The revaluation of old vines, the programme’s core technical axis
Seven months before it’s due to be held, having expanded its exhibition area from one to two halls, BWW 2025 is approaching full capacity. The flagship fair for quality Spanish wine is preparing for next year’s event, set to take place from 3 to 5 February at Fira de Barcelona’s Montjuïc venue, once again setting a record in terms of the number of participating wineries. The excellent historical heritage of the country’s old vines will constitute the core technical axis of the fair’s programme of tastings and presentations.
With the hiring out of the exhibition area progressing rapidly, BWW is getting ready for the largest event in its history, bringing together nearly 1,100 exhibiting companies from 3 to 5 February 2025 at Fira de Barcelona. The fair, which will be held in two halls for the first time so as to meet the high demand for participation, will have 30% more occupied exhibition area and over 15% more wineries in attendance.
The exhibitors confirmed so far include major brands such as Torres, Vallformosa, Lan, Matarromera, José Pariente, Marqués del Atrio and Juvé i Camps, along with hundreds of medium-sized and small wineries grouped together in nearly 75 Denominations of Origin (DOs), including Cava, Ribera del Duero, Priorat, Alicante, La Mancha, Rioja and Jumilla.
According to Javier Pagés, the president of Barcelona Wine Week and the Cava DO, “the high rate at which the space is being booked and the fact that 8 out of 10 wineries are returning once again demonstrate that the wine sector is clearly committed to BWW as its flagship fair and the best showcase for its international promotion”.
The essence of BWW, guaranteed
BWW 2025 has planned the increase in surface area for the fair and the number of participating companies without forgoing the essence that makes its model unique and preserves the quality and excellence characterising the project since the first event in 2020.
Halls 1 and 8 of Fira de Barcelona’s Montjuïc fairground, which will host the show, will provide equitable contents for the visitors, with areas for tastings and talks and an exhibition bringing together wineries organised by DOs and other high-quality seals (BWW Lands), large brands, winery groups and multi-brand distributors (BWW Brands) and companies offering equipment, accessories and services for the wine sector (BWW Complements & Tech). And, finally, BWW Collectives and BWW Impulse, with small projects and micro-wineries from all over the country.
BWW 2025 will also reinforce its hosted buyers programme geared towards large importers and distributors from strategic countries for exports of Spanish wine and invite nearly 700 international buyers, 8% more than those as the previous event. To do so, it will once again rely on the cooperation of ICEX-Spain Export and Investment and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
Similarly, the domestic market remains a priority for the sector, as a result of which around a thousand national buyers related to large distribution, specialised trade and the Horeca channel, the three priority channels for the industry’s sales, will also be invited.
Old vines, a history of resistance
The recovery and revaluation of old vineyards will constitute the core technical axis of the BWW2025 programme of activities and tastings, which, under the title Old vines, historical heritage, will highlight the legacy of these vineyards, many of them several centuries old.
These authentic wine-growing gems are arousing more and more interest among wineries due to their huge capacity for resistance, their improved adaptation to climate change, the superior quality of their grapes and the highly-valued complexity they bring to wine, expressing the terroir with greater accuracy.
In order to analyse this trend towards the recovery and revaluation of old vines, BWW has invited renowned experts, critics, Masters of Wine, sommeliers and prominent winemakers to take part in sessions during which true jewels of our wine-growing heritage will be tasted, with wines from vines between 50 and 300 years old that are gobelet-trained or ungrafted or, in some cases, of pre-phylloxera origin.
Meanwhile, the Wine Tasting Journey by #alimentosdespaña area of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food will offer a self-guided tasting experience featuring over 80 wines made from old vines from all over the country.
Other sectoral challenges
In addition, BWW’s schedule of tastings and talks will analyse the major challenges facing the sector, including sustainability, the adaptation to climate change, digitisation, innovation, the internationalisation of Spanish wineries and the opportunities brought by wine and enogastrotourism. A new feature of the fair this year will be the presentation of the prestigious Star Wine List, which rewards the restaurants and bars with the best wine lists in the different categories and regions.
The previous BWW, held in February 2024, brought together 952 exhibiting wineries, 73 Designations of Origin and nearly 21,000 professional visitors, 20% of them from abroad. During the event, more than 12,000 business meetings were held between exhibiting companies and the 1,000 large domestic buyers and 650 key guest importers from countries such as the United States, Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and China.
Furthermore, the fair is partnered by the Spanish Wine Federation (FEV), the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA), the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, ICEX Spain Export and Investment and the Department of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda of the Government of Catalonia. It also receives the support of the Cajamar financial group.
Barcelona, 4 July 2024