Palm Desert's Sister Cities bring distinctive international flare to the Art of Food & Wine. Event visitors will be transcended across oceans and borders to learn about the wonderful cultures of Gisborne, New Zealand and Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Mexico and to be delighted by the matchless art, food and wine these unique cultures will showcase at the event.
Art
Gisborne and Palm Desert share vibrant art cultures. To promote art in both places, the Sister Cities Program has been operating an Artist-in-Residence program since 2003. The program enables a regular exchange of artists between Palm Desert and Gisborne. Gisborne's Art School has been prominent in the increasingly popular "Contemporary Maori and Pacific Art" form, and the artists in both areas are benefiting from shared experiences and interaction.
Food
Both Gisborne and Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo have been in the vanguard of their respective country's culinary development. New Zealand is famous for its fresh produce, fine seafood, lamb and cervena (venison), and it is on the cutting edge of Pacific Rim cuisine, drawing distinct inspiration from Europe, Asia and Polynesia. Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, with its world-class hotels, has produced chefs of international acclaim and brings the best of Central American cuisine to an international audience.
Wine
Gisborne is known as the Chardonnay Capital of New Zealand, producing world-class, award-winning white wines. Each October, Gisborne hosts the International Chardonnay Challenge with some 500 + entries from around the world. Some of these wines will be made available to Grand Tasting guests at the Art of Food & Wine.
IXTAPA-ZIHUATANEJO:
The twin communities of Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo form a special part of Mexico. This area displays a symbiotic, yin and yang relationship between modern, comfort-rich Ixtapa - with its golf courses, manicured boulevards and deluxe hotel accommodations; and, Zihuatanejo – a relaxing environment that clings to its fishing-town roots and features open-air markets, bay-protected beaches and early-morning roosters crowing. Amazing beaches that seem to go on forever line Zihuatanejo's sheltered bay.
For more information about Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, visit www.ixtapa-zihutanejo.com.
GISBORNE:
Gisborne is the most Easterly city on Earth and boasts its place as the first city to see the light of the new day. Lapped by the South Pacific Ocean, Gisborne is characterized by golden sand beaches, pristine native bush, fertile farmland, a Mediterranean climate and vibrant Maori culture.
The Maori name for the district is Tairawhiti, which means "The coast upon which the sun shines across the water". Captain Cook first set foot here in 1769. A European settlement was established in 1831 and the town that developed was named after Honorable William Gisborne, the Colonial Secretary in 1870. Gisborne became a borough in 1877 and a city in 1955.
For more information about Gisborne, visit www.gisbornenz.com.
