the end of “Thor: The Dark World.”

He looks roughed up and dejected. A dog in a spacesuit, Cosmo from the Marvel pantheon, licks the Collector's face as comfort. Del Toro’s character can be seen drinking from a bright green cup, but he says nothing.

According to multiple descriptions of the scene, a voice off-screen asks, “What do you let him like you like that for?” The camera pans over and reveals that the speaker is Howard the Duck.

The clip ends with the title card, “Howard the Duck created by Steve Gerber and Val Mayerik.”

Throughout the run up to “Guardians of the Galaxy,” director Gunn was hyper protective about what was revealed about future movies, although both Cosmo and Howard the Duck were mentioned online and rumored to be in the movie franchise's immediate plans.

Some fans are speculating that Marvel deliberately leaked the footage, either to mislead audiences or to generate even greater publicity for the film.


[readon1 url="http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/entertainment/2014/07/31/guardians-galaxy-end-credits-sequence-leaked-online/"]Source:latino.foxnews.com[/readon1]

This cuisine and lifestyle monthly is distributed throughout Mexico; in July its cover was dedicated to Mexico’s Pacific Treasure with the title: “Aquí, el mar, Riviera Nayarit y sus sabores” (“The sea and the flavors of Riviera Nayarit”).

The Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau’s office of Public Relations worked to circulate news about the region’s cuisine, one of the destination’s main attractions. As a result, El Gourmet magazine published a cover story in July, titled “Aquí, el mar, Riviera Nayarit y sus sabores” (“The sea and the flavors of the Riviera Nayarit”).

The cover was dedicated to the many flavors of Mexico’s Pacific Treasure and other delicacies from the state of Nayarit; the magazine also dedicated 20 pages detailing the Riviera Nayarit’s gastronomic offerings.

El Gourmet México is a monthly publication specializing in cuisine and lifestyle with a domestic distribution of 30,000 aimed at a very specific market and compatible with the type of tourist that visits the destination.

From the article: “Not everything we fish from our oceans comes set upon a tostada, wrapped in a tortilla or coddled in a cocktail. The Riviera Nayarit, with its characteristic originality not only in its products but also in its tourism offerings, has provided us with an excellent sampling of uniquely prepared marine cuisine, which reinvents the seafood plucked from the depths of our Pacific waters.”

The Riviera Nayarit CVB lent its support during the photo sessions that were displayed in the main section of the July issue—dedicated to seafood—, where regional ingredients, locations and chefs were made to look their best. This contributes to the promotion of the destination as a gourmet Mecca and an ideal stop for gourmands around the world.

El Gourmet also distributes its material through its online portal, www.Elgourmetmexico.com.mx, so the content is available via smartphones and tablets.

Their Facebook account has over 121 thousand “likes” and their Twitter account has another 20 thousand followers.

The many images, interviews, recipes, dishes, wines, restaurants and many recommendations make this a very attractive production, one that is still circulating around the Republic promoting the gastronomy of the Riviera Nayarit.

The city of Puerto Vallarta, which recently celebrated its 96th birthday, has once again ranked as a “Top City in Mexico, Central and South America” in the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2014 readers’ survey announced on July 24t in New York. Now on its 19th edition, the World’s Best Awards survey results reveal rankings of hotels, cities, islands, airlines, tour companies, spas, and more, based on readers’ ratings in a range of categories.

Travel + Leisure readers first added Puerto Vallarta to this exclusive list in 2011 as one of their top travel experiences to be had around the globe. Since then the destination has moved from number 8 on the list to 7 in 2012 and 5 in 2013. This year’s position at number 4, puts Puerto Vallarta ahead of it city Rio de Janeiro and right behind international destinations Buenos Aires, Cuzco and Mexico City which took the top spot on the list.

“We are very proud and honored to be recognized by the readers of Travel +Leisure in this category,” said Rolando Miravete, Executive Director of the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board. “Puerto Vallarta is one of Mexico’s leading destinations because, as the readers note, our travel experience is one of the most rewarding to people of all ages and backgrounds. Our guests are people who like to experience nature, culture, gastronomy, life and they find it on a daily basis in Puerto Vallarta.

