First Cuban sommelier delegation to tour California wine country in July
SONOMA, Calif., July 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The first-ever delegation of sommeliers from the country of Cuba have received their travel visa's and will participate in a wine buying tour of California from July 20-26th. Hosting this group of 19 sommeliers is the California based non-profit, Californians Building Bridges (CBB). CBB was formed in 2010 to expand humanitarian and cultural exchanges between Cuba and California. The delegation will begin their tour in San Francisco before heading north to Sonoma County and Napa Valley. Leading California vintners and wine trade associations will interact with the Cuban sommeliers throughout the week, presenting educational seminars on California's wine appellations and offering them export-ready wines to purchase. Recent changes in Cuba have opened new distribution channels for US agricultural products including wine. This trip marks a milestone in Californian-Cuban agricultural trade and business relations.
Californians Building Bridges founder Darius Anderson has been eagerly awaiting this opportunity; "CBB is so pleased to be hosting this first ever Cuban Sommelier delegation to the Golden State and to return the kindness and warmth that has welcomed us to Cuba on our many missions over the last 12 years. Wine is a large part of the hospitality culture in Cuba and it's long over due for California wines to be part of this market." Anderson believes there is a critical need for a diverse selection of wines to support the demands from international tourists as well as Cuba's emerging private business sector.
For more information about this tour, the Cuban market for California wines and/or the Californians Building Bridges organization please contact Steve Burns or Josh Heiser at O'donnell Lane, llC, 707.938.9703 or by email, Steve Burns: [email protected], Josh Heiser: [email protected].
SOURCE Californians Building Bridges
Share this article