The Bilbao-Rioja alliance joined the Great Wine Capitals Global Network in 2002. It is one of the oldest members of the Network following three of the original founding members: Bordeaux, San Francisco-Napa and Porto.
Bilbao-Rioja’s internal structure has featured the same member associations since its creation. Following the statutes of the Great Wine Capitals network, the alliance has a political representative: the Bilbao City Hall; associations that represent business interests – the Chambers of Commerce of Bilbao, La Rioja and Álava; and an organization that represents the wine sector – the Rioja Regulatory Board (DOCa Rioja), which itself represents the wineries and grape growers in the Rioja Qualified Denomination of Origin. The Rioja Regulatory Board took over its representative role from the Rioja Exporters’ Association, one of the original members.
The founding statutes of the Bilbao-Rioja alliance defined the distribution governing its financing, setting out the percentage of the costs assumed by each member organization. This financial structure, like the membership, has remained intact since 2002.
Among the many accomplishments the team is proud of is the creation of a very successful Best Of Club whose members are Best Of Wine Tourism Award winners. The Club features seminars and round tables with Spanish and international experts on topics relevant to wine tourism, especially premium wine tourism.
Bilbao-Rioja boasts a strong presence on social media channels and excellent relations with local, regional and national media.
The Bilbao-Rioja team
The Bilbao-Rioja team is made up of:
Juan Sáenz de Buruaga – President
Juan Sáenz de Buruaga was born in Bilbao and is proud of working to promote his city. He holds a degree in Economics from the University of Deusto and an advanced degree in management from the IESE Business School. Among the relevant positions he has held throughout his career are Commercial director of the Port of Bilbao and 22 years in various general management posts at Kutxabank, the largest bank headquartered in the Basque Country. He is currently the Honorary President of the Kutxabank Foundation.
Libe Txarterina – Local Coordinator
A native of Bilbao, Libe Txarterina has worked in several roles in the field of digitalization, company internationalization and business and marketing services. Her current role is Manager of Communications and Corporate Events at the Bilbao Chamber of Commerce.
In addition to her role as local coordinator, Libe is a member of the Membership Working Group in GWC.
Liz Aldayturriaga – Communications and Social Media Manager
Liz, a journalist and communications consultant, is a specialist in tourism, culture management and wine tourism. She is the communications and social media manager of the Bilbao-Rioja alliance and a key member of our team.
In addition, Liz is a marketing, digital reputation and knowledge management specialist. She teaches courses related to tourism and tourist content.
Cristina Quintero – representative of the Chamber of Commerce of La Rioja
Cristina holds a degree in Economics and Business Sciences from the University of Deusto. Additionally, she is a foreign trade specialist certified by ICEX (the Spanish Institute of Foreign Trade). Her current role in the La Rioja Chamber of Commerce is manager of the SME (Small and Medium Companies) Accelerator Program, that advises small companies on how to successfully market and sell their products internationally.
Cristina is a member of the Activities and Partnerships Working Group.
María Fernández de Romarategui – representative of the Álava Chamber of Commerce
María is the international trade specialist at the Álava Chamber. She holds a Business Administration degree from the University of the Basque Country and a master’s degree in international Trade Management from the ESIC Business and Marketing School.
She is a member of the Activities and Partnerships Working Group.
Peter Arijs – representative of the Rioja Regulatory Board (Consejo Regulador de la DOCa Rioja)
Peter Arijs is the Educational and Global Project Manager for DOCa Rioja, where he helps share expertise on Rioja wines and promote the region internationally through initiatives such as Rioja Wine Academy and projects focused on wine education and tourism. Beyond his work at the control board, Peter serves as a regional expert, conference speaker, and tasting judge, acting as a link between Rioja and the global wine community.
He holds a Ph.D. in Engineering from Ghent University in Belgium and the WSET Diploma with distinction.
Peter is a member of the Activities and Partnerships Working Group.
Tom Perry – Adviser to the Bilbao-Rioja alliance
Tom Perry has been a member of the Bilbao-Rioja team since 2002, as the representative of the Rioja Exporters’ Association.
Born in the USA, Tom has lived and worked in Spain since 1971. He holds both US and Spanish citizenship. He has worked in the Spanish wine business since 1975 and in Rioja since 1983 in several executive roles. Following retirement, he continues to work as a strategic and tactical marketing consultant for the Spanish wine industry and a speaker at Spanish and international wine marketing conferences. He enjoys writing about life in the Rioja wine district though his blog Inside Rioja.
Tom holds degrees in Economics and Spanish and a Level 3 qualification from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET).
He is a member of the Brand & Communication Working Group.
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