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News
Rioja to host Master of Wine symposium 2018
The Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW) has announced that its quadrennial symposium will be held in Spain for the first time in June 2018.
The city of Logrono in La Rioja
The future event follows the IMW’s largest ever symposium in May 2014, when it was held at the Palazzo dei Congressi in Florence, attracting more than 450 wine professionals from 33 countries.
The 2018 symposium will be held in the city of Logroño in La Rioja from 14 to 17 June, and will be supported by the Fundación para la Cultura del Vino (the Foundation for the Culture of Wine), who presented the winning proposal for the event. It will be the ninth ever symposium staged by the IMW.
Chairman of the Institute of Masters of Wine Sarah Jane Evans MW said, “I am delighted that Spain is to host our 9th International Symposium. This decision recognises the exceptionally vibrant and diverse world of wine in Spain today, and the renewed energy, innovation and focus on quality that are its hallmarks.”
Along with principle sponsor the Foundation for the Culture of Wine, the Logroño bid is also supported by the Spanish Government, the regional government of La Rioja, the Spanish Institute of Foreign Trade (ICEX), and the Consejo Regulador of the DOCa Rioja wine appellation.
Penny Richards, executive director of the Institute of Masters of Wine, commented: “We received a number of very competitive bids from cities and regions around the world to host the 2018 Symposium. This Spanish bid stood out not only due to the strength of its offer, but also for the sense of co-operation amongst the various organisations and agencies involved.”
Continuing she said, “We were delighted by the sheer appetite and enthusiasm to bring this incredible event to Spain for the first time. We cannot wait to work with the Spanish team to deliver a fabulous Symposium in Logroño.”
Logroño is the capital city of the autonomous community of La Rioja. The Rioja denomination has more than 500 wineries and more than 63,000 hectares under vine.
Logroño is one hour from Bilbao international airport, and offers connections by train and bus to Madrid and other major cities in Spain.
For further information on the Symposium, click here.