Raise a Glass to Puglia in New York

A 'stars and stripes' event involving Puglia's wines and foods is planned for 3rd February. During the Italian wines promotion week in New York, Puglia's wine and oil producers will be ambassadors for 'brand Puglia' at 'Raise a Glass to Puglia'. The evening begins at 5.45 pm at the end of Vinitaly International USA, which sees the participation of some of Puglia's wineries.
'Raise a Glass to Puglia', is organised by the Movimento Turismo del Vino Puglia, and will be an important opportunity to bring some of the region's best wines and foods to the attention of the attentive North American public - giving particular importance to Puglia's wines and extra virgin olive oil. The event is made possible by funding from the Regione Puglia's Agro-Food Resources Department.
Drinking a toast to Puglia - and with Puglia - means raising a glass full of the extraordinary excellence which the Regione has been supporting for years, and not just via promotional events – says the Region's Agro-Food Resources Officer Fabrizio Nardoni – but also via strategies like the 'Prodotti di Puglia' Quality Mark, certifying and valorising traceability, widespread quality and very special typical products. This is our genetic code, and using the 'Agriculture and Quality' programme we have deposited it in a bank of skills, traditions, and experiences supported by the innovation and modernity which make today's Puglia one of the most authoritative regions in line with Expò 2015, which invites us to think about how we can feed the world's population well. Thanks to this tour – concludes Nardoni – we are telling the world about all our quality, with the enthusiasm so typical of the Movimento Turismo del Vino.
In the exclusive 'GD Cucine' kitchen showroom on 17th Street, often the setting for events, demonstrations and live culinary presentations, Puglian chef Pasquale Martinelli from Mola di Bari will entertain guests as he prepares traditional dishes and talks about their ingredients, the region and the goodness of Mediterranean foods. Together with these dishes, guests will be able to try the best wines from the MTV Puglia members wineries; not only do they express the varied wine scene in our region, but they are the perfect accompaniment to the dishes prepared by chef Martinelli, who has been working and promoting Puglia's wines and foods in the USA for years.
'After California, we're returning to the USA with this important event in New York City – says Sebastiano de Corato, President of the Movimento Turismo del Vino Puglia Consortium . Thanks to support from Regione Puglia's Agro-Food Resources Department, we're ready to make the most of this new opportunity for increased visibility and promotion, on one of the most prestigious markets for Puglian wines and one which offers them some of the greatest potential for growth. The event has been strategically planned to exploit the participation of a qualified group of wineries at Vinitaly International, and also to involve some of our other consortium members in giving our region's wine and food sectoreven greater market visibility and staying power.
During the evening, the wines will be available for tasting, matched with the dishes prepared for this special event. Wine and food expert Daniele Cirsone will be on hand to provide further information and explanations to all about Puglia's wine-growing sector, highlighting the excellent results achieved in terms of quality.
Extra virgin olive oil will be another star of the 'cooking-demo'. Oils from Puglia's principal olive cultivars will accompany the traditional food and guests will be able to taste them in all their delicious fragrance. Extra virgin olive oil is one of Puglia's best-known and best-loved products on the foreign markets, and is a key factor in increasing and consolidating the reputation and credibility of the region's entire food sector.
Participating at the meeting will be buyers, distributors, journalists and opinion leaders who want to take a closer look at Puglia's products and are potentially interested in widening their range of business.

WINERIES TAKING PART: Albea – Alberobello (Ba); Apollonio – Monteroni (Le); Carvinea – Carovigno (Br); Castel di Salve – Depressa di Tricase (Le); Duca Carlo Guarini – Scorrano (Le); Leone de Castris – Salice Salentino (Le); Masseria Altemura – Torre Santa Susanna (Br); Mottura – Tuglie (Le); Palamà – Cutrofiano (Le);Rivera – Andria; Cosimo Taurino - Guagnano (Le); Tenute Emèra – Pulsano (Ta); Tormaresca – Minervino Murge (Bt);Vigne & Vini – Leporano (Ta).

OIL PRODUCERS TAKING PART: Di Molfetta - Bisceglie (Bt); Galantino – Bisceglie (Bt); Le Ferre – Castellaneta (Ta); Maria Cristina Bisceglia – Mattinata (Fg)