The evening was exciting, filled with awards, magic, and music. The gala for the third edition of the APENO / Ageas Seguros 2024 National Wine Tourism Awards, considered the benchmark event in the sector, took place on May 24th in Santarém at Quinta dos Anjos. The event honored the best companies, practices, and wine tourism projects in Portugal in a creative, fun, and elegant format.

As in previous editions, the Portuguese Association of Wine Tourism (APENO) organized the National Wine Tourism Award in a unique format, where local traditions are always highlighted in an elegant and lively evening. This year, the event was held in Santarém and featured a tasting of wines from the Tejo region, an exhibition of regional products, and a fandango dance performance.

Following the tribute to local traditions, the award ceremony commenced, hosted by the renowned magician Mário Daniel, who wowed the audience with his illusion tricks. The winners in the 15 categories were: Best Wine Tourism in Portugal (Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo); Best Urban Wine Tourism (WOW); Best Professional (Ana Vieira Soares); Best Accommodation (Ventozelo Hotel & Quinta); Best Restaurant (Sal na Adega); Best Chef (Diogo Rocha); Best Sommelier (Ivo Peralta); Best Tasting Room (Torre de Palma); Best Tourism Company (ABREU VIAGENS); Best Inclusive Project (Herdade do Rocim); Best Sustainable Project (Herdade da Malhadinha Nova); Best Store (Garrafeira Nacional); Best Art and Culture (Bacalhôa); Best Innovation and Technology (Casa Museu Interativa de Borba); and Best Hospitality (Herdade do Sobroso).

In addition to these 15 categories, APENO also presented 4 “Merit and Incentive” Awards, to honor the efforts and good practices of companies or individuals who have stood out for their work in the sector. The winners were: Alexandra Maçanita from FitaPreta; Judith Martín from Azores Wine Company; Miguel Leal from ML Private Tours; and Vera Magalhães from João Portugal Ramos.

The jury panel of more than 250 members included renowned wine and tourism journalists, official wine and tourism entities, chefs, sommeliers, and even APENO members (official bodies voted on different regions, and sector professionals and members on external individuals and projects).

“The National Wine Tourism Award is the premier event in the sector, and we are very proud to surprise every year. Besides the award ceremony – and this year there were new features and pleasant surprises that show we have many excellent wine tourism offers – we had dance, magic, and music to brighten up the event,” said APENO President Maria João de Almeida. “We are equally proud that, in just four years of existence and in the third edition of the awards, we have achieved strong support from our members for this celebration, as well as from Regional Tourism Entities, Wine Commissions, the Institute of Vine and Wine, ViniPortugal, and the Secretaries of State for Tourism and Agriculture. This demonstrates the serious work we are doing, the visibility we are gaining, and the path we want to continue following. Congratulations to all the winners who work every day to showcase the best of national wine tourism,” she concluded.

The long and lively evening ended with guests dancing to the tunes of DJ RICCA. “It was a memorable night that Santarém will never forget, and it will surely take place in other regions of the country. The idea is to decentralize and hold the gala close to all those willing to host and support us”, added the APENO President.

With AGEAS Seguros as the main sponsor since the first edition, the event also had the support of ERT Alentejo and Ribatejo, the Municipality of Santarém, the Wine Cities and AMPV, the Amorim Group, as well as various companies involved in different ways, such as Quinta dos Anjos, Schott Zwiesel; Alug’Aqui, Gifts 4 Wine, GRACAL, Âncora Gold, MCoutinho, ORIGIN, Biosphere, Abreu Advogados, CVR Tejo, Yon Wine, and LETRATEC. The award gala also had the institutional support of the Institute of Vine and Wine (IVV) and EXAME magazine as a media partner.

“Wine tourism is gaining more strength in Ribatejo, with new projects and a dynamic felt in wineries and producers, combined with the great quality of Tejo wines. That is why, from the outset, we urged APENO to bring the 2024 edition of the National Wine Tourism Award to Ribatejo, which this year is also the Wine City in our country, and it was a success,” said José Santos, President of ERT Alentejo and Ribatejo.

For Ageas Seguros, according to Hugo Julião, the Marketing Channel and Digital Manager of Ageas Portugal, “it is indeed significant for Ageas Seguros to be part of this project from the beginning. Supporting the best in wine tourism in Portugal is an honor for us, coupled with the fact that we are contributing to making it a protected, safe, and inclusive sector.”