Sol d'Oro travels to Chile and doubles up
23.07.2014
Veronafiere patronage and know-how for the first edition of Sol d'Oro Southern Hemisphere dedicated to extra virgin olive oils produced in countries south of the Equator. The same rules as for the Italian competition and the same panel leader will meet demand among the best producers in the 'rest of the world' to have assessments ensuring hallmark recognition on an international scale.
Verona, 23 July 2014 – Entries are open from 1 August for the first edition of Sol d'Oro Southern Hemisphere, scheduled 29 September - 3 October in Santiago, Chile. The new initiative enjoying the patronage of Veronafiere replicates - in the period best suited to enhancing the quality of extra virgin olive oils produced in Argentina, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa - the competition held in Verona in late winter for the past 12 years.
The request for an international edition of the competition – the most important in the world - in the Southern Hemisphere came from coming Panel Cata Chile, the sector association promoting consumption of quality olive oil on a national scale, in order to ensure for participants the impartiality and high assessments standards of Sol d'Oro.
"In recent years, olive oils from the Southern Hemisphere have begun to emerge thanks to their excellent quality, " said Ettore Riello, President of Veronafiere, "but their potential could really only be expressed to the full by being assessed at a time more appropriate to their production cycle, which is 6 months ahead of the Northern Hemisphere. For this reason," Riello added, "in pursuing Sol d'Oro's mission of promoting the best olive oil production in the world, we have given our patronage to this new initiative, as well as providing our know-how and our panel leader." In fact, Marino Giorgetti, has been involved for several months in the preparation of the panel members for the competition in Chile.
"Sol d'Oro Southern Hemisphere will allow this olive oils made in these latitudes to achieve international recognition with the quality stamp that only Sol d'Oro can offer," saids José Mingo, Chairman of Panel Cata Chile which, with the support of Veronafiere, is organising the event.
The winners of the Sol d'Oro Southern Hemisphere competition will also benefit from the promotion and communication initiatives traditionally made available to the winners Sol d'Oro awards during Sol&Agrifood, scheduled 22-25 March 2015 alongside Vinitaly. In particular, award-winning oils will be the protagonists of guided tastings, b2b meetings and walk around tastings and their tasting data cards, as well information detailing producer companies, will be included in the 'Sol d'Oro Stars' publication made available to incoming buyers from all over the world.
The special characteristic of Sol d'Oro Southern Hemisphere is that it will be travelling event. Future editions will be held in rotation in the other olive oil producer countries south of the Equator.
Panel Cata Chile is a trade association founded in 2012 with the aim of promoting the consumption of quality olive oil, the development of sensorial analysis and cultural exchange in the olive sector all over the world. (www.panelcatachile.cl). Veronafiere (www.veronafiere.it) began operations in 1898 and is today the first direct organiser of exhibitions in Italy and second by turnover, as well as among the leaders in Europe. VeronaFiere is the leader in the agricultural and agro-foods sector, with a share of relative exhibition events in the field of 45%. Over the years it has developed new areas of interest such as the building industry, constructions and transport, furnishing, sport and tourism, as well as university and professional training. Veronafiere's main international trade fairs include Vinitaly, the largest exhibition in the world dedicated to wine, SOL&AGRIFOOD (quality food show) and Enolitech (international exhibition for Wine-Growing and Cellar Techniques/Olive Growing and Olive Oil Technology) - all held alongside each other every year between March and April.
Sol d'Oro is the most important international olive oil competition in the world, organized in February every year in Verona (Italy) by Veronafiere as a preview to Sol&Agrifood. The competition aims to promote the world's best extra virgin olive oils and encourage improvements in production quality. Veronafiere has carried forwards this commitment since the early 1990s, initially with the Leone d'Oro and then with Sol d'Oro since 2002.
