The third edition of Barcelona Wine Week (BWW) kicked off this Monday at Fira de Barcelona's Montjuïc venue with record figures: 828 exhibiting wineries ---27% more than in 2022---, 70 quality seals and designations of origin (DO), and over 20,000 accredited attendees.
This Monday, two of the main attractions have been the tasting of cavas produced by wineries that have achieved the new certification for integral producers of the DO Cava, and The 7 Magnificents of Priorat, a tasting guided by journalist Ramon Francàs where the seven wines from this designation of origin that have achieved the highest scores in the Parker guide were tasted. These are 1902 Tossal d'en Bou (Mas Doix), Les Manyes (Terroir Al Límit), Mas de la Rosa (Vall Llach), Clos Mogador, Nit de Nin Mas d'en Caçador (Celler Família Nin Ortiz), Clos Erasmus (Clos i Terrasses) ---the first Spanish wine to obtain 100 Parker points--- and L'Ermita 2021 (Álvaro Palacios), which will be released on the market at the end of the year at a price of over 1,100 euros per bottle. The tasting on the 7 Magnificents of Priorat has been one of the great attractions of the first day. ©TNBP "We are in a country where half of agri-food exports are bulk wines," Pagés affirmed, recalling that Spain is the third largest wine producer in the world (with 40.5 million hectoliters in 2022), the leading exporter in volume and the third in value (more than 2,900 million euros exported in 2021). "The BWW grows in all aspects and we are happy to host the entire wine sector of the State for another year," commented the Minister of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda, Teresa Jordà, who considers the fair "a first-rate showcase". "A showcase that is possible thanks to the work of the men and women who work our fields and who are the first link in the chain of the wine world," Jordà wanted to make clear. "The wine sector is the vanguard and the spearhead of the Spanish agri-food sector," acknowledged the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas. "And now it faces a fundamental moment that must be based on the search for quality, uniqueness and differentiation," Planas reflected aloud. "The key to the present and the future lies in producing excellent wines, and that they are known and consumed. That is why fairs like the BWW are so important," stressed the head of Agriculture, who also highlighted the importance of resources such as European funds to promote wine (50 million from Brussels). The Barcelona Wine Week is structured around designations of origin and quality seals. ©TNBP In parallel, Planas commented on the controversy over Ireland's decision to require all alcoholic beverages --including wine-- to label the health harms of alcohol. "This could break the single market. We believe that the conditions for wines must be uniform across the continent," insisted the Minister of Agriculture, who calls on the European Union to act to prevent a state like Ireland from "imposing particular conditions on wine consumption."