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

As has been the case since the first edition, the Portuguese Association of Wine Tourism (APENO) organized the National Wine Tourism Award in a distinctive format, where local traditions always stand out on an elegant and lively night. This year, the event was held in Santarém and featured a wine tasting from the Tejo region, a display of regional products, and a fandango dance performance.

After honoring local traditions, the award ceremony began and unfolded throughout the night, hosted by the renowned magician Mário Daniel, who surprised the audience with his illusion tricks. The winners of the awards 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 Stay (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 Shop (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 awarded 4 “Merit and Incentive” Prizes 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 panel of more than 250 jurors included renowned wine and tourism journalists, official wine and tourism entities, chefs, sommeliers, and even APENO members (official bodies voted on different regions of their own, and sector professionals and members voted on unrelated people and projects).

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

The long and lively night ended with guests dancing enthusiastically to the sound of DJ RICCA. “It was a memorable night that Santarém will never forget and will surely take place in other regions of the country as well. The idea is to decentralize and hold the gala close to all who are available to host and support us,” emphasized the APENO President.

With AGEAS Seguros as the Main Sponsor of the event since the first edition, the event also had the support of ERT Alentejo and Ribatejo, the Municipality of Santarém, the Cities of Wine and AMPV, the Amorim Group, as well as other companies involved in various 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 awards gala also had institutional support from the Vine and Wine Institute – IVV and the EXAME Magazine as Media Partner.

“Wine tourism is gaining greater robustness in Ribatejo, with new projects and a dynamic that can be felt in the wineries and producers, combined with the high quality of Tejo wines. That is why, from the beginning, 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, in the words of Hugo Julião, Head of Marketing Channel and Digital at Ageas Portugal Group, “it is indeed relevant 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, along with contributing to making it a protected, safe, and inclusive sector.”