The Almansa Designation of Origin held its 3rd DO Almansa Conference on 11 June at Casa Perona in Albacete, an event that this year had a very special meaning as it coincided with the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Designation of Origin.
Under the slogan “60 years of history, passion and origin”, the event brought together wineries, professionals from the wine sector, institutional representatives, media outlets and people linked to the territory to highlight the trajectory of a designation that, since 1966, has been working to promote the quality and identity of its wines.
The event was attended by several institutional representatives, including Pedro Antonio Ruiz, provincial delegate of the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha in Albacete; Ramón Sáez, provincial delegate for Agriculture and Livestock; and Carlos Calero, councillor for Proximity at Albacete City Council.
The celebration also featured the presence and collaboration of AgroBank, CaixaBank’s business line specialised in the agri-food sector.
The meeting provided an opportunity to look back on six decades of history surrounding wine, vineyards and origin. A journey shaped by the work of winegrowers and wineries, the uniqueness of varieties such as Garnacha Tintorera and Monastrell, and the consolidation of a wine-producing area with its own distinctive personality.
During the morning, Casa Perona hosted a training session with several talks focused on the history of the Designation of Origin, wine tourism, communication in the wine sector and international promotion.
The day began with a presentation by Adolfo Cano, president of DO Almansa, entitled “60 years consolidating DO Almansa”. During his talk, Cano reviewed the evolution of the Designation of Origin over the past six decades and highlighted the essential role of wineries and winegrowers in building a brand linked to territory, quality and origin.
This was followed by a presentation from Antonio González, president of the Almansa Wine Route, entitled “The Wine Route as a driving force for wine tourism”. González spoke about the importance of connecting wine with the tourism experience and highlighted the potential of the Almansa Wine Route as a tool to showcase the territory from a broader perspective, bringing together wineries, gastronomy, heritage, landscapes, culture, accommodation and local commerce.
Communication also played a central role in the conference. Antonio Candelas, consultant and journalist specialising in the wine sector, gave the talk “The importance of communication in wine”. During his presentation, Candelas stressed that communicating wine today involves conveying much more than its technical characteristics. It also means talking about territory, people, tradition, innovation, culture and lifestyle.
The final talk of the morning focused on the international promotion of wine and was delivered by Lola Sánchez, CEO of Chinexita, an agency specialised in international promotion. Sánchez explained some of the key aspects involved in opening and consolidating foreign markets, emphasising the importance of adapting messages, understanding distribution channels and strengthening the presence of wineries in international contexts.
One of the most important moments of the day was the presentation of diplomas to the wines selected to represent DO Almansa this year. These wines will be responsible for showcasing the quality, diversity and personality of the Designation of Origin in different promotional activities, both at national and international events.
The selection took place on 28 April, during the fourth edition of the Generic Wine Tasting of the Almansa Designation of Origin, a blind tasting in which all the wineries registered with DO Almansa took part and a total of 43 wines were tasted.
The tasting committee was made up of four professionals from different areas of the sector, including hospitality, specialised press, oenology and wine criticism. This diversity of profiles made it possible to assess the wines from a broad and professional perspective, with the aim of selecting those that will best represent DO Almansa over the coming year.
The diploma presentation recognised the work of the wineries and the quality of the wines protected by the Designation of Origin. It also helped to highlight the diversity of styles found within DO Almansa, from fresh white and rosé wines to reds made with our native varieties such as Monastrell and Garnacha Tintorera.
After the training session and the presentation of awards, the day concluded with a cocktail reception for attendees and a showcooking experience paired with the selected wines, prepared by Antonio González, president of the Almansa Wine Route.
The gastronomic proposal offered a journey through the different selected categories, showcasing the versatility of DO Almansa wines and their ability to accompany creative, contemporary dishes connected to the territory.
Through this experience, DO Almansa celebrated not only the quality of its selected wines, but also their ability to connect with gastronomy and become part of unique moments around the table.
With the celebration of this 3rd Conference, the Almansa Designation of Origin reaffirmed its commitment to the promotion of its wines, the defence of its origin and the development of new ways of communicating and experiencing wine. The event was also an opportunity to celebrate everything achieved over these 60 years and to continue looking to the future with enthusiasm.
Six decades after its creation, DO Almansa continues to move forward with its own identity, supported by the quality of its wines, the work of its wineries and the strength of a territory that still has much to tell.
