Mendoza’s Teatro de la Independencia was the scene of the region’s recent 'Best Of' Wine Tourism awards ceremony, with 30 candidates vying for the seven awards.
The ceremony was presided over by the Argentine Minister of Tourism, Enrique Meyer and the Mendoza region’s Secretary of Tourism, Luis Böhm.
Meyer stated, “It’s nice to see how wine tourism here in Mendozais constantly improving. To compete fora national award and have the national winners compete on an international level shows the great effort our companies are making. To support these activities is important forus.”
The 2011 gold award winners, eligible to compete against the winners from the rest of the Great Wine Capitals are:
Accommodation
Posada Salentein (www.bodegasalentein.com)for its impeccable background of quality, the types of services it provides,its relationship with wine and its marvellous setting.
Wine Tourism Restaurant
NadiaOF-Bodega O. Fournier (www.ofournier.com). The jury found that Nadia OF has achieved a high degree of commitment to the integration of its restaurant and wine, making an impact by going beyond local cuisine with its selection of dishes.
Architecture, Parks and Gardens
Bodega DiamAndes-Clos de los 7 (www.clos7.com.ar) for its design which has been integrated into the landscape, with spectacular views and the variety of tours offered to visitors.
Art & Culture
Bodega El Faraón (www.bodegafaraon.com.ar) Artists Mariano Pagés and Carlos Alonso have reinterpreted the history of grape growingand winemaking culture by drawing a parallel between Egyptian culture where grapes were cultivated on the banks of the Nile and grape growing in Mendoza’s south oasis of on the banks of the Atuel river.
Innovative Wine Tourism Experiences
Bodega El Faraón (www.bodegafaraon.com.ar). The jury noted that the winery itself, based on Egyptian themes, is an innovative proposal. Its visual impact, framed by creative architecture, contributes to the development of wine tourism in a new area of the Mendoza region.
Wine Tourism Services
Ketek Eventos & Turismo (www.ketekevt.com)for its innovative offer of services, among which are rescuing historical milestonesin the year of the 200th anniversary of Argentine independence. Ketek raises the value of women in wine culture by highlighting representatives in areas such as winemaking,gastronomy, astronomy, public and private management as well as showing the role of the Harvest Queen as an icon of the harvest tradition.
Sustainable WineTourism Practices
Bodega Norton (www.norton.com.ar). The jury gave the award for the number of sustainable practices in place as well as raising awareness of their importance for visitors.
Daniel Garde, general manager of Bodega Faraón, winner of two ‘Best Of’ awards, said, “this award isvery important for us because today the company is devoted to the recovery of Mr. Victor Cremaschi’s contribution to the development of wine culture and technology in a region which is still not well integrated into our area’s wineroutes. Time and circumstances have made society forget this legacy that is reactivated today by this award, which has brought a new approach to the diversity of wine routes.”
About Great Wine Capitals Global Network
Foundedin 1999, the Great Wine Capitals Global Network is an alliance of nineinternationally renowned wine regions – Bordeaux, France; Cape Town, South Africa;Christchurch-South Island, New Zealand; Florence, Italy; Mainz-Rheinhessen, Germany; Mendoza, Argentina; Porto,Portugal; Bilbao-Rioja, Spain and San Francisco-Napa Valley, USA. The international Best Of Wine Tourismawards serve as an industry benchmark for excellence and recognize leadingwineries and wine-tourism related businesses within each Great Wine Capital that have distinguished themselves in areas such as innovation, service and sustainable practices. For more information visit http://www.greatwinecapitals.com.
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