NEW YORK, May 29, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The numbers at the début of Grandi Langhe DOCG speak for themselves: three spring days, six charming locations, 250 producers showcasing 600 fine wines for over 250 selected buyers.
For the first time in Langhe and Roero region, the wine and the tourism industries have joined forces to create a great event dedicated to industry experts. It was organised by the Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Roero (Consortium for the Protection of Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe and Roero), in association with the Consorzio Turistico Langhe Monferrato Roero (Langhe Monferrato Roero Tourist Consortium) and the Ente Turismo Alba Bra Langhe Roero (Alba Bra Langhe Roero Tourist Board), as well as with the support of the Piedmont Regional Authority.
Held on May 5 to 7, the event allowed Italian and foreign trade professionals, importers, journalists, wine merchants, restaurant and hotel owners and sommeliers to discover the great DOCG wines of the Langhe region - Barolo, Barbaresco, Diano d'Alba, Dogliani, Roero and Roero Arneis - directly at their various origins, Monforte d'Alba, Dogliani, Neive, Canale, La Morra and Barolo, as well as to meet the producers and to solidify new trade relationships.
The 250 registered buyers arrived in the Langhe region from China, Russia, the USA, Australia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, France, Holland and the UK, as well as from around Italy. They were warmly welcomed by the Tourist Consortium and offered superb support throughout their stay. The Tourist Consortium also coordinated the logistics of the event: from setting up the six locations for the event to catering for the participants utilizing high level chefs, hostesses, and floor staff, as well as providing clear road signage and even offering a free shuttle service, which allowed guests to reach the event locations and taste the wines without worrying about driving.
Pietro Ratti, chairman of the Consortium for the Protection of Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe and Roero said, "succeeding in bringing trade professionals from all over the world to our territory was a real achievement and makes us very hopeful about future events. It's a date for 2015".
Ferruccio Ribezzo, chairman of the Langhe Monferrato Roero Tourist Consortium said, "Grandi Langhe DOCG is an important event for our region. For the first time, wine and tourism have worked together as a single steering committee to create a joint promotional initiative that will bring success and recognition for both industries. Visitors from around the world who are curious to find out more about our great wines have been given the opportunity to discover the origins of these fine products, appreciating all that the locations have to offer in terms of tourism too. We firmly believe that this project is an important showcase and opportunity for promotion."
The excellent cooperation between the insight of the Protection Consortium and the logistical organisation of the Tourist Consortium has given rise to a new enotourism tool that is destined to become a biennial event for trade professionals.
In the photo, from the left:
Andrea Ferrero - manager of the Consortium for the Protection of Barolo
Barbaresco Alba Langhe and Roero, Elisabetta Grasso - manager of the Langhe
Monferrato Roero Tourist Consortium, Pietro Ratti - chairman of the Consortium
for the Protection of Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe and Roero, Ferruccio
Ribezzo - chairman of the Langhe Monferrato Roero Tourist Consortium and
Alberto Cirio - Councillor for Tourism, Piedmont Regional Authority.
A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=19012
