Curtain raises on HK Wine and Dine Festival
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Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival - the opening spectacle of the Hong Kong Food and Wine Year Spotlight Events organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), takes place this evening and the next two days (30 October through 1 November) on the West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade.
The launch ceremony was performed by The Honourable Mr John Tsang, Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Mrs Rita Lau Ng Wai-lan, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development; Mr James Tien, Chairman of the HKTB; Miss Yvonne Choi Ying-pik, Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Commerce, Industry and Tourism); Mr Bruno Lacoste, Vice-President of the Chamber of Industry of Bordeaux, the co-organiser of Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival; Mr Stephen Delaux, Deputy Mayor of Bordeaux; Mr Alain Vironneau, President of the Conseil Interprofessionel du vin de Bordeaux; Dr Allan Zeman, Chairman of Lan Kwai Fong Association and Adviser of the Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival; and Mr Y C Koh, Chief Executive Officer, Greater China and Southeast Asia of American Express International, Inc, representative of the presenting sponsor for Hong Kong Food and Wine Year Spotlight Events.
“I am confident that the Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival will help promote the image of Hong Kong as a culinary capital,” said Mr James Tien, Chairman of the HKTB. “We warmly welcome visitors and local residents to take part in this large-scale wine and dine event, which is admission free. Over these three days, participants can savour wine from across the globe complemented by local cuisine, take in the stunning scenery around Victoria Harbour, and enjoy a wide range of entertainment and performances. In other words, they can experience Hong Kong’s multi-faceted attractions in one setting.”
Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival is the city’s first-ever, large-scale outdoor food and wine happening. The Festival was recently listed among the Top 10 International Food and Wine Festivals by “Forbes Traveler”, website of the famous finance magazine Forbes. The venue will host around 150 booths featuring fine wine and gourmet food. Participants can savour some 300 brands of wine from 15 “Old World” and “New World” countries, as well as over 150 food items, including award-winning dishes. Each booth will offer tips on how to best match the gourmet dishes with wines. To enrich the public’s knowledge of wine-tasting, wine talks on a variety of subjects will be held, as well as a “wine clinic”, where professional sommeliers will critique wine brought by participants on the spot.
The Festival menu aims to satisfy appetites for both entertainment and the arts. The main stage presents a different theme each night, including singing, cappella and jazz performances. In addition, for every half hour from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm, Hong Kong’s first-ever outdoor 3D multimedia show will be projected onto two facades of the Ventilation Building of the Western Harbour Tunnel. Inside the venue, a large-scale art installation - created with approximately 400 large wine cases by renowned local artist Miss Eileen Chan - will be on display. There will also be works comprising about 80 painted bottles, and overseas and local visitors can learn for free how to paint a wine bottle. In addition, there will be performances of flair bartending, music and dance, and a number of antique cars will also be displayed inside the venue.
During the 10-day Hong Kong Food and Wine Year Spotlight Events that runs through 8 November, a series of exceptional events awaits visitors and residents. In addition to tonight’s Wine and Dine Festival, during 6-8 November (Friday-Sunday), they can look for big street carnivals in Lan Kwai Fong (Samba and African drumming performances), and SoHo (interactive games and a children’s recreation area), as well as a host of special programmes sponsored by the food and beverage and tourism industries, dining offers and discounts, and loads of gastronomic and entertainment surprises.
The Hong Kong Food and Wine Year Spotlight Events is a new initiative of the HKTB. To enhance the city’s international exposure, the HKTB has invited around 250 key media and travel-trade professionals from short- and long-haul markets on a familiarisation tour of Hong Kong. The HKTB is now studying the feasibility of hosting these events again next year in order to consolidate Hong Kong’s image as the preferred global gathering point for fun-loving gourmands.
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