Bolivian wine enters the European market with the first shipment of 7,000 bottles

A shipment of some 7,000 bottles of wine from different Bolivian wineries arrived in Belgium, which is the “first export” of this product to the European market, the Bolivian Foreign Ministry reported this Friday.

The shipment of the drink received accreditation from laboratories that “certify its export quality” and will be presented in June within the framework of “a first meeting with professional wine tasters and wine store owners” in Brussels, the Foreign Ministry said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that the local wines “have been acquired by a Belgian company and wine store that has a Bolivian winemaker.”

This initial export opens the participation of Bolivian products in competitions such as the “Superior Taste Award”, specialized in “sensory evaluation and certification of gourmet products”.

This year, Bolivian wine won the first places in the International Wine Tasting Contest held by the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Also, last month, this drink garnered 11 gold and four silver medals in the “International Bacchus Wine Competition”, which was held in Madrid, and where it was recognized for its “quality and its own identity”.

The Bolivian Foreign Ministry considered the European Union market as “the most demanding” in terms of wine quality and that it is a “great opportunity” for local wineries and producers.

Wine production in Bolivia is located mainly in the departments of Tarija, Santa Cruz and La Paz, regions in which circuits have been set up for visitors to appreciate the production process of vine derivatives.

At the end of 2020, Bolivia signed its adhesion to the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) with the vision of strengthening its industry and exploring new export markets.

A 2018 presidential decree entrusted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with Bolivia’s adhesion to the OIV and other international organizations for the benefit of the sector.

Source: EFE