The Grupo Criteria is a full-service marketing, communication, event planning and audiovisual agency based in Logroño. While the company works with customers across the spectrum of the economy, Criteria is best known here for its work in wine and wine tourism. It has forged a solid reputation as the leading specialist agency in northern Spain. The Great Wine Capitals Global Network has recognized the company’s innovative approach to the creation and execution of wine tourism-related events with a 2024 regional Best Of Wine Tourism award for Wine Tourism Services.
Criteria’s offices are fittingly located in a 16th century wine cellar in Logroño’s Old Town, Calado, an area full of lovingly restored vaulted underground wine cellars used as event venues, restaurants, tasting rooms and the offices of professional organizations.
In fact, a municipal edict once forbade cart traffic in parts of the Old Town so as not to disturb the wine resting in the cellars below street level.
Calado: Family winery of the XVI century recovered for events.
Criteria’s best-known collaborative project is the Haro Train Station Wine Tasting, but the 2024 Best Of Wine Tourism Award was given for an event that takes place in the Old Town during the Christmas shopping season: ‘Bubbles in the Old Town’ (Burbujas en el Casco). Criteria joined forces with four producers of the up-and-coming Rioja traditional method sparkling wine category – Vivanco, Carlos Serres, Bodegas Bilbaínas and Benito Escudero for an evening of walk-around tastings, tapas and music in historic wine venues.
The objectives of the event were to introduce consumers, especially the under-40 crowd, to the recently created category of Rioja traditional method sparkling wine, and to show them the historical importance of wine by visiting several iconic wine cellars: the Salazar Palace, today the Center for Rioja Wine Culture; the offices of the Riojan Professional College of Architects; the offices of the Riojan Professional College of Draftsmen, and the Criteria offices, aptly named ‘El Calado’ (the underground wine cellar).
The result: the Old Town buzzing with the laughter of people walking from one cellar to another, adding extra sparkle to the festive atmosphere of the holiday season. An entertaining and enlightening event. What more can you ask of a wine tourism project?
Text by Tom Perry, Inside Rioja
Featured and interior photos: Grupo Criteria
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