ARGENTINA: THOUSANDS TURN OUT FOR TRADITIONAL CEREMONY TO MARK START OF GRAPE HARVESTING.

Record ID: 448989

  • Title: ARGENTINA: THOUSANDS TURN OUT FOR TRADITIONAL CEREMONY TO MARK START OF GRAPE HARVESTING.
  • Date: 9th March 1977
  • Summary: 1. CU AND SV: Grapes being harvested in Mendoza, Argentina. 0.15 2. CU PAN FROM: people wearing carnival masks TO SVs women dancing in streets and band on back of lorry. (3 shots) 0.35 3. CU: costumed girl 0.38 4. SV:PAN: Gaucho, and wagon pulled by bullock. 0.43 5. SV: man drinking wine from horn and handing it back to gaucho. 0.54 6. CU: old lady on horseback. 1.01 7. SV AND CU: people applaud as regional beauty queens go past on floats. (3 shots) 1.14 8. CU PAN: children waiting for grapes to be thrown to them by contestants. 1.23 9. CU: (NIGHT SHOT) fireworks exploding. 1.36 Initials RH/DE/MR/1640 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 24th March 1977 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MENDOZA, ARGENTINA
  • Country: Argentina
  • Reuters ID: LVACW8B3JXV2NE1JVZL2AT4GNI02
  • Story Text: INTRODUCTION Thousands of people turned out in Mendoza, Argentina on Sunday (6 March) for the traditional ceremony which marks the start of grape harvesting. The event is rapidly becoming a major tourist attraction, encouraged by the government which needs all the foreign currency it can get.

    SYNOPSIS: Argentina's one of the world's largest exporters of wine, and 50 percent of it comes from the Mendoza province.

    The harvesting festival has become a traditional event, and celebrations take place over a week. Officials estimate they cost about 500,000 U.S. dollars to stage, but they attract thousands of tourist from Chile, Uruguay and Brazil. The festival was begun by the first European immigrants who settled in the region centuries ago.

    The residents spend several weeks preparing the colourful floats and the parade stretches for several kilometres (miles) throughout Mendoza city. Musicians from Mendoza and other provinces give performances - and of course everybody drinks some of the results of previous years' harvests.

    The highlight of the celebrations for many people is the annual contest to find a grape harvest queen. The contestants parade through the streets on floats.

    Each region throughout the province sends a girl to represent them.

    The contest is decided after an exciting display of fireworks at the city's ampitheatre.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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