QDO Rioja collects the 'Wine Region of the Year' award in the US from Wine Enthusiast Magazine. The Regulating Council's chairman, Víctor Pascual Artacho, attended the awards dinner in New York to collect the accolade.

Adam Strum, Wine Enthusiast's Chief Editor noted the award was given “in recognition of this appellation's excellence and as a leader in Spain”, adding that the region is “advancing itself on the international wine map and has scaled new heights in the production of world-class wines”.

Data from QDO Rioja has shown a total of 271.6 million litres were sold last year, and exports were up by 7% over the last 12 months while vintage wines from the region now represent 60% of total sales.The UK was the largest importer of Riojan wines in 2007 with sales  exceeding 31.6m litres. The UK now accounts for 37.5% of total exports from the region.