The ‘Official Rioja Wine Educator’ initiative has just concluded its latest edition, recognizing 34 new certified Rioja wine educators after successfully completing both the theoretical and practical parts of the course. The practical phase consisted of a five-day visit to the three subzones that make up the DOCa Rioja. The new official educators discovered first-hand the different wineries and the vineyards of the region, thanks to a complete program that has allowed them to immerse themselves in the diversity and essence of Rioja.

 

 

With these 34 new additions, Rioja now has more than 130 official educators of 29 different nationalities who will be able to instruct thousands of people around the world. The profile of the educators is very diverse, ranging from wine professionals to people working in education and dissemination of wine.

 

 

The aim of the course is for participants to obtain the most complete picture of Rioja and its diversity, discovering everything from its large wineries to small ones and exploring the variety of its landscapes, soils, climate, grapes, etc. To this end, more than 60 Rioja wineries took part in this edition, offering new educators their wines and their experience. The participants tasted more than 130 wines as part of ten thematic tastings and, in turn, made 12 visits to wineries and vineyards.

 

 

Rioja Wine Academy, the official training center set up by the Control Board, continues to promote the knowledge and culture of the appellation through the online courses it offers to wine professionals and students, completing nearly 18,000 registrations to date. In addition, the ‘Official Rioja Wine Educator’ program aims to enhance the knowledge of participants so they can act as educators of wines of the region in their respective countries and educational centers.