Accessibility Is at the Heart of What Matters Most in Hospitality for This Intercontinental Wine Family

Back In 2018, Bodegas Valdemar based in Rioja, Spain became the first winery in Europe to offer a 100% inclusive wine tourism experience , an initiative that has earned numerous awards. Then enter their newest project Valdemar Estates , the first internationally owned winery to open in Washington state. This ambitious project was built from the ground up with extensive measures to ensure that guests of all ages—regardless of ability—can enjoy their visit to the Walla Walla AVE winery, tasting room, and restaurant. Today, they proudly welcome visitors from all walks of life for an all-inclusive experience, whether to their Rioja property or to the winery in Walla Walla.

Valdemar Family wineries 5th generation owner, Ana Martínez Bujanda, expresses how these inclusivity measures have made the winery experience better for all guests:

“ You may think your winery is accessible and you only have to make one or two small changes. However, when you perform a detailed step-by-step analysis of all the spaces and experiences that you want visitors to take home, you realize that a lot of changes actually need to be made. However, we are also very pleased with the final result. What we have obtained is a much more complete, interesting, sensory, and interactive experience for all our guests. Therefore, anyone who visits Bodegas Valdemar will now have a much more interesting, fun, and comprehensive experience compared to before .”

Efforts to be 100% inclusive and accessible include:

• Use of QR codes throughout the building, which link to web pages that relate information via American Sign Language, dictation, and text

• Braille labels, Braille wine menus (Bodegas Valdemar)

• Signs, menus, and tasting notes designed to be readable by those with low vision, such as digital tablets with Seeing AI.

• Wine tasting notes that use icons and easy-to-understand descriptions of flavors and aromas

• Fully inclusive and accessible tours

• Shatterproof wine glasses and hands-free holders

• Wheelchair availability

• Many staff members have their ADA certification (Valdemar Estates)

• The Valdemar Estates website is set in a hyper-legible font designed for those with low vision.

• A team member at Valdemar Estates & Pintxo by Valdemar is learning ASL.

• Certificate of accessibility Equalitas Vitae (Bodegas Valdemar)

Visit valdemarestates.com for more information on their accessibility initiatives and to plan a trip to visit their properties in Spain or Washington State.