Linked to the enjoyment of the very best wines, Spanish wine tourism has undergone an explosion over the past few years, supported by institutions and wineries themselves. These have often undergone wholesale renovation to become true temples of wine culture, calling in the world’s top architects to contribute with state of the art facilities. There are currently eight certified Wine Routes, with a second wave already under way to include Ycoden-Daute-Isora, the Sherry Triangle and Ribera del Duero. Work has also started on Condado de Huelva, Bullas, Middle Navarre, Ribeiro, Rioja and Tacoronte-Acentejo.
The administration is firmly supporting and promoting Spain’s Wine Routes on the international market, on the basis of an agreement signed earlier this year between the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA), Turespaña and the Association of Wine Cities of Spain (ACEVIN).
On the other hand, there is an increasing number of wineries commissioning spectacular buildings by renowned architects to give their winemaking traditions a sophisticated showcase. Some world-famous names in this context are Zaha Hadid, who has designed a winery for Viña Tondonia; Santiago Calatrava’s work for Bodega Ysios (awarded the Best Of International Wine Tourism prize by the Great Wine Capitals Global Network in the Architecture category); or Frank Gehry’s City of Wine for Marqués de Riscal.
Tour operators have tuned in to the current boom and are including wine tourism options in their catalogues. A number of specialised agencies are focusing on top-of-the-range packages that include private tours of cellars, fine cuisine and hospitality. This is the case of Cellar Tours, established by Genevieve McCarthy, who believes that “Spain’s potential in this field is huge”. There are even web-based agencies, such as Rutas de Vino, focusing exclusively on these projects. “When we started off there was nothing in Spain, but the business had already been invented and was highly developed in places like Italy or France. So it was just a matter of time for Spain to follow suite,” declares manager Cristina Alonso.
Thanks to initiatives such as these, many wineries are receiving hundreds of thousands of visitors, who add a significant plus to their revenues and prove that consumers are often keen to have a closer look at the fascinating world of wine.