Candidacy Message

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But the Baixo Alentejo certainly achieves this.

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The quality of award winning Alentejo wines, combining remarkable raw materials, a unique terroir and the expertise of wine makers and oenologists, is key. This is the main driver of a diverse and vibrant economy that in recent times has turbo-charged the leisure and hospitality sector, with gastronomy, restaurants and hotels, and other local products, notably taking centre stage.

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Alentejo wines have a long and glorious heritage. The ancient Talha wines are today more than a tourist souvenir; they represent a unique aspect of the Baixo Alentejo cultural identity.

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Baixo Alentejo represents a real high point within the vast Alentejo region. Here wine intersects with history, heritage and culture. Wine, regional landscape and cultural identity are inextricably intertwined here, providing aunique competitive edge and ultimately helping with the development and support for local communities.

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The wines represent remarkable value and delight visitors and wine buffs from around the world. They are produced by modern state of the art wineries boasting facilities and technology that are amongst the best in the world, as well as smaller-scale family runestablishments with time-honoured skills.

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What is unique about this region - and this is the main argument for Baixo Alentejo's candidacy to become European City of Wine 2026 - is the power of wine to transform. Not only as a source for economic transformation and dynamism, but also as a driver of environmental and social sustainability, in a region where it is estimated that one in four households is involved in the wine sector. As a result of this transformational power, wine tourism has developed courtesy of arange of high quality accommodation, coupled with unique wine experiences, involving cultural elements, art, wellness, health, nature and biodiversity.

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It is this unparalleled richness and diversity that we wish to showcase to Europe and the world in 2026.