The Annual General Meeting of the Great Wine Capitals network recognises the universal access initiatives of the Laguardia gastronomic centre and the Oyón winery.

Bodegas Valdemar and Espacio Gastronómico Villa-Lucía

Bodegas Valdemar and Villa Lucía, Laguardia, receive the 2020 International 2020 Best of Wine Tourism Award at the prestigious gala dinner held on the evening of 7 November 7 in Bordeaux.

Un galardón que reconoce el gran esfuerzo emprendido por ambas compañías para fomentar la igualdad de oportunidades y el acercamiento del turismo vitivinícola a todas las personas.

In The caso of Valdemar, it is Europe’s first Spanish language inclusive winery.

In the case of Villa Lucía, this has found expression in the first 100% inclusive wine museum and the worlds’ first inclusive and universally accessible 4D experience in Spanish.

Annual General Meeting of the Great Wine Capitals Network

The Annual General Meeting of the Great Wine Capitals Network took place in Bordeaux between 2 and 8 November. On this occasion the event revolved around sustainability in the wine sector.

In addition to the gala dinner that took place on Thursday night, where the event was brought to a close and in which the 2020 International ‘Best of Wine Tourism’ awards were presented, the meeting also featured presentations by various experts in the sector, visits to wine tourism resources and various workshops, such as wine tastings and guided tours in which attendees could participate.

Recognition of their initiatives in favour of social inclusion of people

The event also served to highlight recognition of the efforts made by the main wine tourism regions, with Bodegas Valdemar and the Espacio Gastronómico Villa Lucía standing out in particular as recipients of the 2020 International ‘Best of Wine Tourism’award for their initiatives in favour of social inclusion of people, irrespective of their abilities.

Bodegas Valdemar and Villa Lucía, in their commitment to promoting high quality wine tourism accessible to all, have brought about, among other proposals, the creation of the first 100% inclusive winery in Europe and the world’s first 100% inclusive wine museum in Spanish.

Bring to the culture of wine closer to all people

The aim of this initiative is to bring the world and culture of wine closer to all people and allow them to experience it in full, with the five senses, through the use of inclusive sensory games, the creation of tactile stations, the implementation of sign-guides through QR codes, Braille labelling systems and the elimination of physical barriers, among many other actions carried out.

Added to these two initiatives is the world’s first inclusive and universally accessible 4D experience, consisting of a 23-minute short film entitled ‘In the Land of Dreams‘. The film also features a sign language interpreter for the hearing impaired, subtitles, audio description for the visually impaired and an induction loop for people with hearing aids.

The prestigious competition annually rewards wineries and companies in each member city that distinguish themselves in terms of excellence in any of the various categories that are assessed, which range from art and culture to sustainability.

The awards were received by Ainara De Dios, Head of Marketing and Wine Tourism at Bodegas Valdemarand Juan Manuel Lavín, Managing Director of the Villa Lucía Gastronomic Space.

This recognition not only endorses the great work carried out by both companies, but also represents a great advance in bringing wine culture closer to all those who until now had difficulties in enjoying it.