The Municipality of Ponte de Lima, the sole representative of Portugal with the project of the CIPVV - Center for Interpretation and Promotion of Vinho Verde, won a prize at the European Iter Vitis Awards.

The Prize was awarded last Thursday in Brussels to the Mayor of Ponte de Lima, Engineer Victor Mendes, by the Ambassador and Chief of Office of the Council of Europe, Zoltan Taubner, by the French Iter Vitis President, Didier Cujives, and by the representative of the European Iter Vitis Federation, Emanuela Pank. Two prizes were also awarded to France and one to Croatia.

ITER VITIS is a Cultural Route of the Vineyards in Europe, classified as Cultural Route of the European Council, whose main objective is the promotion of the cultural, historical and landscape heritage associated with the quality of wine.

The Portuguese headquarters of the Iter Vitis Network is located in the CIPVV in Ponte de Lima, a place that was established in partnership with the Municipality of Ponte de Lima.

This comprehensive structure incorporates elements alluding to the diversity and identity of the nine Sub regions in which the Demarcated Region of the Vinho Verde is currently subdivided into, with view to the promotion of wine and the dissemination of the wine heritage.

In Ponte de Lima, the Route of Santiago serves the route of the Iter Vitis, as well as the Pilgrims' Hostel serves as "Domus of the Iter Vitis Network - The Roads of the Vineyard." The objective is to develop wine tourism through the valorization of the cultural, material and immaterial heritage, of the gastronomy and of the territory associated to the wine and vine.