Madrid hosts Spain’s top-rated wines

Madrid became the center of attention for Spain’s high-end wine trade on May 25, when more than 1,000 people gathered at Espacio Loom Azca for the first Spanish edition of The Best of Tim Atkin MW Spain 2026, an event built around wines that had earned 95 points or more in the annual reports of British critic and Master of Wine Tim Atkin.

The tasting brought together 160 Spanish wineries and more than 300 wines from regions including Rioja, Galicia, Gredos, Ribera del Duero, Priorat, Jerez and the Canary Islands. Organizers said the goal was to offer a broad view of the current state of Spanish wine through a single-day format that allowed producers, buyers, sommeliers, journalists and distributors to taste and compare top-rated bottles directly with the people who made them.

The event ran for more than nine hours, from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., with attendees moving between tasting tables in a setting designed for focused sampling and professional exchange. The lineup included established wineries with long histories as well as smaller producers and newer projects that have gained attention for work tied closely to their vineyards and local identities.

Atkin said at the close of the event that he was struck by the number of high-level wineries gathered in one place and by what he described as the energy and diversity of Spanish wine today. He also pointed to the strong response from wineries taking part in the first edition and said the format offered a rare chance to taste some of the country’s most highly rated wines side by side.

The selection included Atlantic-style wines from Galicia, volcanic wines from the Canary Islands, long-aged reds from Rioja and Ribera del Duero, fortified wines from southern Spain and bottles from emerging areas such as Cebreros, Méntrida and Madrid. The range underscored how broad Spain’s wine map has become while keeping quality as the common thread among all the wines shown.

The turnout confirmed strong interest across the sector in a tasting centered on top-scoring Spanish wines. For many participants, it also served as a snapshot of a market where established names and younger projects are competing for attention in a category that continues to draw buyers and critics from across Spain.