The La Aurora tobacco manufacturing company has announced the opening of a tobacco education facility, the La Aurora Cigar Institute, coinciding with the celebration of ProCigar Week (21-26 February 2016) in Santiago de los Caballeros. The tobacco school is on the second floor of the La Aurora cigar factory in Santiago, the Dominican Republic’s cigar country capital.
As the new institute’s main attraction, the courses on all aspects of cigars and tobacco education will be taught by some of the Dominican Republic’s leading experts in the field. There will be sessions on tobacco plant varietals, soils and cultivation, as well as more theoretical topics like the history of tobacco and its socio-economic role in the Dominican Republic. Practical coursework will include lessons on rolling, blending, cigar tasting and food-and-drink pairing, reports Cigar Aficionado.
The lecturers will include Angel Daniel Nunez (former president of General Cigar Co.), Benjamin Menendez, (former senior vice president at General), La Aurora president Guillermo Leon and La Aurora master blender Manuel Inoa.
As reported, typical courses run three days, with students eligible to receive a certificate of accreditation upon successful completion of the coursework and a final knowledge assessment. However, shorter courses have also been designed for students with only a few hours to spare.
The first block of full-day courses at the new La Aurora Cigar Institute will run from February 29 to March 2. More will be scheduled throughout the year.
The cigar and tobacco museum on the La Aurora site are also part of its factory tour program. The museum showcases not only the history and milestones of the La Aurora Cigar Co., but also the Dominican cigar industry as a whole.
Taking a course at the new institute is a way of combining a vacation with the learning experience about cigars.
Source: http://dr1.com/travelnews/archive/2016/tnews022316.html
