El Bierzo declares the Cacabelos Wine Fair of tourist interest

The Plenary of the Bierzo Regional Council unanimously approved on October 28, 2026, in an extraordinary session, to declare the Cacabelos Wine Fair of the Bierzo Designation of Origin a Festival of Regional Tourist Interest. The agreement, processed under file 2026/1019, is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of León no. 212, dated November 9, 2026, in the announcement with reference BOP-LE-2026-212021 (page 53).

The regulatory framework of the recognition

The declaration is supported by the Regulatory Ordinance of Festivals of Regional Tourist Interest, published in the B.O.P. no. 197, dated October 17, 2018, whose article 4 grants the regional Plenary the competence to adopt this type of recognition, following a report from the Tourism Board of the Bierzo Region.

The agreement is considered consistent with the competencies of the Bierzo Regional Council regarding culture, tourism, agriculture, and regional fairs and markets, pursuant to article 4 of Law 1/1991, of March 14, which creates and regulates the Region of El Bierzo. The objectives of the Tourism Board in promoting tourist activities are listed in article 1 of its Statutes (B.O.P. no. 192, dated September 6, 2005).

Chronology of a file resolved in two months

• September 4, 2026: official letter from the mayor of the Cacabelos City Council requesting the declaration, including a descriptive report and the agreement of the Local Government Board dated August 27, 2026.
• September 7, 2026: order from the Presidency of the Regional Council admitting the application for processing and initiating the procedure.
• September 23, 2026: report from the Tourism Technician of the Board, providing a favorable assessment.
• September 24, 2026: proposed agreement from the Presidency of the Regional Council.
• September 29, 2026: favorable report from the Board of Directors of the Tourism Board, in an extraordinary session.
• October 28, 2026: final approval by the Plenary in an extraordinary session.

Three decades of Bierzo wine and attendance records

The file certifies that the fair began its journey in 1996 and has been held uninterruptedly until the present, evidencing its roots and consolidation in the festive calendar of Cacabelos and the entire region. The event is directly linked to the Bierzo wine-growing tradition and takes place in a municipality historically tied to the vine and home to the Regulatory Council of the Bierzo Designation of Origin.

In its XXIX edition, held in 2025, 27 wineries from different municipalities of Bierzo participated, a record figure to date, demonstrating that the fair transcends the local scope. The 2026 edition recorded more than 30,000 visitors during the three days of celebration, a figure that the agreement highlights as proof of its tourist attraction capacity.

The programming combines the tasting and promotion of wines with tastings, competitions, gastronomic proposals, musical performances, and cultural activities. According to the file, the presentation of the 2026 edition outside the region was aimed at attracting visitors from across the province.

Unanimity in the Plenary after the commission’s report

The Information Commission on General Affairs and Finance issued a favorable report on the proposal with seven votes in favor —six from the Socialist Group and one from the Coalition for El Bierzo Group—, no votes against, and four abstentions from the Popular Group. The report was subsequently approved in the Plenary by the unanimity of the members of the corporation present, and the announcement appears signed by the regional president, Olegario Ramón Fernández.

The agreement orders the publication of the declaration in the Official Gazette of the Province of León and on the notice board and electronic headquarters of the Regional Council of El Bierzo, the notification of the resolution to the City Council of Cacabelos, and the forwarding of the document to the Tourism Board of the El Bierzo Region. Against the resolution, which is final in administrative proceedings, an optional appeal for reversal may be filed before the Presidency within one month, or a contentious-administrative appeal may be filed before the Contentious-Administrative Section of the Court of First Instance of León within two months.

The recognition comes as the fair faces its thirtieth consecutive edition and consolidates an attraction that combines viticultural heritage, gastronomy, and local tourism. For the Bercian winery sector, it represents institutional support with a direct effect on the external promotion of wines protected by the designation of origin and on the arrival of visitors to Cacabelos and the rest of the region.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of León, no. 212, November 9, 2026, p. 53 (official reference: BOP-LE-2026-212021).