The Best Of Wine Tourism awards given annually by the World Network of Great Wine Capitals (GWC) have awarded in its 21st edition to the Haro Station District Association, Bodega Hotel FyA, Bodegas Izadi, Bodegas Valdelana, Grupo Criteria, Juan Carlos Ferrando and La Casa Cosme Palacio. The jury also recognised the Esférica Rioja Alavesa festival with a special mention.
Solar de Samaniego, a winery previously awarded the Best Of Wine Tourism 2022, was the venue for the ceremony, hosted by its president, Carlos Alonso. The main companies providing innovative wine tourism services in Alava, Bizkaia and La Rioja, representatives of institutions and the GWC Bilbao-Rioja Committee: the Chambers of Alava, Bilbao and La Rioja; Bilbao City Council and the DOCa Rioja Control Board gathered there.
The president of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services of Alava, Gregorio Rojo, welcomed the attendees. Saray Zarate, Regional Deputy for Economic Development and Innovation, and Javier Hurtado, Minister of Commerce and Tourism of the Basque Government, also addressed the audience. Furthermore, Juan Mª Sáenz de Buruaga highlighted the dedication and extraordinary work of the Best Of jury, which this year awarded seven prizes in different categories and a special mention.
Prior to the ceremony, the president of GWC Bilbao-Rioja expressed his congratulations “to these 23 excellent companies that represent the best of the creativity and entrepreneurial effort of our land”. He also underlined “the extraordinary capacity of these companies to make sustainability, innovation and talent the driving force behind the development of our sector”.
This year’s Best Of awards were presented: Bilbao-Rioja Committee members Juan María Sáenz de Buruaga, president of the GWC Bilbao-Rioja Committee and vice-president of the Great Wine Capitals World Network, promoter of the Best Of wine tourism awards, and Gregorio Rojo, president of the Alava Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services; Jaime García Calzada, president of the Official Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services of La Rioja; Javier Garcinuño, general director of Bilbao Ekintza (Bilbao City Council), and Fernando Salamero, vice-president of the Control Board of the Rioja Qualified Designation of Origin.
Best Of Wine Tourism International Award
The Best Of Wine Tourism Awards recognise excellence and innovation in the categories of Accommodation; Restaurants; Architecture, Parks and Gardens; Art and Culture; Innovative Wine Tourism Experiences; Wine Tourism Services and Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices.
The Best Of Wine Tourism International award will be presented during the Annual Conference of the Great Wine Capitals World Network, which will take place in Lausanne (Switzerland), between 22-26 October.
