Wine Feast in Cuba

One of the most relevant activities related to tourism is the Fiesta del Vino (wine feast) celebrated every October at Hotel Nacional de Cuba.

It is a very professional celebration that unites sommeliers, chefs, executives, and tour operators from all over the world in a meeting that, although being very small, exudes professionalism. It has been celebrated during eight consecutive years. Hotel Nacional de Cuba arranges this activity every year having as main goal to draw the attention of high-level tourism.

Last edition was, as many sommeliers and sales representatives coincide, enormously professional. It gathered the ideal conditions as well as enough success so that it accomplished its foundation aim: promoting Cuban wine.

Highly-worthy wines are presented in such activities. This time, there were exhibits of Bodegas Torres, Sardá, Inversiones Pucara, Halosa Group, Bodegas del Caribe, Juanita Mateo S.L., Caribecom; and it was sponsored by the Havana Club International.

This edition was attended by more than 200 people from varied fields: sommeliers, traders, executives and officials of both Cuban and foreign institutions. They said the meeting was fruitful due to its tasting sessions, debates, presentations, business and dialogue opportunities. One of the hotel’s executives expressed that this is the most important international event related to the wine business celebrated by Cuba.

In fact, Hotel Nacional de Cuba is the ¨Cuban house of wine¨ due to the reiteration and quality of this highly-professional meeting recognized by the most important wineries of the world. During these eight years, Hotel Nacional de Cuba has hosted thousands of experts on the topic. In addition, products from Spain, Chile, Italy, and France have always been present.

Timely, Cuban sommeliers – gathered professionally since 1995, considered that this event was an ideal moment for debating, exchanging experiences and tasting new wines from everywhere. In Cuba, there exist at present more than 200 people registered by their skills as sommeliers or wine presenters. They work mainly at tourism-related places such as hotels, and top-quality restaurants. Many of these specialists have attended courses in countries like the United Kingdom, and France, and have participated in different contests, wine blindly-tasting as well as in some other international competitions with excellent results.

The Hotel Nacional de Cuba opened firstly in 1930 and is a symbol of the hotel industry for this Island. This place keeps a lot of history among its rooms; and has received distinguished guests from the politics, arts, and sport fields. As a result of the development of tourism and increasing professional level of gastronomy, it is possible to find in the Cuban market high-quality and good-trading-level wines, as expressed by businesspersons of this sector.

Among them, it can be mentioned Chilean trademark Concha y Toro – number one within that South American country’s wines; as well as some thirteen Spanish wineries, and among them, Paso Condal from the Ribera Del Duero, example of winery that has several years of existence. This kind of meetings are a real Cuban delight for the senses; they are professional, perfect.

San Cristobal UK is a Tailor-Made Cuba holiday specialist and has a vast experience in organizing holidays to Cuba. This is one of a series of articles devoted to promote the Cuban Culture and to give information on what to do and see in your Holidays to Cuba.