Surrounded by the Bay of Banderas and embraced by the Sierra Madre mountain range, Puerto Vallarta is divided into the luxurious section of its Marina, its indulgent hotel zone and its historic downtown and Zona Romantica. With over 365 restaurants, foodies and adventure seekers will find activities to experience at any level.

Puerto Vallarta is one of the most acclaimed destinations in Mexico and continually receives accolades from the media and visitors alike. Tripadvisor’s consumer base of more than 2 million monthly named it #2 overall best Mexican destination for the 2014 Traveler’s Choice Award and US News & World Reports selected Puerto Vallarta as "#2 Best Place to Visit in Mexico” #3 “Best Beaches in Mexico” and #4 “Best Spring break Destination" in January of this year.

For more information please visit: Visit Puerto Vallarta

Dance presentations, live music, tastings, drinks and plenty of fiesta will take over the Marina Nuevo Vallarta August 1-2. The purpose is to promote local businesses and dance academies.

The celebrity has visited Punta Mita several times—specifically Casa Aramara, where her friend Joe Francis owns property. During her last visit she enjoyed the St. Regis Punta Mita Beach Festival; she even created a “Party in Punta Mita Mexico” in her virtual game.

It’s hard to resist the natural charm and the luxury offered by Punta Mita, also known as the Riviera Nayarit’s Glamour Peninsula. Kim Kardashian fell prey once again, as she returned to spend a few days of her summer vacation at Mexico’s Pacific Treasure.

The socialite returned to the property owned by her friend Joe Francis at Casa Aramara, located on the southern coast of Nayarit. Here she spent a week enjoying the sun, the sand and the local cuisine.

Just a few minutes after noon on Thursday, July 24th, Kim posted a picture with her husband, Kanye West, and their friend, Joe Francis, on her Facebook profile, where she has more than 22 million followers.

“Heaven on Earth! Thank you @realjoefrancis for letting us stay at Casa Aramara!” wrote Kardashian. Right after she posted a shot of her laying in front of the pool saying “Last day to get my tan in…”

“I believe that Kim Kardashian said it best when she said that Casa Aramara in Punta Mita is “Heaven On Earth”,” said Joe Francis to the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB). “Everyone who has ever been to Punta Mita has said the exact same thing. Punta Mita in the Riviera Nayarit, Mexico is truly Heaven on Earth.”

This time Kim’s trip coincided with the dates set for the Punta Mita Beach Festival at the St. Regis Punta Mita Resort, where she drank two Beach Tubas, the destination’s signature drinks prepared by the Riviera Nayarit’s mixology ambassador, Israel Díaz.

“The St. Regis has always received VIPs including celebrities like Kim Kardashian, who come to enjoy our personalized service and the top-notch amenities offered by the resort,” said Carl Emberson, General Manager of the resort. “To be one of their top options for R&R is an acknowledgement for the hotel, which confirms the positioning of Punta Mita within the Riviera Nayarit as the most exclusive beach destination in Mexico.”

So important is Punta Mita for Kim, that in her virtual sim game she created a scene called “Party in Punta Mita Mexico,” which has already been liked by 39 thousand “likes” and over 350 shares.

In another confirmation of Punta Mita’s fame among celebrities, the Brazilian model Alessandra Ambrosio visited the Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita the weekend before last.

The metamorphosis phase of Café des Artistes del Mar has come in to its best, the end of an amazing story has been reach by the change, a great change that intentionally was been executed time after time, considering our every day clients requests in Punta de Mita and Puerto Vallarta,

Travel by P.L. Howard, West Hollywood, California

MEXICO – Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific coast is just 976 miles from Los Angeles and a two hour and 45 minute flight. These two facts are just the tip of the iceberg of what makes this gay paradise on the bay so appealing – not only those from West Hollywood but for gay travelers from around the world.

The LoThe lobby at Signature by Pinnacle. Photo by P.L. Howard

After all, Puerto Vallarta offers a vacation experience for the LGBT traveler that is pretty much unmatched anywhere in the world. An expansive “Gay Beach” with multiple resorts and beach clubs; they all offer full food and liquor service, plus over 20 LGBT nightlife venues to enjoy steps from the beach. Though this wasn’t my first time to this charming, romantic cobble stone city on Banderas Bay, it certainly was my most memorable in part because of the new luxury condominium accommodations they call Signature by Pinnacle just two blocks from the water’s edge of Los Muertos beach. Located at the epicenter of the gay Zona Romantica I was walking distance to all restaurants, clubs, bars lounges, theater and so much more just steps away from my door.

