Wine conference kicks off in İzmir

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

The Digital Wine Communication Conference commences today in the western city of İzmir. The event is hosted by the Wines of Turkey (WoT).

Social media writers, wineries, retailers are gathering at the Digital Wine Communication Conference (EWBC 2012), which kicks off today in the western province of İzmir.

Some 350 participants, including some of the most prestigious wine, gastronomy and tourism bloggers from 35 countries, are expected to attend the event, which has been organized since 2008 in countries such as Spain, Portugal, Austria and Italy, according to a press release from the Wines of Turkey (WoT). The conference will be broadcasted live online, allowing the whole world to follow the event. The theme of this year’s conference is “source,” and participants are set to discuss the sources of wine, experience and knowledge.

The event is globally organized by Vrazon, a social media company specializing in wine and gastronomy, and will be hosted by WoT.

WoT, established in 2008, is an umbrella body based in Turkey representing the Turkish wine sector and is the result of a strategic partnership between Turkey’s leading wineries, its official website says. Its mission is to develop the wine market and culture of Turkey and to increase exports by making Wines of Turkey a generic brand associated with quality wine.

The event is supported by the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry, while the media sponsor of the event is daily Hürriyet. Pegasus Airlines is the transportation sponsor and wineglasses are provided by Paşabahçe, the press release said. The conference will end on Nov. 11.