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• 02 / 23 / 2008

February is again here to dress up Havana for visitors from all over the world, who come to adore the export jewel of the island at the Habano Premium cigar festival.

Hundreds of cigar lovers, retailers, scientists and producers of all continents gather in the Cuban capital for the Habano International Festival, now in its 10th edition which has become one of the most important meetings for incentive travel held in Cuba.

To be developed the last week in February at the Havana Convention Center, the venue attracts attention for its trade fair, visits to plantations, tobacco factories, tasting trials and contests.

On this occasion, the program includes the contest Trophy Habanos-Armagnac and Habanosommelier (wine-spirits-cigar matchmaker), besides lectures and conferences of great interest.

Spokespersons of Habanos S.A. recalled that the past edition had an attendance of 1,600 persons, among them 948 foreigners for 66 percent of all participants.

The countries most represented were Spain, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Benelux and France, presence and figures which are also expected this year. Representatives of over 50 countries usually attend the Festival.

This year's delegates will visit plantations in the western province of Pinar del Rio and the La Corona and H.Upmann factories in the capital.

The topics to be discussed are the architecture of factories and tobacco warehouses, women and the sector's history, and the more antique history of tobacco.

As it is already a tradition, the Festival will have a Distributor Dinner, dedicated on this ocasión to Germany and Switzerland, and the closing gala where prizes Habano of the year are awarded.

This year's sommelier contest will include a woman, Zudlay Nápoles, who will represent Cuba at the World Habanosommelier Contest, to be held during the Festival.

Nápoles works as sommelier of the famous Havana restaurant Floridita, favorite place of US writer Ernest Hemingway during his stay in Cuba that lasted for over 20 years.

The contestant won the national competition for the second year in a row, among 26 sommeliers from all over the island, who must meet the test put to them by the jury and a make-believe client. Participants display all their knowledge and culinary capabilities with elegance to please a very demanding taste.

Cuban tobacco leaves and rolled cigars occupy the market's Premium category and are exported mainly to Europe, Asia, as well as Canada and Latin America.

Source: Prensa Latina