East meets West at this year’s Miami International Wine Fair! For the past six years, the fair has included preeminent wine countries such as Australia, Italy, Spain, France, Chile, Argentina, Germany and the United States. But 2008 is an unprecedented year for the wines of the Far East as the Miami International Wine Fair welcomes the emerging wineries from India, Thailand and China for the first time.

We are pleased to welcome two new sponsors - the Sherry Wine Council and SourceWater USA.

Sherry Council of America is the official U.S. representative of the Federación de Bodegas del Marco de Jerez (Fedejerez), the trade organization for all Sherry producers of the Jerez region of Spain. Based in Washington, D.C., the Council works to expand knowledge of the unique geographic characteristics, rich cultural traditions, and generations of winemaking expertise that are central to creating the distinctive range of flavors found in Sherry wines. The Council also works to raise awareness among U.S. policymakers, consumers, and other audiences about the importance of protecting the Sherry name.

SourceWater hails from the springs at Llanllyr Farm, a historical and organically farmed site in central Wales, UK that has been actively preserved and protected for over 800 years. The distinctively clean taste of Llanllyr Source organic pure spring water has won over restaurants, hotels and venues throughout the world, gaining endorsements from many of Europe and North America’s top chefs. The Llanllyr Source ‘Still’ Water has a uniquely soft taste that’s ideal for any use. The Llanllyr Source ‘Sparkling’ Water has the perfect balance of carbonation and flavor for gourmet table serve or to be enjoyed on its own.

igourmet.com will return this year as the official cheese sponsor of the Miami Wine Fair. America's leading online purveyor of cheese, fine foods and epicurean gifts, igourmet.com has over 100 years of experience in the gourmet food marketplace. The company offers over 800 artisanal cheeses and an award-winning gift collection featuring culinary treasures from classic regions in Italy, Spain and France.

America is the leading wine market in the world with over 300 million cases consumed last year, of which some 25 million were sold in Florida alone. In 2004 Florida surpassed New York to become the second largest wine market in the country after California. In fact, wine consumption in Florida increased by 79% from 1994 to 2005, the largest growth recorded by any state. Even more reason to join us at the Miami Wine Fair!

Founded by entrepreneurs and wine enthusiasts David Bernad and Benito Besada in November of 2001, the Miami International Wine Fair (www.miamiwinefair.com) recently announced an investment partnership with Madrid-based Emporio Ferial S.A., an international event planning and production company that organizes dozens of annual wine shows, including Iberwine. The 7th annual edition of the Miami International Wine Fair is scheduled for October 25-27, 2008 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. This year over 7,000 industry professionals and wine aficionados will taste nearly 1,500 wines from 15 countries presented on more than 60,000 square feet of exhibit space. Among other highlights, the 2008 Fair will draw hundreds of buyers from states outside Florida, and will feature an exclusive Collectors’ Club for VIP consumer and trade guests.

Source: Miami International Wine Fair For additional information contact Shibani Chawla at info@miamiwinefair.com, by phone at (866) 887-WINE / (954) 581-2467 or visit our website miamiwinefair.com.