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Three ways Spain is celebrating its winemaking heritage in 2025

Barcelona Wine Week brings together the Spanish wine trade and its core buyers. db looks at the topics set to dominate the discourse this year.

(Image credit: Barcelona Wine Week)

Even for the most experienced of buyers, a trade show is an essential tool to discover the next big thing. The opportunity to talk with key players, make international connections and, of course, sample wines is invaluable.

“The pandemic taught us the irreplaceable value of face-to-face interactions,” says Javier Pagés,” president of Barcelona Wine Week. “In-person events like Barcelona Wine Week provide a unique platform for building personal connections, which cannot be fully replicated online.”

The show, which is bigger than ever in its 2025 edition, certainly offers ample opportunity to network and connect, but is also a useful barometer of the Spanish wine scene. With more than 150 experts in attendance, there will be plenty of insight from industry leaders.

The programme includes many of the current hot topics in the industry: for instance, sessions on the rising popularity of white wines and the challenges of water management.

So what might drive the conversation in 2025? db ran through the programme to find the core talking points for the week.

Old vines take centre stage

It is widely accepted in winemaking circles that older vines offer complexity and concentration, even if that comes in a trade-off for yield. Although definitions vary (the OIV, for instance, recently adopted a minimum age of 35 years to class as old vines), they have become a tool both in making and in marketing wines.

“Old vines, which have survived the test of time in excellent condition, are true gems that embody history, culture, and, in some cases, unique native varieties,” says Pagés. “This year, we wanted to highlight their exceptional contribution to the world of wine.”

Barcelona Wine Week is therefore organising a series of events that demonstrate the impact of old vine plantings.

Iconic winemakers with considerable expertise will take to the stage, including Raúl Pérez of El Bierzo and Fernando Mora of Bodegas Frontonio. Each will discuss their experiences of working with old vines.

There will also be a tasting dedicated to pre-phylloxera rootstock, some of which is close to 300 years old. The session will span centuries and a thousand miles, featuring wines from Pontevedra, Valladolid and Lanzarote.

Looking beyond the timetabled tastings, the Wine Tasting Journey area from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food offers 85 wines to sample, all made from heirloom vines.

It is, according to Pagés, a selection that will showcase Spanish viticulture and terroir: “These vines represent a legacy of many vintages and demonstrate remarkable adaptability to their environment. Their deep and extensive root systems allow them to extract distinctive characteristics from the soil.”

In-depth regional showcases

The French may have coined the term ‘terroir’ but Spain has no shortage of unique vineyards – just try comparing Valdeorras, Jerez and Priorat. Barcelona Wine Week is therefore offering deep dives into some of Spain’s most exciting regions, in many instances for the first time.

The centenary of DOCa Rioja is providing the perfect excuse for Pedro Ballesteros MW to survey Spain’s most famous wine region. Through eight wines from historic vineyards, he will examine the success story of the region, which continues to evolve and innovate after a century of official recognition.

Turning to a more recent success story, ‘‘10 Magnificents of the DO Rías Baixas. The sea of Atlantic wines’’ will see journalist and sommelier Ramon Francàs survey standout bottles from the Galician DO. The region, which has seen extraordinary growth since the 1980s on the back of its signature Albariño, continues to offer exciting prospects in domestic and export channels.

There is also space in the schedule for a region that flies largely under the radar. Ballesteros will again take charge for a tasting of wines from DO Terra Alta. With a range of long-aged Garnacha and Cariñena on show, it will be a rare opportunity to dive into the details of an underappreciated region.

Celebrating women in wine

“The Spanish wine industry already benefits from the contributions of many remarkable women across various roles,” says Pagés, “including winemakers, sommeliers, critics, marketers, and climate experts. However, the challenge remains to increase the visibility of their work.”

This year, Barcelona Wine Week is meeting that challenge head-on. Faced with an industry that has historically been male-dominated, it is taking every opportunity to celebrate the leading women in the world of Spanish wine.

The first Isabel Mijares Awards, organised by industry group Mujeres del Vino (Women of Wine) will take place at the fair. With categories for oenologists, sommeliers and winery directors (plus many more) it will highlight the exceptional women who have driven success in the industry.

Among the finalists are winemakers Marta Casas (Parés Baltà), Mireia Torres (Jean Leon) and Adriana Ochoa (Bodegas Ochoa), as well as two Masters of Wine: Jancis Robinson and Almudena Alberca.

For attendees, there will also be plenty of opportunities to taste wines by leading female winemakers. The tasting ‘Her Signature Wines’ has assembled an enviable panel of oenologists: Mayte Calvo (Bodegas Bilbaínas), Laura Tragant (Codorníu), Anne Cannan (Clos Figueres) and Martina Prieto (Bodegas Prieto Pariente).

There will even be a tasting combining two of Barcelona Wine Week’s hot topics. ‘Wise Women of the Earth’ will see three women present their wines made from old vines, promoting both the expertise of women in the Spanish wine industry and the importance of Spain’s older vineyards.

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