Like Russia hosted the Confederations Cup bringing together the best soccer teams from all continents and next year will be the host country of the World Cup, Chile will host the prestigious and traditional Spirits Selection by Concours Mondial de Bruxelles", which translated into soccer jargon, means that La Serena will be the host city of" The World Cup of Spirits at the Hotel Club La Serena on August 22, 23 and 24th ".
“Spirit Selection is one of the most prestigious and traditional contests in the distilled world, with 25 years awarding the best spirits of the planet. The selection of our country and the Chilean Pisco as the Spirit host is a historic milestone for the national industry of pisco, "explains Francisco Hernández, President of the Association of Pisco Producers, the group organizing the event.
Mr Fernandez added that the international event "Will also allow to show brands that are less known in Chile to the entire world liquor market, which follows this contest very closely."
The Sales Award
The importance of the Spirits Selection not only translates into the prestige associated with any brand obtaining a gold medal to be among the best quality liqueurs in the world, but also has a direct relationship with sales increases of the winning distillate.
Francisco Hernández explains "There are studies that indicate once a brand has won a gold medal in any of the categories of this contest, its sales increase by 25 percent, which reflects the importance of the Spirits Selection for the global industry,".
A Reward for the Region
The arrival to La Serena of 80 tasters of worldwide prestige, whose origin surpasses twenty countries, not only has the objective to reward the best of the distillate industry, but also is an opportunity for these experts to know and promote Chile, the local areas of pisco, its landscapes and, above all, the culture that revolves around the production of pisco.
These juries will learn about the Chilean pisqueras in the field and will impregnate themselves in situ of all the cultural impact that has generated in the region to be the only zone recognized by law, granted by the Denomination of Origin, that can produce the distillate with the name "Pisco ".
"This is a recognition not only for the Chilean pisco, but also for Chile and the pisco producers regions. The Spirits Selection has as one of its objectives to enhance the area, making the local industry known to the World, including its culture, promoting the tourism which is invaluable for the Third and Fourth regions of Chile”, says Claudio Escobar, Manager of Pisco Chile AG.
Regardless of how many chilean piscos get medals in this edition of Spirits Selection, producers, farmers and all those who, directly and indirectly, benefit from this national distillate, have already secured their first and grand prize and is that the eyes of the world liquor industry will be placed in our country, La Serena and the chilean pisco, which will mark a before and after in the process of internationalization of this traditional national drink.
Carlos Furche, Minister of Agriculture "I am sure that the Spirits Selection will contribute to spreading and consolidating the product development that this region has had, since it is an internationally recognized event. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase our Pisco known which is a product of great quality and tradition conquering new and demanding markets."
"In addition, the attention generated by this event will help to promote tourist attractions: beaches, observatories, famous valleys such as Elqui, the development of local agriculture and culture." Commented Carlos Furche.
Alejandro Buvinic, Director of ProChile "The pisco is part of the identity and national heritage. With over 500 years of history, it is an icon of the Coquimbo and Atacama regions, a product of the arduous work of more than 2,800 producers of pisco grapes.
As ProChile, together with the private sector, we have carried out a series of promotional activities in different parts of the world, which has allowed to increase the knowledge of the chilean distillate. Today, pisco exports reach distant and exotic markets such as Bermuda, China, the United Arab Emirates and Finland, among others. In 2016 our overseas shipments reached US $ 2.7 million, with a growth of 100% in the last decade.
“The honor of being the organizer of this important event, allows us to continue positioning Chile in the international markets and increasing our shipments, which conquer more worldwide consumers day by day, "said ProChile director Alejandro Buvinic.
Myriam Gómez, Executive Director of Image of Chile, emphasized that "this distillate is a symbol of life that emerges in the desert, in this case reflected in the vine, in an area where, every now and then, wonderful natural shows are produced like the Flowerful Desert".
Mrs Gomez added that it is for all these reasons that the realization in La Serena of the 2017 version of the Spirits Selection by Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, after those celebrated in Taiwan, Brazil, China and Mexico since 2013, represents a great opportunity not only to highlight the charms of northern Chile, but also the patrimonial and cultural capital of our nation.
"All foreigners attending to this important competition will be able to experience the high standards of the production processof this distillate, which are contributing to position us as a reliable exporter capable of seducing the most demanding markets," concluded Myriam Gómez.