The Ritz Carlton Showcases Querciabella at the Asia-Pacific Food & Wine Festival

GREVE IN CHIANTI, Italy, June 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

The distinction of being the official host winery of the second annual Ritz Carlton Asia-Pacific Food and Wine Festival goes to Querciabella, Tuscany's leading producer of biodynamic fine wines. The four-day epicurean affair, with the participation of celebrity chefs from China, Denmark, France, Italy and the UK, opens June 13 at the Ritz Carlton's magnificent Hong Kong property in Kowloon with a press conference and VIP luncheon featuring none other than Querciabella wines - including the iconic white Supertuscan, Batàr.

Patronage of the festival by Querciabella will be personified by Ned Goodwin MW, whose tutored tastings of the winery's award-winning range feature throughout the event program. The Tokyo-based Master of Wine could not be a more fitting ambassador given his familiarity with the estate, its environmentalist mission and of course, Querciabella wines. "While the wines hail from Tuscany's most profound soils and climes, they are melded by a unique approach to biodynamics that I find truly compelling," says Goodwin. "This approach sates me on a philosophical level, but also brings an energy, life and gorgeous poise to the wines."

Querciabella's presence at the festival is telling of a dramatic rise in interest in Italian fine wine throughout the region. "It is certainly a pivotal moment for these wines in greater Asia," confirms Goodwin, who suggests that the structural detail of wines from Italy as well as their association with a "holistic and joyous celebration of being alive" account for the appeal of Italian wines among Asian consumers.

While Querciabella has long enjoyed a well-established presence in Japan, a sharp rise in demand is now seen elsewhere in Asia, with Hong Kong in the lead. Querciabella's flagship wine, Camartina, as well as the winery's eponymous Chianti Classico are also lauded as quintessential benchmarks of quality among wine enthusiasts in India, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand.

The strategic role of Hong Kong among Querciabella's premier export markets makes this collaboration with the Ritz Carlton a natural fit. The opportunity to present the estate's wines alongside stellar chefs of international acclaim, including Mads Refslund of Denmark and Enrico Cerea of Italy, marks a historic milestone for Italian fine wine in Asia, not to mention a momentous honor for Querciabella.

Querciabella wines have been distributed in Hong Kong since 2007 by Nathan Fine Wine, a division of Ponti Group.

ABOUT QUERCIABELLA

Querciabella is a Tuscan producer of fine wine with 74 hectares (183 acres) of biodynamic vineyards in Chianti Classico (Greve, Panzano, Radda and Gaiole in Chianti) as well as 32 hectares (79 acres) in coastal Maremma. Rigorous production standards and a cruelty-free philosophy make the winery an important Italian benchmark for ethical viticulture and winemaking. The estate produces Batàr, Camartina, Palafreno, Querciabella Chianti Classico, Mongrana and Turpino. Follow the winery @Querciabella on Twitter and Facebook.

For media inquiries regarding this event, please contact:

Stephanie Cuadra · Communications & Marketing Director
 +39-345-909-909-2 · stc@querciabella.com · http://www.querciabella.com