The region's PGI-certified apples will be proudly displaying their ‘Mela Alto Adige IGP/Südtiroler Apfel g.g.A.’ certificates, forming one of the 12 categories participating in the second edition of the South Tyrol Gourmet Festival, which from 24 to 26 May, in the historic centre of Bolzano, will celebrate products guaranteed by the South Tyrol quality mark and by European Denomination of Origin status.
In the company of other top quality regional food&drink producers, the event is a major showcase for South Tyrol's two main apple growing consortia, VOG and VI.P, owners respectively of the Marlene® and Val Venosta® brands.
The South Tyrol Gourmet Festival is organised by EOS – the South Tyrol Export Organisation of the Bolzano Chamber of Commerce – with the support and cooperation of the Bolzano Autonomous Province, the Bolzano Municipality and the South Tyrol Marketing Agency. Nine groups of excellence bearing South Tyrol's Quality Mark will be featured, plus South Tyrol Speck PGI, South Tyrol DOC wines and – of course! – South Tyrol PGI apples.
Fans of the region's most famed fruit product will gather above all in the area between Piazza Municipio and Vicolo Gumer, where an orchard with real apple trees will be created. Here, during the 3 days of the festival, visitors will be able to learn all kinds of things connected with apples and apple-growing, and participate in enjoyable interactive workshops.
“Satisfied with our experience in the 2011 event, we are happy to return to the second edition of the South Tyrol Gourmet Festival. After all, apples have always been considered one of our region's gastronomic flag-bearers," states Gerhard Dichgans, the VOG Consortium's Director. "Thanks to its perfect blend of play activities, information exchange and tasting events, this festival gives us a further opportunity to make our apples better known and appreciated, highlighting their distinctive qualities" adds Josef Wielander, Director of the VI.P Consortium.
VOG, the Consortium of South Tyrol Apple-growing Cooperatives, is Europe's biggest apple producer. It is made up of 16 different cooperatives, plus a 17th devoted solely to organic produce. Founded in 1945, it can currently count on 5,200 member families, which every year gather roughly 600,000 tons of apples from over 10,000 hectares of orchards.
VI.P, the Association of Val Venosta Fruit & Vegetable Producers, is made up of 7 primary cooperatives totaling 1,800 producers. From a total of 5,210 hectares of orchards, at altitudes between 500 and 1,000 metres, the VI.P Consortium harvests an average of 350,000 tons of eating apples a year.
For more information on South Tyrol PGI apples visit: www.melaaltoadige.com
South Tyrol Gourmet Festival: www.festivaldelgusto.it
