Euskadi drives his drinks with a professional hall in Bilbao

The Euskalduna congresses Palace in Bilbao organized this Monday “Gure Ardoak – Euskal Edarien Elkargunea”, the Basque Beverage Hall. The appointment has brought together 101 wineries and producers of all categories of Basque drinks with the aim of strengthening their presence in the most important marketing and consumption channels.

Organized by the Department of Food, Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries of the Basque Government and the Hazi Foundation, the event has the presence of the Lehendakari, Imanol Pradales and the adviser of the branch, Amaia Barredo.

Pradales has emphasized the relevance of the beverage sector in Euskadi as “an engine of economic development, a reflection of our identity and a sample of the excellence of our agri -food products.” Moreover, it has underlined the importance of promotion at the local level and the need for hospitality and restoration to bet on Basque products.

The showroom, aimed at professionals in hospitality, distribution and trade, has enabled those present to discover and taste the diversity of wines of Rioja Alavesa, Txakolis de Araba, Bizkaia and Getaria, Basque beer beers, Sidras Euskal Sagardoa, as well as Liquors and local distillates. Moreover, the event has had a B2B zone that has facilitated meetings between producers and professionals in the sector.

Organized tastings have been a prominent point of the day. Directed by experts such as Jose Ignacio Junguitu, Mikel Garaizabal and Iñaki Suárez have enabled those present to thoroughly know the organoleptic and coupling characteristics of Basque products. The star chef chef Michelin Sergio Zarate also participated in a demonstration of combining cider and wines with various gastronomic proposals.

During the meeting, the Basque government re-confirmed its dedication to the wine and beverage sector through an extensive action plan that includes training, innovation, sustainability and marketing strategies. One of the identified challenges is the profitability and competitiveness of the sector, the generation relief and the internationalization of the products.