(PRWEB) March 13, 2006 — The Concours Mondial de Bruxelles the world-renowned international wine and spirit tasting competition, has decided to uphold its international character and go beyond its borders by holding this year's event in Lisbon, Portugal. The event will take place April 21, 22, and 23.
The Concours Mondial de Bruxelles started in 1994 in Brussels, Belgium and has grown significantly over the past six years, establishing itself as the international reference on wine and spirits. Portugal, a country well anchored in the international scene and with a long winegrowing tradition, was a natural choice for this grand premier. The tasting sessions will take place at Lisbon's Pavilhao Atlantico, which was the venue for World's Fair in 1998.
The Concours Mondial de Bruxelles is comprised of over 5,000 entries with 200 professional judges from 40 countries. The judges are carefully chosen wine professionals such as oenologists, specialty wine and gastronomy journalists, and representatives of the wine-producing sector. Thirty percent of the entries will receive medals that signify them as the world's best. In 2005, a total of 1,393 medals were awarded. The categories for medals in the wine competition are grand gold medals, gold medals and silver medals. The categories in the spirits competition are gold, silver, and bronze medals.
Portugal's Lisbon region has hosted many other festivals including the Music Festival of São Roque, the Cascais jazz festival, Ballet Nights in Olga de Cadaval Cultural Centre in Sintra, and the National Gastronomy Festival in Santarém. The region also offers a variety of wine routes, which are good ways to discover its wine, culture and traditions.
Lisbon itself is a fascinating European capital that combines its proud and historical past with a sophisticated and lively present. It is considered the new capital of cool in Europe with its famed fado houses, high energy nightlife, fashion boutiques, and authentic 1920s yellow trolley cars. Lisbon has many restaurants for all tastes and budgets from traditional Portuguese to the most refined international cuisine.
Its famous sites include the Jerónimos Monastery and the Belém Tower, both classified as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO; Saint Jorge Castle, Padrão dos Descobrimentos, BasÃlica da Estrela, São Roque Church and the Necessidades Palace. Lisbon also has a wide variety of museums including the National Coach Musuem, the National Tile Musuem, the National Musuem of Ancient Art, the Popular Art Musuem, and the National Costume Musuem.
For more information, visit www.concoursmondial.be. The results of the Concours Mondial 2006 will be available at the end of April.
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