It's not to be missed! If you're in Italy in the next couple of days, be sure to update your diary:
The major event of the year for Italian wineries and the whole wine industry will be the fifth Salone del Vino?, set to take place in Turin from 27 to 30 October 2005.
This claim is based on publicity and marketing reasons as well as an extraordinary concomitance of events, which will make the Salone del Vino an effective anti-recession lever for winegrowers and winemakers hoping to exploit the current recovery in consumption and relaunch sales in several export markets.
Publicity factors can be summed up in the fact that this year's Salone del Vino will host the awarding of the “Tre bicchieri? ("Three Glasses") by the Gambero Rosso?-Slow Food wine guide, the most prestigious and authoritative acknowledgement bestowed upon quality Italian wines. And this will take place at a time when Turin is in the international spotlight.
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For wineries, the Salone del Vino confirms to be an effective tool, thanks also to the international workshop, which will again take place this year, offering the wineries that have signed up a chance to meet the most important buyers from around fifteen countries: from already established markets, which however need to be further stimulated, to emerging markets like Asia and Eastern Europe, where assertive marketing actions need to be taken.
» Full Story (pending archive update)
Yet another Italian festival I'm missing out on... *sigh*