The Best of Mendoza’s wine tourism awards took place last week and honored The Vines of Mendoza with the 2008 Best Significant Wine Tourism Experience award. This prestigious award is given by the The Global Network of Great Wine Capitals which is comprised of Melbourne, Bordeaux, San Francisco - Napa Valley, Porto, Cape Town, Bilbao-Rioja, Florence and Mendoza, and works to encourage international winery tourism, as well as economic, academic and cultural exchanges between these famous capitals of wine.

Around 250 bodegas compete for these important awards and the gold winners in each category are nominated to go to the final award ceremony in Portugal, competing against other countries in their respective category.

The awards were announced for seven categories: Architecture, Parks and Gardens & the Environment, Wine Tourism Services, Conference and Convention facilities, Art and Culture, Significant Wine Tourism Experience, Wine Tourism Restaurant.

The Vines won the category related to Significant Wine Tourism Experience. Explained by Sub-secretary of Tourism for Mendoza, Gabriela Testa, The Vines of Mendoza won for the originality of wine services, which gives visitors a long lasting relationship with the province and the wines of Argentina.

Congratulations to everyone at The Vines!!

For more information about this prestigious association and award, visit www.greatwinecapitals.com