The winners of the first edition of the APENO/ Ageas Seguros national wine tourism Award 2022

Throughout the event, the big winners of the 10 categories were announced: Best Wine Tourism in Portugal (Herdade da Malhadinha Nova); Best Professional (Beatriz Machado); Best Stay (Herdade da Malhadinha Nova); Best Restaurant (Torre de Palma by Miguel Laffan); Best Chef (Pedro Lemos – Symington); Best Sommelier (Sérgio David Marques – Madeira Wine Company); Best Tasting Room (Taboadella); Best Tourist Company (Winen’Route); Best Inclusive Project (Adega Mayor); Best Sustainable Project (Casa da Passarella).

The panel of more than 250 judges included renowned wine and tourism journalists, official wine and tourism entities, chefs and sommeliers, and even APENO members (official bodies voted in different regions of their own, and professionals of the sector and associated in people and projects of others). «This was the first edition of this Award and we are very happy with the result, it was a success. It was also the first time that we brought together the players of Wine and Tourism in a fair vote, and in a very special event that unites the two worlds», says Maria João de Almeida, Executive President of APENO. As she further explained, “APENO is the only association dedicated exclusively to Portuguese wine tourism and, to date, there was no such initiative, only the attribution of some wine tourism awards through other entities somehow linked directly or indirectly to the sector, but none focused only on wine tourism. For that reason, someday this event would have to arise», she concludes.