News

In November, the Great Wine Capitals Global Network will hold its Annual General Meeting in Rioja and Bilbao.

Part of the Network is the Bilbao | Rioja Committee, made up of the Chambers of Commerce of Álava, Bilbao and La Rioja, the Bilbao City Hall and the Grupo Rioja.

From November 8 through 12, Bilbao | Rioja will host the Network’s Annual General Meeting with a range of activities related to the world of wine.

Rioja's peripatetic winemaker Alvaro Palacios was recently named Man of the Year in 2015 by Decanter magazine.

Palacios began his career at his family's winery in Alfaro in Rioja Baja but soon grew restless.  Following a short stint working for a local barrel maker, Palacios moved to Priorat, a largely unknown wine district southwest of Barcelona.  He quickly recognized the potential of the slate soil, climate and grapes of this wild region and began to produce miniscule amounts of wine that soon caught the attention of the trade and press around the world.

The 2015 harvest signalled a significant ten year milestone for Waterkloof – the biodynamic wine estate overlooking False Bay in Somerset West – as it celebrates a decade of winemaking and working in harmony with nature to craft wines of vitality, individuality and sustainability.