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ALFREDO AZCARATE VARELA
THE BAJA POST/EDITOR
The forty-third World Congress of Vine and Wine, national and international authorities and organization expressed their appreciation to Ensenada Mayor Armando Ayala Robles, for all the hard work that he and his team have put up in order for this great event to happen, and it was inaugurated Monday October 31.
The opening ceremony was held at the Baja California Center, and the Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Government of Mexico, Víctor Manuel Villalobos Arámbula, highlighted the combination of public and private order for the development of this important congress that brings together representatives from 48 countries.
He stressed that, thanks to the sum of efforts, Ensenada is the main venue of the most important event of the international wine industry, which, he assured, makes the name of Mexico shine all over the world, with an oenological tradition dates back to 1593, the year in which the first winery in Mexico, located in Parras de la Fuente, Coahuila was started.
Secretary Villalobos pointed out that currently, Mexico is among the countries with the highest wine production in the world. It has 14 producing states with more than 8 thousand 600 hectares planted with wine grapes and 400 wineries, Ensenada being the municipality with the highest production nationwide.
“In Mexico we have six internationally recognized wine routes, one of which is Ensenada, considered the second best place in the world to drink the highest quality wines,” said Villalobos Arámbula.
Governor Marina del Pilar acknowledged the role of women in the wine industry all over the world, mainly: oenologist Laura Zamora, with more than 40 years of experience and the largest number of liters of wine produced in Mexico; the renowned oenologist Lourdes Martínez; the chemist Alberta Ceja; and, the producers Diana Nava, Yahaira Varo and Nicole Martain, were among the women that Governor Avila mentioned.
Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda welcomed diplomats and OIV members from: Algeria, Morocco, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, Armenia, Lebanon, Azerbaijan, India , Israel, Russia, Uzbekistan, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Slovakia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, Spain, France, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Turkey, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro , Norway, the Netherlands, Portugal, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia, Sweden, the Republic of North Macedonia, Australia, New Zealand, and the Ukraine.
Luigi Moio, president of the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV), thanked Mexico for its hospitality in receiving more than one thousand 600 producers, academics, scientists, oenologists, sommeliers and wine experts who participate in the work that they will conclude on Friday, November 4.
He highlighted the impulse Governor Marina del Pilar and the Ensenada Mayor, to consolidate this scientific-technical event in which the production of grapes is promoted in a sustainable way, responsible consumption and the well-being of the producing families.
The president of the OIV indicated that this edition would analyze the various challenges facing the sector, such as climate change, the effects generated by COVID-19 and the impact of the conflict in Eastern Europe, whose hardships on agribusiness affect the international wine industry.
Musical and dance numbers were presented at the inaugural event, including those of the Ensenada Folkloric Ballet; subsequently, Pau Roca, director of the OIV, gave a master conference.
