Baixo Alentejo announces candidacy for European City of Wine 2026 at BTL

BTL – Better Tourism Lisbon Market 2025 has been the scene of important announcements for the wine tourism sector. On the same day that the National Wine Tourism Award 2025 was presented in the Dão region, the Alentejo stand hosted a landmark moment: the official announcement of Baixo Alentejo’s candidacy for European City of Wine 2026, a distinction awarded annually by RECEVIN – the European Network of Wine Cities.
The announcement was made by the President of the Regional Tourism Authority of Alentejo and Ribatejo, José Santos, who highlighted the enormous potential of Baixo Alentejo to win the title, underlining the territory’s unique characteristics and its strong connection to wine culture. To strengthen the promotion of the candidacy, official ambassadors were appointed, including journalist and wine critic Maria João de Almeida, musician Buba Espinho and comedian Jorge Serafim.

Baixo Alentejo’s application comes at a time when wine tourism is playing an increasingly important role on the national and international scene. If it is awarded the title of European City of Wine 2026, the region could benefit from a strong projection in foreign markets and a boost to its wine heritage. With this initiative, Baixo Alentejo joins a range of applications from various European cities, and is now awaiting RECEVIN’s final decision, which is expected in the coming months.
The European City of Wine distinction is awarded annually to a wine region in one of RECEVIN’s member countries, promoting culture, tourism and sustainable development through wine. Portugal has already won this title in previous editions, with Reguengos de Monsaraz (2015), Torres Vedras and Alenquer (2018) and Peso da Régua (2023).