VinAfrica: Italian food&wine lands in Ghana with the Cuisine Week
Accra - The Ambassador of Italy in Ghana, Mr. Giovanni Favilli, presented yesterday the Second Italian Cuisine Week in Ghana at a Press Conference. The Initiative will take place from 13 to 18 November in Accra, in the framework of the Italian Cuisine in the World. Over 100 embassies, consulates and Italian Institutes of Culture will promote Italian top quality wine, food and agricultural products for seven days with an agenda of more than 1,500 events including contests, conferences, tastings, thematic dinners, exhibitions of culinary themes and technical and scientific workshops. The events intend to provide continuity to the themes successfully developed by Expo Milano 2015 under the motto "Feeding the Planet, Energy for life" and to highlight the role played by the Foreign Ministry's diplomatic network abroad in promoting Brand Italy. In Accra, the Italian Cuisine Week will follow and blend with the second edition of VinAfrica, the International Wine Festival and Trade Show, which will take place from 9 to 12 November. Speaking at the event, Ambassador Favilli said, "We are the first producer of wine in the world and the home of many now-familiar foods, like pasta, pizza, gelato and espresso coffee. There is a growing interest in eating and drinking quality products in Africa and we believe that Italy has a major role to play. With VinAfrica and the Italian Cuisine Week, Accra becomes the capital of fine dining in West Africa and we are happy to contribute in this venture".
VinAfrica, a four-day event, will commence on the 9th November 2017 with a trade exhibition which will afford consumers, traders, and Vineyards the opportunity to interact with and understand the demands of the industry in Ghana and the sub-region. Commenting on the objectives of the International Wine Festival, CEO of VDB Consultancy & Trade Limited, concept bearers of VinAfrica, Vannessa Koko Djaba, said the event was not only going to be an opportunity for West Africa to interface with the burgeoning global wine industry but will most importantly create the basis to position Ghana as a dedicated hospitality destination specialised in services to the international wine industry. "We are doing this with the purpose of building Ghana as a hub where wine beverage producers from all over the world with keen interest, come to trade in the ECOWAS region" Miss Djaba said. VinAfrica offers the platform for producers to come face-to-face with consumers, major buyers, importers, wine merchants and growing consumers across West Africa. Italian Michelin starred chefs Silvia Baracchi and Paolo Gramaglia, accompanied by Laila Buondonno, sommelier, are expected for the Italian Cuisine Week. The Italian Ambassador will support their presence at a Gala Dinner at Labadi Beach Hotel within VinAfrica, on Sunday 12 November, and at Kempinski Hotel, which will organize a magnificent dinner on Tuesday 14 November. The Italian Business Association in Ghana (IBAG) and the volunteer group Cooking for Charity will carefully craft a special Italian dinner for around 150-180 guests at the Fiesta Royale Hotel and all the proceeds will go to the Good Samaritan Home in Adidome in the Volta Region of Ghana, a center for the rehabilitation and support of adolescents with intellectual disabilities. Koala Supermarkets will organize a special promotion on Italian products running from 6 to 18 November.
