It’s no wonder that Argentina’s leading wine-producing province has a grape harvest party to match its numbers.
According to official data, Mendoza produces 78% of the country’s wines “hermano” and has an area destined to vineyards of almost 149 thousand hectares – in front of 211 thousand from all over Argentina.
with the imposing Andes mountain range as a backyard, Mendoza has viticulture among its main economic activities, as well as tourism, commerce, restaurants and hotels – the latter largely linked to the wine tourism .
And it is with an intense schedule of parties, offerings, blessings, public parades and a great celebration with more than 30,000 people at the Greek theater in the capital of Mendoza that the harvest ritual is celebrated annually. The event marks one of the busiest times for national and international tourism in the region, also highlighting the more than 200 local wineries open for visit.
A National Harvest Festival in Mendoza it is the culmination of festivities around land and wine, a sample of mendoza culture and traditions that also defines the sector’s next steps throughout the year, such as the elaboration of new vintages.
Officially existing since 1936, the symbolic commemoration that kicks off the harvest in the region is today, in addition to a national festival, a anthropological show recognized by the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV).
Party and tourism
The grape harvest takes place in Mendoza in the summer and mostly in March, and can last until the end of April. Therefore, the central act of the National Harvest Festival takes place between February and the beginning of March, to symbolically mark the beginning of the expected harvest.
But the celebrations begin much earlier, with smaller events in neighborhoods and districts of provincial towns.
“The party is not just an event during this period. The first celebrations started in October last year with the first district parties and then we had more than 200 events until we reached the central event”, he says. Nora Vicario, Minister of Culture and Tourism of Mendoza in relation to the 2023 party, which took place earlier this month.
All these festivities culminate in the week of central acts in the capital Mendoza, which include the blessing of the fruits, presentation of the candidates for harvest queen, investment and business forum and parades through the main streets of the city.
This year, the fruit blessing ceremony took place on the night of February 26 with the participation of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Mendoza and a choir of 136 singers. The ceremony blessed the fruits with the presence of the image of the Virgen de la Carrodilla, the patroness of vineyards, and representatives of the native peoples.
Source: CNN Brasil
Johanna Foster is an expert opinion writer with over 7 years of experience. She has a reputation for delivering insightful and thought-provoking articles on a variety of subjects. Her work can be found on some of the top online news websites, and she is currently lending her voice to the world stock market.
