The Board of Directors of Fira de Barcelona has appointed the current president of the Regulatory Council of the Qualified Designation of Origin (DOCa) Rioja, Raquel Pérez Cuevas, as the new president of the Organizing Committee of Barcelona Wine Week 2027.
With this appointment, Pérez replaces Javier Pagés, former president of the DO Cava, who has been at the helm of the event since its launch in 2019, as detailed by the organization in a statement released this Tuesday.
Pérez's tenure at the helm of the event will focus on strengthening the event's international projection and addressing key challenges in the sector, including "incentivizing the domestic market and recovering the notoriety of Spanish production."
"It is a great honor to continue promoting a fair that accompanies the development of the Spanish wine sector, promoting its offerings in national and international markets and strengthening business, expansion, and innovation opportunities for participating wineries," said Pérez.
An agricultural engineer and licensed enologist, Raquel Pérez is the first woman to head the DOCa Rioja in its 100-year history. She belongs to the family that owns Bodegas Ontañon, where she serves as CEO, and has an extensive professional career linked to the Rioja wine sector.
As president of Barcelona Wine Week, she will lead an Organizing Committee in which the Spanish Wine Federation (FEV), the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, ICEX Spain Trade and Investment, the Spanish Conference of Wine Regulatory Councils (CECRV), the Catalan Wine Association (AVC), and the cooperative banking entity Cajamar are represented.
The seventh edition of Barcelona Wine Week will take place from February 8 to 10, 2027, in halls 1 and 2 of the Montjuïc venue of Fira de Barcelona and aims to bring together more than 1,300 exhibiting companies, 90 designations of origin and quality seals, as well as nearly 26,000 professionals, of whom 20% will be international from 73 countries.