VINARIA to present the wine for the 2010 World Cup

fair.bg, 23 Feb. 2010

Visitors to the International Exhibition VINARIA will have the opportunity to taste the wine for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. The presentation will be part of South Africa’s participation as Partner Country at VINARIA, which will be held on 14 – 17 March 2010.

Taking part for the first time as Partner Country, South Africa will organize the official participation of companies from the wine industry sector, which has a history of over 300 years. This was announced at the meeting between H.E. Ms. Sheila Camerer, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of South Africa to Bulgaria, and the management of International Fair Plovdiv. “South Africa has been a regular participant in the International Exhibition VINARIA for the past 10 years. We have accepted with great pleasure the invitation to be the Partner Country for VINARIA 2010 in the hope of realizing the first successful partnership with the exhibition", said Ms. Camerer.”

“The Republic of South Africa is one of the major economic powers, so we have decided to invite it as Partner Country for VINARIA 2010”, explained Mr. Ivan Sokolov, Senior Director of International Fair Plovdiv. The visitors to the exhibition will be given the chance to see and taste the wine for the FIFA World Cup next year.

The South African winemaking traditions can be traced 300 years ago. Currently, wine ranks third on the South African export list. The country is ninth among the top wine producing countries in the world with yearly production of 10 million hectolitres from over 100,000 hectares of vineyards and about 300,000 people engaged in the wine sector. South African wines are in demand worldwide due to the excellent quality at reasonable prices.

“There are Bulgarian companies importing South African wines that will positively participate in VINARIA”, declared Ms. Sheila Camerer. “But many South African companies will also arrive to present their products for the first time on the Bulgarian market.”

The annual turnover between the two countries is USD 38 million, South Africa having a trade balance surplus. The South African Ambassador expects VINARIA to give a boost to the economic relations between the two countries.