For those of you who were not present at the 39th Investiture Dinner held at the Landmark Hotel, London on Thursday 13th June 2024, we publish the welcome speech by Sarah Jane Evans MW, Chairman of the Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino:

“Your Excellency, Acting Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, New Caballeros, Caballeros, Ladies and Gentlemen; ¡Bienvenidos!

It’s terrific to welcome you here.  And especially all of you who have not attended before – including our Acting Chancellor. You are very welcome.

This is a unique chance for Spain’s wine trade to get together. And it’s a rare event in the calendar of wine trade hospitality. Spain is unique in holding an event like this in London.  It has been an especially tough start to the year for wine trade in general. You have all earned a good evening of good company.

The effect of this dinner is that it has been a focus this week for a flurry of London board meetings, masterclasses, importer tastings, and general Spanish wine-trade flag-waving. Plus an important presentation yesterday  from International Wineries for Climate Action, with wines from Herència Altés, CVNE, and Familia Torres in the mix. This international activity is co-chaired by Caballero Miguel Torres, assisted by our Vice Chairman Charlotte Hey. I hope we can build much more Spanish wine activity around the Caballeros dinner week, so that it makes full use of everyone’s travel.

Spain has so much to celebrate at the moment:

In tennis – Carlos Alcaraz. Surely the dream tennis doubles at the Olympics is going to be Rafa Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz.

In football,  I’m an ardent Arsenal fan. I used to think Arsène Wenger was irreplaceable, but Mikel Arteta is doing brilliantly to bring Arsenal back up to top form.

In gastronomy, Spain had top place and 3 of the top 4 restaurants in the recent world’s 50 best. No surprise there!

And an important moment – yesterday was the 39^th anniversary of Spain’s accession to the European Economic Community.

This is our 39^th dinner, though by one of those oddities, it is the 40^th investiture.

We have plans to celebrate this anniversary.  Don’t be surprised if we call on you for help!

This dinner this evening comes just after the European elections; just before the UK ones. It’s a reminder that votes count. I mention this because this is the hotel where the campaigner for votes for women Emmeline Pankhurst had her ‘Welcome back from Prison’ breakfast in March 1908, after hunger strikes and force feeding. If you came in from the Marylebone Station side, you will have seen the bust of her.

A long way round to say it is great that we have added substantially to the numbers of female Cabs with Almudena Alberca and Amaya Cervera. I started the week near Alicante in a wine fair for Spanish women winemakers. Then on Monday I joined a panel of women in London working with the Spanish wine industry: including Almudena, and of course Monika Linton, who founded Brindisa 20 years ago. Three of the 5 speakers on the panel were Caballeros –  showing our relevance. I am the first female Caballero Chairman, but I know I won’t be the last.

Hal Wilson, I’m not overlooking you, who have done so much to speak up for wine trade, especially in the face of these duty reforms. Hal, you used to have an event for the spring at Cambridge Wine Merchants for En Rama Sherries : I loved its name – the En Rama Lama Ding Dong. 

That segues nicely into Sherry. I am exceptionally pleased to say that we were able to have Sherry at the reception, with Fino supplied by the Consejo Regulador, and served by the venenciador Jesús Rubiales. There had been some anxiety backstage about whether there was enough headroom for a venencia! This is a very generous and appropriate support for our dinner.  Thank you to Consejo President Cesar Saldaña, and I should also welcome former president and Caballero  Beltrán Domecq.

Now to the wines for this dinner, they are chosen from those you have submitted. We have two traditional method sparkling wines:  a Corpinnat at the reception and a Cava with the Stirrup Cup. A classic Navarra Rosé, and an iconic Rías Baixas from Caballero Marisol Bueno.  Then there are no fewer than 3 Riojas. Thank you to Caballero Guillermo de Aranzabal for the Viña Arana, which makes a delightful counterpoint to the Ad Libitum Monastel from Juan-Carlos Sancha. We finish with a really unusual, delicious, sweet Dulce Enero from Alto Landon.

