On Tuesday the project was presented in Laguardia, with sectoral, regional and institutional representatives. The project has the collaboration of the Provincial Council of Arpa and the Government, and has been attended by the Minister for Economic Development, Sustainability and the Environment, Arantxa Tapia, and the Deputy General of Álava, Ramiro González.

As you can read on the government website irekia.eus, the EDA of Laguardia will “strengthen the project together with the headquarters of Vitoria-Gasteiz, unifying synergies in favor of the value chain of wine and beverages through university training, research, innovation and support for entrepreneurship”.

It is a building of 2,500 square meters on a plot of 3,900 square meters of Laguardia. The building is planned for 2026 and announce the opening of an international competition for the choice of the building “in line with the many wineries that have built symbolic properties in the Rioja Alavesa”.

Global benchmark

“The EDA aims to bring Álava up to the great regions of the world’s wine such as Bordeaux, Napa or Adelaide, as well as the high-level universities and specialized centers located in these places,” the project promoters explain.

Alea received the words of several representatives who attended the presentation. EDA is a “pioneering and strategic project for Álava and the whole of the Basque Country”, according to Tapia. The aim is to place Rioja Alavesa among the world’s wine denominations, according to Gonzalo. “The EDA’s commitment is to boost innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainability in the wine industry,” said Joxe Mari Aizega, director of the Basque Culinary Center.