A heady mix at 'The Grape Escapade 2006'

ETW Staff - Panjim

Lifestyle, haute cuisine and music formed an intoxicating mix during the three days of celebration (from May 12 to 14 2006), bringing together Indian wine manufacturers, eminent chefs, celebrities, tourists and locals alike.

The Goa Tourism Development Corporation's (GTDC) wine festival 'The Grape Escapade 2006' was organised in collaboration with the Department of Tourism, Government of Goa at Inox in Panjim, with a heritage building known as the old Goa Medical College as its backdrop. GTDC chairperson Fatima D'Sa, said, "This festival serves several purposes. On one hand, it provides a platform for healthy competition between wine manufacturers wanting to popularise their brand in the Goan and Indian markets. On the other, it helps revive Goa's once flourishing wine culture."

Six of India's top wine brands, five exclusive food stalls and two speciality outlets participated in the event which was inaugurated by, the Governor of Goa, S C Jamir. Tourism Director Sandip Jacques said, "The main objective of the festival was to promote Brand Goa to the rest of the world and provide an opportunity to all visitors to sample Goa as a lifestyle destination." A select group of wine connoisseurs were invited to participate in the wine tasting session held on May13 in Inox with representatives of the wine manufacturers and celebrity chefs from Goa Marriott participating in the event. Among them was India's international pop icon Remo Fernandes.

It was also celebration time for Goa tourism with the state being awarded Outlook Traveller magazine's ‘Best of Travel Award 2005’. Goa also ranked first as a honeymoon destination and as a winter destination according to a survey conducted by the magazine. Reacting to the announcement of the award, Deputy Chief Minister Dr De Souza said, "This is very good news since the award will only make Brand Goa shine a little more." He also revealed that expansion of the Dabolim airport will help in greatly improving facilities for tourists visiting Goa in the near future.

An impressive lineup of some of Goa's best beat groups and singers performed live on all three days, as visitors did the rounds of the wine and food stalls. The live bands included L'ace, Purple Rain, Second Skin, Shanti, Alcatraz, Spice Garden and Los Festakar. Besides dance performances by Jason and Sylvia and a Russian dance trio, special appearances by Lulu Fortes, Sigmund, Chico Fonseca and Zezinho and a grand finale by the fast rising Sean Oliver were the highlights of the high voltage entertainment.

D'Sa was of the opinion that the wine festival would soon become an annual event. She said that her corporation has also been planning more high profile events like this one to offer visitors a better understanding of what Goa has to offer on the cultural front. She said it would also serve to strengthen the brand of GTDC as the nodal body for promoting Goan tourism.

Explaining how all such efforts have a single goal, Tourism Director Sandeep Jacques said, "Such festivals bring out the true flavour of Goa by highlighting not just its cultural aspects but its business potential as well, from the hospitality angle. Under the guidance of the Tourism Minister, this department is constantly reviewing the infrastructure facilities in the state in an effort to take Goa to the top of the world tourism map."