I offer the sweet and the Monastel as great talking points. Just in case you have run out of things to say to each other. Though that sounds unlikely. If you need to revive a conversation I have found that there is one that works everytime when I’m in Spain. If you are looking for something that’s not sex or politics I propose the eternal topic of Tortilla. Simply ask your companions this question – Do  you put onions in your  tortilla or not?  Cebolla ¿Sí o no?  

I‘m coming to a close.  But I must take a moment to remember Caballero Ramón Pajares who died recently. An outstanding hotelier, one of the greats. For those of us with long memories his hosting of our dinners was something exceptional.  A few of us attended his funeral and in the taxi to the reception reminisced about those days.  A real Caballero in every fine sense of the word.

There are two more Caballeros I must mention.

First, John Hawes who became a Caballero in 1986 and is the most regular attender at our dinners.

And second, a Caballero from 2023 who could not make it to his Investiture and had to send a video.  Here he is – in the flesh – Ferran Centelles.

To conclude, my heartfelt thanks to the team from Foods and Wines from Spain for all their work, and especially to Marianne Rodríguez who could not be here tonight.

To the team here at the Hotel, especially in the kitchen.

To our marvellous toast master Ted Prior, who keeps us all in order.

To my colleagues who tasted every bottle before you tonight.

Thank you to the colleagues from the Spanish Commercial Office here and in Spain.

Thank you to the Ambassador and Mrs Dufort for their presence.

And a very warm thank you to all of you, our guests

Now I’d like to conclude by asking all the Caballeros to stand in toasting our guests.”

The Gran Orden was founded to recognise those in Spain and the UK who work to promote the best in Spanish wines in the UK. Our annual Investiture Dinner is a great opportunity to celebrate.

In 2024, we once again enjoyed a menu put together by the executive chef of the Landmark hotel London, Gary Klaner, paired with wines selected by Caballeros from those submitted for tasting to ICEX by UK importers. Thank you to the producers and importers who kindly provided the beer, jamón, waters and wines.

Dinner
Ensalada de Espárragos Verdes y Blancos, Ventresca,
Huevo de Codorniz, Alioli de Azafrán
Green and White Asparagus Salad, Ventresca, Quail’s Egg, Saffron Alioli

Costilla de Vaca Cocida a Fuego Lento, Puré de Rábano Picante,
Brócoli, Habas, Salsa de Rioja
Slow Cooked Short Rib of Beef, Horseradish Mash, Tenderstem, Broad Beans,
Rioja Sauce

Alaska Horneado de Fresa y Vainilla,
Fresa Maridada en Vinagre de Jerez
Strawberry and Vanilla Baked Alaska, Strawberry in Sherry Vinegar

Té, Café y Dulces
Tea, Coffee and Petits Fours

Wines
Reception
Fino Sherry – DO Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
CRDO Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
The Fino for the reception was kindly supplied by the Consejo Regulador of Jerez-Xérès-Sherry. It was selected to represent the classic Fino with ‘a dry white wine made from Palomino grapes aged under a layer of flor yeast with a sharp, delicate bouquet slightly reminiscent of almonds, with hints of fresh dough and wild herbs’.
It was served with great flair by the Venenciador of the Consejo Regulador de Jerez, D. Jesús Rubiales

Torelló Brut Reserva 2018 – Corpinnat
Torelló Viticultors
This fine, expressive traditional method sparkling wine is a blend of Macabeo, Xarel·lo and Parellada aged for a minimum of 24 months. It comes from the Can Martí estate in Alt Penedès, which has been in the Torelló family since 1395 – now in their 22nd and 23rd generation. Organic.
Imported by Moreno Wines

Investiture
Señorío de Sarría Rosado 2023 – DO Navarra
Señorío de Sarría
This well-known rosado is a standard-bearer for the classic, deeply-coloured pink wines
of Navarra. It is 100% Garnacha, layered with ripe berry fruits and notes of pomegranate.
The 210 ha of vineyards extend across a glorious, historic estate in Valdizarbe,
at the crossroads for the pilgrim routes to Santiago de Compostela.
Imported by Boutinot Wines

