ACEVIN presents the awards of the VI Wine Tourism Awards ‘Wine Routes of Spain’.

Vintae Wine Fest receives an award for Best Wine Tourism Experience

The Spanish Association of Wine Cities (ACEVIN) gathered the winners of the VI Wine Tourism Awards ‘Wine Routes of Spain’ at the awards ceremony held at the Reina Sofia Museum (Madrid). One of these distinctions, specifically the mention for the “Best Wine Tourism Experience” went to our partner Vintae for the organisation of its Vintae Wine Fest festival.

Along with the 20 winners (between prizes and mentions) of this edition, the event was attended by numerous members of the different Wine Routes of Spain, institutional representatives, tourism agents and specialised press.

Fernando Valdés, Secretary of State for Tourism, as representative of one of the national bodies working with ACEVIN and the Wine Routes of Spain, expressed the will of the tourism administration that “wine tourism becomes a fundamental pillar of our international offer”. “Spain is not only the largest vineyard in the world, but it is also great in the generation of tourism products linked to this sector, in the creation of experiences”. “We are proud to have a product club such as the Wine Routes of Spain”, he said.

Taking up the words of the journalist from Radio Nacional de España, Pepa Fernández, who was in charge of the presentation of the awards ceremony, Valdés underlined the fact that wine tourism is in fashion: “It is, yes, but thanks to the efforts of companies, cities, municipalities like those who are here today, who believe in a project like this, a model of development for the territories”.
development model for the territories”.

For her part, Rosa Melchor, President of ACEVIN, highlighted the continuous work of each of the Wine Routes of Spain, “determined and convinced that quality is the sure path to success”. “This quality, she continued, together with the dynamism and belief in the potential of each territory, means that our Routes are increasingly recognised and in demand, and that excellent candidatures have been presented for this sixth edition of the Wine Tourism Awards of the Wine Routes of Spain”.

At the beginning of the ceremony, Melchor also welcomed the winners of the previous edition of the Wine Tourism Awards. “The outbreak of the pandemic prevented us from organising our awards ceremony for months, so we owed you this tribute and this recognition,” he said as they all took to the stage in the Auditorium of the Reina Sofía Museum.

The winners of this VI Edition competed among a total of 93 proposals submitted, coming from nominations from 24 of the 36 Wine Routes that currently make up the Wine Routes of Spain brand. The awards were given to:

– Best Wine Tourism Initiative: CARIÑENA WINE & MUSIC FESTIVAL (Campo de Cariñena Wine Route)
– Best Promotional Action: NO TE LO PUEDES LO PERDER (Somontano Wine Route)
– Best Sustainable and Responsible Wine Tourism Destination RED DE MIRADORES ENTRE VIÑEDOS Y OLIVARES (Ribera del Guadiana Wine and Cava Route)
– Best Wine Tourism Municipality TOMELLOSO (La Mancha Wine Route)
– Best Winery Open to Tourism BODEGAS MARTÍN CODAX (Rías Baixas Wine Route)
– Best Wine Tourism Accommodation HOTEL BODEGA TÍO PEPE (Wine and Brandy del Marco de Jerez Wine Route)
– Best Gastronomic Offering RESTAURANT LA CARBONÁ (Marco de Jerez Wine and Brandy of Jerez Wine Route)
– Best Wine Tourism Establishment LA ZARCERA DEL BARRIO DE BODEGAS (Arlanza Wine Route)
– Best Wine Tourism Experience EL HILO DE ARIADNA (Rueda Wine Route)
– Best Wine Tourism Corner or Landscape BODEGAS HIJOS DE ALBERTO GUTIÉRREZ (Rueda Wine Route)
– Commitment to Society and the Environment MONASTERIO DE PIEDRA (Calatayud Wine Route)
– Protection and Enhancement of Heritage BODEGAS ALVEAR (Montilla-Moriles Wine Route)

Along with the prizes, the jury of these VI Wine Tourism Awards Wine Routes of Spain also awarded a series of Special Mentions:

– Best Wine Tourism Municipality MORADILLO DE ROA (Ribera del Duero Wine Route).
– Best Winery Open to Tourism BODEGAS LOS LIRIOS (Gran Canaria Wine Route)
– Best Gastronomic Offer TALLER DE SABORES (Bullas Wine Route)
– Best Wine Tourism Experience QUINTA DE SAN AMARO (Rías Baixas Wine Route) and VINTAE LUXURY WINE SPECIALIST (Rioja Alta Wine Route)
– Best Wine Tourism Spot or Landscape BODEGAS BAIGORRI (Rioja Alavesa Wine Route)
– Commitment to Society and the Environment CELLER LA GRAVERA (Lleida Wine Route)

The gala closed with the special award for Merit in Wine Tourism, which recognises the work and career of a person involved in wine tourism and who has made a special contribution to its development. In this edition, the award went to José Luis Prada Méndez, ‘Prada a Tope’, from Bierzo Enoturismo. Prada addressed the audience claiming “the perseverance in the projects and the belief in what we have, in our territories, in our villages, in our products, in our wines and in our landscapes which are -he said- the true legacy and the treasure we have, what makes us different and unique”.