My accommodations were made possible by browsing multiple search engines of travel where I found this 2 bedroom 2 bath condo thru the local PVRPV rental site on a summer special and then verified the complex had a ranking of # 2 out of 119 accommodations on Trip Advisor

Making Mexican Coffee in the restaurant. Photo by P.L. Howard

In the past decade it’s been almost impossible to find modern luxury with an old world charm in the romantic zone. Leave it to a Canadian developer who moved down here nearly a decade ago to see the advantage of tearing down a straight strip club on a hill in the gay neighborhood and construct a first class residence filled with its owners and an abundance of very sexy guys from around the globe.

Boasting a very successful happy hour lobby bar it’s become the meeting place for the gay traveler in just 10 short months.

The two-story atrium lobby comes complete with all the vacation delights a guest could want – including a wraparound infinity pool to a swim up bar and a full sized gym, massage room, steam room and foot spa just steps away. Happy hour brings us the renowned margarita drinks of bartender Manny whose specialty is to make sure you are “feeling” the full PV experience after only one of his drinks.

Oh and let’s not forget – fantasy land lobby overlooks the bag and the most spectacular sunsets imaginable! No wonder the Happy Hour here has become PV’s gay sunset social hub! On day two of my adventure, after an afternoon walk and relaxing at the Signature pool with swim up bar, I decided one of the best way to enjoy an evening would be trying out PV’s “speed dating method of bar hopping.

After all I was here to let the stress melt away so I wasted no time signing up for a unique VIP Nightlife Experience in Gay Vallarta - a bar hopping tour with dinner! More info at www.gayvallartabarhopping.com I had a chance to visit small cantinas (authentic Mexican pubs) and the hottest martini lounges, stripper bars, dance clubs and all the many Vallarta’s fun events.

The tour included our very friendly host Christian and seven venues along with dinner and one drink at each stop, (stamina need here) and it covered the tips for all the venues and VIP access to the clubs plus discounts and freebies to use during my visit. Pretty turn-key experience and since I was staying in the center of the action and was able to walk back to “mi casa” a few blocks away and rolled into bed for a very sound night’s sleep. Day two found me using the awesome concierge services of GoGayPuertoVallarta.com to take a fabulous 5 hour SAIL cruise from the PV Marina (transportation was provided) along the Bay coast all the way up to Nuevo Vallarta and back.

This was a very large boat, with home cooked lunch provided that rivaled any restaurant on the mainland. I high recommend the fresh shrimp or fish dish – cooked to perfection. Also, drinks included specialty vodka’s mixes to wine and beer (and yes there is a restroom on board). We stopped and dropped anchor in the middle of the bay for a while and everyone enjoyed a swim 80 degree plus water.

A great eatery. Photo by P.L. Howard.

Your PV dining experiences can run the gamut from the small taco stand, to the award winning restaurant like Café Des Artistes with its romantic garden to Vista Grill with its spectacular views. But this night I chose one of my favorite on the beach two blocks from my condo; La Palapa. With a jazz band playing and the waves not far away, this culinary institution can seemingly do no wrong. Food, service, ambiance, they all come together to make for a perfect experience. I had the oven roasted best salad and the “melt in your mouth” slow braised short rib

But whatever you mouth-watering choice of food, be sure you end the night with the spectacular presentation of the making of Mexican Coffee! On my day four, after a late rise and a lazy morning a quick breakfast and coffee a block away at Coco’s Kitchen was just want the doctor ordered.

It’s a great place for people watching and healthy food and being so close to home base – one block from the condo and one block from “La Playa” – makes it very geographically desirable. This final day was dedicated to catching up with reading that escape novel purchased at the airport, Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol. And what better place than to spend some time than at the Signature Infinity pool, near the bar, the gym, the steam room and the massage spa – all of which was put to good use through the course of the day.