Starter
Pazo Señorans Colección 2020 – DO Rías Baixas
Pazo Señorans
Caballero Marisol Bueno founded the winery with her husband in 1989. Today Señorans is renowned for the beauty of the estate, and for its expertise in ageing Albariño on its lees and in bottle. This Colección has had 5 months on the lees and a further 30 months in the bottle giving a wine of great elegance, and underscoring the potential of Albariño.
Imported by Alliance Wine

Cosme Palacio 1894 Blanco 2018 – DOCa Rioja
Cosme Palacio
The entrepreneurial Don Cosme Palacio founded the winery – as the name of the wine
suggests – in 1894. Today the eponymous bodega beside Laguardia is owned by Entrecanales Domecq e Hijos, and draws its fruit from across Rioja Alavesa. This Viura, with a touch of Malvasía, is a tribute to classic white Riojas: aged for 10 months in French oak, giving notes of sweet spice, minerals, citrus and white flowers.
Imported by North South Wines

Wines
Main Course
aD Libitum 2020 – DOCa Rioja
Bodegas Sancha
Juan Carlos Sancha, winemaker and professor at the University of La Rioja,
specialises in single variety wines and rescuing disappearing varietals.
One such rarity is Monastel de Rioja, and it’s a pleasure to be able to showcase
it to a wide audience this evening. It’s an original, bursting with freshness, definitely Riojan, but a very different expression of Rioja Alta.
Imported by Freixenet Copestick

Viña Arana Gran Reserva 2016 – DOCa Rioja
La Rioja Alta
A classic, 95% Tempranillo with 5% Graciano. Viña Arana is aged for three years in
American oak barrels with an average age of 4.5 years. Six traditional rackings are carried out by candlelight to separate the sediment. The result is an expressive, full-bodied, ripe and spicy Rioja Gran Reserva, with a long, fresh finish, reflecting the excellent vintage.
Imported by Armit Wines

Dessert
Dulce Enero Ice Wine 2022 – DO Manchuela
Bodegas Altolandon
‘Dulce Enero’ is the name because this unique golden sweet wine is harvested in January. It’s an ice wine from vineyards at over 1000 m. Much respect is due to the team who hand harvest the frozen grapes in the winter chill. The wine ferments slowly over several months in small stainless steel tanks, with native yeasts. Owner and winemaker Rosalía Molina introduced the Petit Manseng variety which gives the freshness and tropical notes to the wine. Organic.
Imported by Alliance Wine

Stirrup Cup
Gran Juvé Gran Reserva Brut 2017 – DO Cava
Juvé y Camps
An emblematic wine for Juvé y Camps, elegant, vibrant and refreshing, from vineyards
at 220 – 700 m, with an average age of 35 years. The four varieties – Xarel·lo, Macabeo,
Chardonnay and Parellada – are fermented separately and then blended and then
aged on lees for a minimum of 50 months. Organic.
Imported by C&D Wines

Sponsors
Jamón de Bellota 100% Ibérico
Castro y González
Castro y González acorn-fed, 100% Iberian ham is recognised by its
elongated shape and dark, worn hoof, typical of the pigs raised in the freedom
on the dehesa. It has an intense and bright colour with a great presence of marbling.
An intense savoury aroma and hints of nuttiness, for an ideal balance
between salinity and a long, pleasant aftertaste.
Imported by Brindisa

Victoria Málaga
Cervezas Victoria Málaga
Named after the patron saint of Málaga, “La Virgen de la Victoria”,
Victoria Málaga has been a symbol of Málaga since 1928. A 4.8% ABV lager,
brewed with 100% natural quality ingredients and a 12-day maturation process that
balances and deepens the flavour of this refreshing beer. Victoria Málaga is a super
premium, sessionable lager with a superb taste.
Imported by Damm 1876

