South Florida will get a taste of Tuscany next week as businesses from the Italian region's food, wine and fashion industries visit Coral Gables for a three-day exhibition of their merchandise.

The Wine & Fashion Florence event will include fashion shows, culinary demonstrations, wine and olive oil tastings, movie screenings and information on trips to the region made popular in the 1996 bestseller Under the Tuscan Sun.

While open to the public, the events Thursday-Nov. 21 at the Biltmore Hotel also serve a larger purpose: strengthening ties between South Florida and Tuscany in hopes of benefiting both economies.

The Florentines -- Florence is the principal city of Tuscany -- want to sell more olive oil, jewelry, handbags and other merchandise in the United States and Latin America. Miami-Dade business boosters, meanwhile, would like to see Tuscan companies open sales and distribution offices here, bringing money and jobs with them.

``We are trying to expand upon a new industry cluster here, the fashion cluster,'' said Frank Nero, president of Miami-Dade's economic development agency, the Beacon Council. ``The ultimate long-term goal here is to create a fashion district somewhere in Miami-Dade County.''

EVENT'S GOAL

The goal is to build upon the fashion firms already here. For example, shoe and handbag maker Salvatore Ferragamo has a Latin America and Caribbean headquarters here, as does jeweler Cartier. The Beacon Council has been courting such firms not only in Tuscany but also in other regions of Italy and France.

Many multinational firms like Miami as a sales and distribution base because it offers convenient air and sea access to Latin American, European and U.S. markets.

Nero said it was the Italians' idea to bring food and wine as well as fashion to next week's event.

The event will include a ceremonial signing of six letters of intent to collaborate on projects in business, culture and education. Eight Italian mayors will be present, along with Florentine business people.

After the show, a Florentine business coalition wants to open a shop somewhere in Miami-Dade to permanently showcase products. Visitors will be able to buy jewelry, olive oil, wine, handbags and other merchandise either for personal use or in large lots for resale. The Italians are now looking at possible sites for the shop. Meanwhile, the Italian firms will meet with potential local customers such asrestaurants, cruise lines and hotels at next week's event.

A `WELL-ADVANCED' CITY

``Miami has become an increasingly important crossroads between North and South America and a city well-advanced in many fields of economic, social and artistic life,'' said Marco Mairaghi, the mayor of Pontassieve and one of the official visitors.

``This edition of Wine & Fashion Florence can be an opportunity to achieve stable and permanent relations between us, increasing the exchange and mutual understanding. I have no doubt that we will succeed.''

For a detailed schedule of the exhibition go to www.beaconcouncil.com/events.

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