The Wines of Portugal will be the on spotlight of Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair, from 5 to 7 November. More than 500 national wines and about fifty companies will be promoted in the event that will also organize 12 seminars dedicated to the Portuguese wines. As guest country, Portugal offers a Gala Dinner with a Portuguese Fado show and a rare wine auction, for about 300 guests, with the presence of the most influential personalities of the market and the Asian media. The Marketing Director at Wines of Portugal, Nuno Vale, and the Consul of Portugal in Hong Kong and Macau, Vítor Sereno will attend the Gala Dinner on 5 November at 8 pm, in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Portuguese wines will also be promoted in Japan, next 10 November, at Meiji kinenkan during a special dinner dedicated to the jury of Sakura competition. The dinner will be attended by the Ambassador of Portugal in Japan and the delegate of AICEP. Sakura - Japan Women's Wine Awards, is a wine competition with a panel of judges composed exclusively of women sommeliers. The main purpose of the dinner is to create awareness about the high quality of Portuguese gastronomy. In this way, will be harmonized 23 Portuguese wines with five varieties of Japanese cuisine (entry, sushi, tempura, meat dish and dessert). The 50 judges will select the wine that goes best with every dish. China and Japan are strategic and priority markets for the Wines of Portugal. In 2014, Portugal exported 9.5 M € of wine to China, 6.2 M€ to Macau, 5.3M € for the Japanese market and 2.2 M € to Hong Kong. The Wines of Portugal promotion plan result on an excellent performance of China, in the 1st half of 2015 with an annual growth of 58.2% in value reaching 6M€ . The exports in Japan increase 6.7%, reaching 2.8M€, with an excellent average price, and volume growth for Hong Kong and Macau. Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair Program 5th November 11am to 11.30am Opening session chaired by the representatives of Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and ViniPortugal, with a brief introduction of Portuguese wines by Master of Wine Debra Meiburg 12pm to 1pm Treasures of Europe's West Coast - The Atlantic influence - speaker Marta Galamba, Wine Educator of ViniPortugal 3p.m to 4pm Portuguese wines Awarded at IWSC - Speaker Ewan Lacey, Managing Director IWSC 4pm to 5pm Discover the Tresures of Portugal’s Interior – Continental Influence - speaker Marta Galamba, Wine Educator of ViniPortugal 6th November 11am to 12pm Grand Producers - Great Stories - Speaker Marta Galamba, Wine Educator of ViniPortugal 12pm to 13pm Portuguese wines winners of IWSC - Speaker Ewan Lacey, Managing Director of IWSC 3pm to 4pm To talk with Portuguese Producers 4pm to 5pm Sweet wines, Sweet Treasures - speaker Marta Galamba, Wine Educator of ViniPortugal 5pm to 6pm Book presentation and autograph session: "The Port Wine delight - the story of a single fortified wine" led by João Paulo Martins, a journalist and critic of Portuguese wine 7th November 11am to 12pm Conversation with Portuguese Winemakers 12pm to 13pm Portuguese wines awarded at the IWSC, representing the IWSC 5pm to 4pm Sweet wines, Sweet Treasures - speaker Marta Galamba, Wine Educator of ViniPortugal