Mondariz
Aguas de Mondariz
Aguas de Mondariz is a balanced mineral-medicinal water, of pure origin,
from ancient granite that provides golden hues and amplifies its
crystalline transparency. Its smooth and pleasant texture gives
it a fresh tactile sensation with a silky feel.
Imported by C&D Wines

Vichy Catalán
To talk of Vichy Catalan genuine natural sparkling mineral water
is to talk of 140 years of history, prestige and quality. In the world
of table waters, it stands out from the rest thanks to its unmistakable flavour
and the finesse of its bubbles.
Imported by C&D Wines

Three new members were welcomed into the Gran Orden de Caballeros de Vino at the 39th Caballeros Investiture Dinner on the 13^th June at London’s Landmark Hotel in the presence of His Excellency José Pascual Marco, the Ambassador of Spain.

The members were elected by their peers for their dedication to promoting Spanish wines. They are consultant winemaker and Spain’s first female Master of Wine, Almudena Alberca MW (above left); wine journalist and owner of leading Spanish wine website spanishwinelover.com, Amaya Cervera (centre); and owner of Cambridge Wine Merchants, Hal Wilson.

Almudena Alberca MW

Almudena Alberca MW is the first and, to date, the only Spanish woman to achieve the title of Master of Wine. An agricultural engineering graduate, she gained a further degree in oenology and a Master’s in viticulture before carrying out her first harvest in New Zealand. Almudena then moved back to her native Castilla y León to work at boutique wineries in Toro and Ribera del Duero. She was also the Spanish specialist for importer AvivaVino in New York, selecting and blending wines for this market. More recently, Almudena spent nine years at Entrecanales Domecq e Hijos as Technical Director, as well as being a member of the Board of Directors. As such, she managed 400 Ha of vineyards and five wineries across Northern Spain. Today, she works as a winemaking consultant, as well as Brand Ambassador for the fine wine investment firm Oeno. She also educates and writes about wine for a number of specialist wine titles and judges at international wine competitions, including the Decanter World Wine Awards.

Amaya Cervera

Originally from the Basque Country but now based in Madrid, Amaya Cervera is currently one of the most important voices in Spanish wine.  With a degree in journalism, she has been tasting and writing about wine for almost 30 years, starting out at the Guía Peñín, Spain’s leading wine guide. In 2014, she founded http://www.spanishwinelover.com, the bilingual Spanish-English website which has won the International Wine Challenge Spain Merchant award for the best online communication platform for four years running. She is also the regular wine correspondent for one of Spain’s largest national newspapers, El País Semanal, as well as writing for a number of specialist wine publications. In addition, she judges for national and international competitions including the Decanter World Wine Awards. In 2023, Amaya was awarded Spain’s Royal Academy of Gastronomy’s prestigious prize for the best food and drink writing.

Hal Wilson

Hal Wilson started Cambridge Wine Merchants with a friend in 1993 at the age of 25. Although it opened in the recession, Hal built a well-known brand through his passion for finding the best wines and delivering excellent service. Particularly fond of Spain’s fortified wines, educating customers is important to Hal and a key part of his business. He’s also an outspoken lobbyist for issues that concern UK-based SME wine companies, including barriers to trade. Cambridge Wine Merchants is currently the UK’s most awarded independent wine merchant and its accolades over the last decade include being named No.1 Independent Wine Merchant in the Best of Spain Awards.

In welcoming the guests, Chairman of the Gran Orden Sarah Jane Evans MW, highlighted that Spain had enjoyed another great year: in gastronomy (3 of the top 4 in the World’s 50 Best); in tennis (Carlos Alvaraz) and in football (Mikel Arteta, Arsenal’s manager), and celebrated the 39^th anniversary of Spain’s accession to the EEC. She noted the number of Spanish wine tastings and events that were taking place this week, including International Wineries for Climate Action where Spain plays a leading role.