After a poolside siesta and a swim to the bar, the final dusk was upon all of use gathered in the lobby – and what a spectacular sunset it was! This trip offered the best of what a Puerto Vallarta vacation should be about – fun in the sun and escape from the pressures of daily life back in L.A. and lots of friendly locals. As I headed to the airport the following afternoon, I couldn’t help but reflect on how fortunate Southern California was to have such a paradise for gay and straight alike so conveniently situated in such close proximity. What with the two hour time difference, when my flight departed at 4:30pm Central Daylight Time, I arrived back at LAX at 5:15pm Pacific Daylight Time – now that is an efficient use of one’s day. What more can be said other than – plan your own get-away to PV soon! -

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Victor Hugo Sánchez, press officer of the Sinaloa singer Ana Gabriel, gave a press conference in the Auditorium of the People, to disclose details of the great concert enclosure offer next August 30.

He said tickets are already on sale and are expected to Auditorium People look at its best, given the prestige enjoyed by the interpreter, who on this occasion will be accompanied by mariachi and also vocalize ballads and pop music, a versatile and dynamic show that will feature large LED screens and where not cease her greatest hits.

"The show has mariachi, has some screens, a large LED screens and concert will be a great success," stated promoter.

He noted that the singer of 40 year career is happy to visit Tepic, after completing her current tour of the United States, a two hours concert to be enjoy anyone is expected, since prices input are accessible, especially considering the quality of the show that will be offered to Nayarit families .

"There are pockets for all there in all price ranges, from two hundred to two thousand, then I think that is accessible to all age groups," he concluded.

Nuevo Vallarta will welcome the eight finalists for this contest, during which the representative from Nayarit will be selected. The event is to be held in Mexico’s splendid Pacific Treasure for the second year in a row.

You can’t visit Puerto Vallarta and not spend significant time on the beach. So after a morning riding ATVs in the mountains, Felip and I headed to the beach near Los Muertos Pier to soak in the sun.

I’ve always loved beaches because they’re so full of life, and that was definitely true in PV, where the sights included jet skiing, parasailing, volleyball, dog walking, musicians, and local vendors roaming the beach trying to make a sale.

It was telling that I only saw one beggar on the entire visit to Mexico. Everybody else who wanted money was busting their butt, whether by cooking food or playing music or selling clothing or beach essentials.

The musicians ranged from mariachis on the boardwalk to individual guys banging bongo drums to ragtag groups of kids creating tropical beach music with percussion instruments.

The interesting thing is that the amount of tips that people gave them seemed to directly correlate with the amount of time and effort they had put in. The lone gone with the bongo? Not so many tips. The group of kids who had bongos, maracas, and vocals and played full songs they had clearly rehearsed? They made out fairly well.

Beach justice and the free market system playing out in front of us.

Also on display was the endless parade of men and women walking the beach trying to make a few bucks. They sold everything from sunglasses to flip flops to hats to giant purses. I can’t begin to imagine how hard it must be to walk around in 90-plus temperatures carrying several pounds worth of gear on your back. I’d never be able to do that.

Look at this handbag vendor – he walked around like this all day!

We relaxed under the umbrellas at the green chairs restaurant. Visiting in early June, we were past peak tourist season, so the beaches had just the right amount of people – they weren’t packed, but there were plenty of tourists and locals.

We got to kick back and enjoy a tropical drink in a picturesque setting. That’s the typical dream vacation image, right?

Even though we were in the shade most of the day, I still managed to score a nasty sunburn from the tropical rays. And in a “getting too comfortable” moment, we left our stuff unguarded while swimming in the ocean. Upon returning, I realized that someone had stolen… not my wallet, or camera, or cell phone, but my $5 flip flops. How bizarre!

It’s only in a setting like this that I could be totally unbothered by such a development. I replaced them with a (much more comfortable) set of $5 flip flops from a local store, thus contributing to the Mexican economy. And I still have nothing but good memories from the beaches of Puerto Vallarta.

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Is all set for 1st to 7th of August.

The capital of Nayarit is the host of the event the international stature, Centrobasket 2014, just sporting bringing together national basketball teams from 10 countries and over 80,000 visitors, that aare performed in the state thanks to the efforts of the Governor of People Roberto Sandoval reported on Nayarita Institute Director Physical Culture and Sports (INCUFID), David Aguilar Estrada.