Awarded the Best Of Wine Tourism 2027 Award for our Solidarity-Based Wine Tourism Project

The Fundación MAGA Cellar at Conde de los Andes has been recognised in the Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices category of the Best Of Wine Tourism Bilbao-Rioja 2027 Awards and will represent the region at the Best Of Wine Tourism International Awards, taking place this October in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand.

The project brings together wine, heritage and social commitment, introducing visitors to the work Fundación MAGA carries out in communities across Sierra Leone, Cambodia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Conde de los Andes and Fundación MAGA have received the Best Of Wine Tourism Bilbao-Rioja 2027 Award in the Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices category for their project centred around the Fundación MAGA Cellar, a space that integrates the Foundation’s social commitment into the winery’s wine tourism experience.

The award was presented yesterday, Thursday, 8 October, at Villa-Lucía in Laguardia (Álava), during the Best Of Wine Tourism 2027 gala, an annual event bringing together companies, institutions and professionals from the wine tourism sector.

At Conde de los Andes and Fundación MAGA, we would like to express our special thanks to Great Wine Capitals Bilbao-Rioja, the organisers of the Best Of Wine Tourism Awards and the jury for this recognition and for the opportunity to raise awareness of a project that brings together wine tourism, heritage and social commitment.

We would also like to congratulate all the other award-winning projects and wineries in this edition, whose work continues to strengthen the quality, innovation and international reputation of wine tourism in our region.

Our congratulations go to Hotel Palacio de Samaniego, Ventilla Restaurante Wine Bar, Hotel Palacio de los Ángeles, Vivanco Enoturismo y Experiencias, Wine Bubble Experience and Bodegas Campo Viejo, as well as SAVIA School of Sommellerie, which received a special mention. Congratulations to everyone for helping to develop and enrich the wine tourism experience.

 

 

A Historic Cellar Connecting Wine with Our Projects

The Fundación MAGA Cellar was created to bring the Foundation’s work closer to everyone visiting Conde de los Andes and to turn wine tourism into a way of raising awareness, sharing stories and generating funds to continue supporting our projects.

Located within the historic underground cellars of Conde de los Andes, the space allows visitors to discover, through photographs, videos and real-life stories, some of the communities Fundación MAGA has been working alongside for more than 16 years, particularly through projects focused on education, children and vocational training.

The project also reflects our approach to working with communities: staying close to them, understanding their needs first-hand and supporting projects over time so that they can create real, sustainable opportunities.

This philosophy is also at the heart of the Fundación MAGA Special Visit, held on the first Saturday of every month at Conde de los Andes. The experience begins in the Fundación MAGA Cellar with a tasting of Poipet, one of the Foundation’s charity wines. The wine takes its name from Poipet, a town in Cambodia where Fundación MAGA launched its first project in 2009, and which has held a very special place in the Foundation’s history ever since.

From the Fundación MAGA Cellar, the visit continues through more than 1.5 kilometres of historic underground cellars, dating back to the 16th century, and concludes with a tasting of three wines accompanied by a selection of gourmet food.

100% of the proceeds from these visits go directly towards Fundación MAGA’s projects, making every experience an opportunity to discover, raise awareness and contribute.

 

 

More Than 16 Years Working Alongside Communities

Fundación MAGA was established in 2009 as an initiative of the Murúa Gangutia family. Since then, it has developed a range of projects primarily focused on education, children and vocational training in Cambodia, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Throughout these years, the Foundation has maintained an approach based on building direct relationships with communities and local organisations, closely monitoring each initiative and adapting to the needs that arise on the ground.

The Best Of Wine Tourism Bilbao-Rioja 2027 Award recognises this approach to social responsibility and its integration into the wine tourism experience at Conde de los Andes. Above all, however, it represents an opportunity to give greater visibility to the people and communities behind each project and to continue sharing their stories through a space so closely connected to our own history: the historic cellars of Conde de los Andes.

We would like to thank the Best Of Wine Tourism organisers and the jury for recognising the value of this project, as well as everyone who has supported and accompanied Fundación MAGA over the years.

Would you like to discover the Fundación MAGA Wine Cellar? Book your visit here and enjoy a unique wine tourism experience that also helps change lives.