Addressing the members in his speech at the event, Acting Chancellor for Gran Orden Pablo Conde added, “Without talented professionals championing Spanish produce, the industry couldn’t overcome the challenges it faces.

“By recognising professionals like yourselves for your role in the education, advancement and business of quality Spanish wines in the UK, we can play a fundamental part in the future of the industry.”

Image: H.E. José Pizarro became the first Spanish chef to be decorated with Officer’s Cross of the Royal Order of Isabel La Católica at the Spanish Embassy in London at a celebration to mark his 25^th year in the UK.

Chef, author and broadcaster José Pizarro was bestowed with the Officer’s Cross of the Royal Order of Isabella The Catholic at the Spanish Embassy in London in March 2024, recognising his role as an ambassador for Spanish gastronomy in the UK, at celebrations to mark his 25^th anniversary as a chef in London.

Caballero del Vino Español since 2021, José described himself as being “overcome with emotion” when His Excellency, The Ambassador of Spain, Mr José Pascual Marco surprised him with the decoration at an event in London.  As for his 25-year milestone:

“I am one of the luckiest chefs alive! I am so proud of what I have created and the incredible team I have around me. I have seen and learnt so much since being here; it’s amazing to think how my simple little idea of owning a tapas bar that reminded me of home has somehow grown to 7 restaurants around the world with around 200 employees. My ethos was and always will be: the best ingredients I can get my hands on paired with simple flavours in a relaxed setting with unbeatable service.”

Originally from a small village outside Cáceres, Extremadura, José Pizarro studied dentistry before re-training as a chef, working under Julio Reoyo at El Chapín in Madrid and becoming head chef of his Michelin-starred Mesón de Doña Filo. He moved to London in 1999, starting out at Gaudi, then moving to Eyre Brothers in Shoreditch before becoming the Executive Chef at Brindisa. In 2011, he opened his first restaurant José on Bermondsey Street, offering simple and traditional tapas. His restaurants now include José Pizarro at the Royal Academy, José Pizarro Broadgate, Pizarro, and José Pizarro The Swan Inn, while he has also published six Spanish cookbooks and is a regular face on UK TV. Earlier this year, José opened his first restaurant outside the UK: José by Pizarro, at the Conrad Hilton in Abu Dhabi.

Granted by the King of Spain and the Grand Chancellor, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic is a Spanish civil order of chivalry and honour granted to persons and institutions in recognition of extraordinary services to Spain or the promotion of international relations and cooperation with other nations.

Image: H.E. Felix Benito is granted the decoration by H.E. Mr José Pascual Marco, The Ambassador of Spain to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland

Felix Benito, founder of C&D wines, and Member of the Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino, was bestowed with the Officer’s Cross of the Royal Order of Isabella The Catholic at the Spanish Embassy in London on the 27^th February 2024.

Felix was honoured with this recognition upon his retirement for his pioneering work introducing Spanish wine to the UK market.  He established C&D Wines in 1985, with £100, and with the dream of bringing the best of Spain to the UK.  He was later joined by Vicente Herrando and José Vélo-Rego (also a member of the Gran Orden).

After almost 40 years, C&D Wines has established itself as one of the leading suppliers of Spanish wines and foods to the UK market, working with over 80 Spanish producers.

Felix commented: “I was so proud and grateful receiving the decoration. It took me several days to come down from the clouds.”

He used his speech to express his gratitude to all the people that have surrounded him in his career, from his wife who helped him process the very first orders from their dining room, to all his colleagues, suppliers and customers.

The Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic is a Spanish civil order of chivalry and honour granted to persons and institutions in recognition of extraordinary services to Spain or the promotion of international relations and cooperation with other nations.

The decoration is granted by the King of Spain and the Grand Chancellor, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Order was created in 1815 by King Ferdinand VII in honour of Queen Isabel I and is open to both Spaniards and foreigners with the intent of “rewarding the firm allegiance to Spain and the merits of Spanish citizens and foreigners in good standing with the Nation.”