Wines of Chile Held Exclusive Wine Sponsor Title at Inaugural Latin Symposium at Culinary Institute of America, San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO, Oct 15, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Three-day food industry event featured top wines from twelve Chilean estates

Wines of Chile acted as the exclusive wine sponsor of Latin Flavors, American Kitchens: Envisioning a Future of Excellence, Innovation, and Opportunity, the first in an annual series of invitation-only leadership symposia presented by the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at its new campus in San Antonio, Texas on October 9-11, 2008. Twelve esteemed Chilean wineries including Arboleda, Carmen, Errazuriz, Haras de Pirque, Luis Felipe Edwards, Montes, Odfjell, Santa Carolina, Sena, Sur Andino, Valdivieso, and Veramonte presented their top bottlings during the receptions, lunches, and dinners that took place during the symposium.

"As one of the major suppliers of wine from Latin America, we were thrilled to be involved in this program," said Juan A. Somavia, General Manager of Wines of Chile. "Chile has become a leader in producing wines that offer premium quality as well as value, and given the current state of the world economy, this is becoming increasingly important."

According to the Gomberg-Fredrikson wine industry report, 4,384,427 nine-liter cases of wine, valuing at 119 million dollars, were exported from Chile to the U.S. during 2008 (as of August). Chile is the fourth largest bottled wine importer to the U.S. and the U.S. is the second largest export market for Chile after the United Kingdom. The Chilean wine industry exported nearly 42.6 million nine-liter cases of wine around the world in 2008, valuing at 890 million dollars.

The symposium featured educational seminars, panel discussions, culinary demonstrations, and a variety of special meals and walk-around tastings that explored a wide range of Latin cuisines. Michael Green, Wine & Spirits Consultant to Gourmet Magazine, and a spokesperson for Wines of Chile, participated in one of the panel discussions entitled, Translating Authentic, Regional Latin Flavors for U.S. Foodservice: What's Working? What's Possible?

The symposium addressed the following themes:
    --  The "state of the art" of Latin cuisines in the U.S.
    --  Demographic trends in the growth and diversity of Latino populations in
        the U.S., including taste preferences and buying patterns
    --  The geography of flavors of Latin America, from Mexico and the Caribbean
        to South America, including a consideration of root culinary cultures,
        best practices, and the migration and mixing of culinary ideas
    --  The Latin market basket--the raw materials of the Latin kitchen--from
        imports to U.S.-based production, and what the future holds for these
        products
    --  Ingredients and flavor traditions, including the importance of corn and
        chiles in the foods of Mexico, Central America, and the Andean region
    --  A savory exploration of the best of Tex Mex, New Mexican, and other
        border foods; the evolution of Southwestern cuisine; the state of South
        Florida Caribbean-inspired food
    --  A look at the current fine dining culture of Mexico City; Lima, Peru;
        and other hot Latin culinary destinations, with lessons for the U.S.
        market
    --  The concept of authenticity as it applies to the changing culinary
        landscapes in both the U.S. and Latin America
    --  Latin flavors, American fine dining, and the pivotal role of U.S. food
        and restaurant critics
    --  An examination of the healthy, traditional Latin American diet, and its
        promise for obesity, diabetes, and other health challenges faced by many
        Latinos in the U.S.
    --  Boosting opportunities for talented Latin American culinary
        professionals in the U.S. food industry

The attendees at this inaugural event were comprised of influential individuals from chain/multi-unit restaurants, non-commercial volume foodservice, hotels and resorts, casinos, cruise lines, supermarkets, and upscale specialty retailers. Experts on the cuisines of Latin America comprised the event's guest faculty.
The symposium marked the launch of the annual program series: Symposia on Latin Cuisines, Cultures and Exchange, which will draw together leading experts in the food cultures of Latin America, as well as corporate chefs and other foodservice and hospitality executives who are positioned to help advance the role of Latin flavors and Latin culinary professionals in America. The leadership symposia are invitational, and will not be open to the public.

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