Great Wine Capitals Bilbao-Rioja hosted a new edition of the Best Of Club GWC Bilbao-Rioja at Palacios Vinos de Finca in Nalda, La Rioja — a professional gathering that brought together 70 representatives from wineries, restaurants, hotels, and tourism businesses recognized with the prestigious Best Of Wine Tourism awards in Álava, Bizkaia, and La Rioja, Spain.
The event, organized this year in collaboration with the Government of La Rioja, has consolidated the Best Of Club as one of the leading professional forums for wine tourism in Spain. This edition focused on analyzing new trends in premium tourism and how to attract an increasingly discerning international traveler — one seeking experiential, culturally immersive travel.
Vanesa Pérez, Communications Manager at Palacios Vinos de Finca, Nivarius, and Proelio, and Juan M. Sáenz de Buruaga, President of Great Wine Capitals Bilbao-Rioja, welcomed attendees. Sáenz de Buruaga highlighted the importance of continuing to strengthen a professional community that positions the Bilbao-Rioja axis as an international reference for wine tourism.
Raquel Pérez Cuevas, President of the DOCa Rioja Regulatory Council; Santiago Barrueco and Florencio Nicolás, Directors of the Chambers of Commerce of Álava and La Rioja respectively — all members of the GWC Bilbao-Rioja Committee — also attended the Best Of Club.
Rioja Consolidates its Wine Tourism Leadership
The first presentation of the day, “The Current State of Wine Tourism in Rioja,” was delivered by Manuel Ángel Romero, CEO of Dinamiza Asesores. His talk highlighted the key findings of the latest DOCa Rioja Wine Tourism Monitor, which confirms the sector’s sustained growth and Rioja’s position as the most visited wine region in Spain — with 214 wineries open to visitors, over one million annual visits, and an economic impact of 214 million euros associated with wine tourism.
The speaker also underscored the evolution of the visitor profile, increasingly oriented toward personalized experiences, gastronomy, sustainability, architecture, and high-value-added offerings.
Luxury Evolves Toward Authentic and Collaborative Experiences
The centerpiece panel discussion of the day, titled “Luxury and Wine Tourism: Keys to Seducing the Premium Traveler,” brought together Aitor Delgado, Carlos Echapresto, Cristina Pérez, Elisa Ventoso, and Noelia Lola Fernández Garrido, moderated by Adela Pereira.
Participants agreed that the new definition of luxury in wine tourism is no longer based solely on exclusivity, but on the ability to create memorable, authentic experiences deeply connected to the territory.
The discussion also highlighted the growing importance of alliances between businesses, destinations, and complementary sectors to compete in international markets. Speakers advocated for the need to build integrated offerings where wine, gastronomy, landscape, culture, and hospitality work together as one.
One of the key messages from the debate was the need to combine international ambition with a spirit of collaboration. As one participant put it: “We have to believe we are capable, but also know how to collaborate with other businesses in other countries to reach the stages where we want to be.”
Bilbao-Rioja Strengthens its International Profile in the Great Wine Capitals Network
The event continued with a presentation by Cristina Quintero, GWC Bilbao-Rioja specialist at the La Rioja Chamber of Commerce, who reviewed the main initiatives currently underway within the Great Wine Capitals international network.
Among the highlights, she outlined the call for entries for the Best Of Wine Tourism 2027 awards. The award ceremony will take place this coming October, with the international winners to be announced at the Great Wine Capitals General Assembly, which will be held this year in New Zealand.
New lines of work were also discussed, including international training scholarships, collaboration with universities, and projects related to the application of artificial intelligence to tourism and wine tourism.
Virginia Borges, Director General of Tourism for the Government of La Rioja, delivered the closing remarks. She emphasized the importance of maintaining a strong connection between institutions and the business community in order to respond to the evolving needs of tourism and continue strengthening the territory’s international positioning.
Bilbao-Rioja Celebrates its International Success at the People’s Choice Awards
One of the highlights of the event was the presentation of Best Of People’s Choice Award diplomas — recognitions awarded by international public vote to the best wine tourism experiences within the Great Wine Capitals network.
The event shone a spotlight on Bilbao-Rioja’s outstanding results in the last two editions of these international awards. The region won five of the seven People’s Choice awards in 2025 and six of the seven in 2026.
Diplomas were presented to:
Brittany Ferries — People’s Choice Wine Tourism Services 2026
Boroa Jatetxea — People’s Choice Gastronomic Experiences 2025
Palacio Arriluce — People’s Choice Accommodations 2025
Bodegas Faustino — People’s Choice Architecture, Parks & Gardens 2026
Hospedería de los Parajes — People’s Choice Accommodations 2026
Hotel Viura — People’s Choice Art & Culture 2026
Bodegas Ramón Bilbao — People’s Choice Innovative Wine Tourism Experiences 2026
Bodegas Bilbaínas — People’s Choice Architecture, Parks & Gardens 2025
Mayor de Migueloa — People’s Choice Art & Culture 2023
Palacios Vinos de Finca, Bodegas Nivarius & Bodegas Proelio — People’s Choice Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices 2026
Finca La Emperatriz — People’s Choice Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices 2025
Riojatrek — People’s Choice Wine Tourism Services 2025
Santa María de Briones Hotel — People’s Choice Accommodations 2023
The Best Of Club Bilbao-Rioja is driven by the Chambers of Commerce of Bilbao, Álava, and La Rioja; the Bilbao City Council; and the Regulatory Council of the DOCa Rioja, within the framework of the Great Wine Capitals international network. Since its founding in 2020, the event brings together Best Of Wine Tourism award recipients annually to promote the exchange of experiences, innovation, and excellence in wine tourism.
Text by Liz Aldayturriaga
Photos by La Rioja Chamber of Commerce and GWC Bilbao-Rioja
For more information about Bilbao-Rioja, visit Bilbao-Rioja Great Wine Capitals