Benvenuta Vendemmia 2011

The Italian wineries are ready again to welcome wine lovers and tourists to 'Benvenuta Vendemmia' (Welcome harvest), on Sunday 18 September from 10 a.m. until evening.

The 13^th edition of the event is organized in collaboration with the regional department of Agro-food Resources and Unioncamere Puglia and represents an occasion to discuss on the new wine season.

Benvenuta Vendemmia is an interesting opportunity to visit the wineries for free and participate in the events scheduled: walk in the vineyards, visit to the wineries, guided tastings. These are the seven participating wineries: Cantina Vignuolo, Conte Spagnoletti Zeuli and Rivera in Andria, Torrevento in Corato, Produttori Vini Manduria in Manduria, Paolo Leo in San Donaci and Leone de Castris in Salice Salentino. Some wineries will have tasting mini-courses and local food tastings, music shows, photo exhibitions and areas dedicated to poetry, art and local handicraft.

' Tourism and agricolture are the main strategical assets of our regional development policy. The wine & food tourism involves a growing number of people that choose Puglia to discover its wine and vice versa – says Dario Stefàno- Councillor for the Agro-food Resources of Puglia Region. Benvenuta Vendemmia is an opportunity to discover the roots of our traditions, the cultural background and the best wine productions.

On a technical level there are important results: 'The harvest 2011 in Puglia will have a -10% in quantity compared to 2010 – says Leonardo Palumbo, President of the Oenologists' Association for Puglia, Basilicata and Calabria – thanks to the uprooting of about 11.000 hectares and the 'green harvest', incentivized by the EU. We estimate a further drop in production due to the high temperature of the last 30 days.

On the quality point of view the 2011 will give excellent wines. The 6% of the production will be used for DOC and IGT wines. Concerning the market we remark a stability of prices compared to 2010'.

'An increasing number of wine enthusiasts are waiting for this event to discover and deepen their knowledge on wine & food or to spend a day with their friends and family -says Vittoria Cisonno, president of the Movimento Turismo del Vino Puglia. After the success of Cantine Aperte, in May, and Calici di Stelle, in August, the wine producers are ready to share with wine lovers the new harvest season'.

Just like every year, during 'Benvenuta Vendemmia' there will be special cycle routes among the wineries for nature lovers interested in wine-tasting organized by Fiab Ruotalibera Bari and Cicloamici Mesagne and Lecce. The event coincides with the European Mobility Week. The Bari association will start from the city and will ride along cycling routes on the Murgia hills. Cicloamici association will ride on cycling itinerary from Mesagne to Manduria and from Lecce to San Donaci passing by Salice Salentino.

Following the excellent result of the last editions, Pugliapromozione will provide wine bus services, starting from Lecce and Bari, to some of the participating wineries so that your journey will be both comfortable and safe. More details are available on the web sites mtvpuglia.it and viaggiareinpuglia.