A huge CONGRATULATIONS to team USA, overall winners of the VI Copa Jerez International 2015!
The winning team of Michelle Matthews and Ian. J. Adams of 15 Romolo in San Francisco took home the ultimate prize at the food and Sherry pairing competition. Also awarded to the USA was the prize for Best Sommelier which went to Ian J. Adams.
Copa Jerez has crowned another winner after the most ambitious competition to date. Chef and Sommelier teams from some of the finest restaurants around the world competed. For the first time ever, there were 8 participating countries, with Russia as its most recent addition. After 7 hours of competition in which the teams presented their menus, 15 Romolo was awarded Best Overall Menu, having achieved the “perfect harmony” in their pairings.
Their winning menu is as follows:
- Starter Course - Lightly Poached Prawn in Traditional Líquido de Escabeche, shaved dried tuna mojama infused into cold saffron tomato broth, garnished with chive oil and chive sprouts paired with Hidalgo Pastrana Manzanilla Pasada
- Main Course - Crispy Sweetbread and Roasted Porcini Ravioli, shaved truffle, licorice jus, and sunchoke puree paired with Gutiérrez Colosía Amontillado
- Dessert Course - Burnt Orange and Marcona Almond Frozen Souffle, dark chocolate and Amontillado ganache, topped with fleur de sel paired with González Byass Apóstoles Palo Cortado VORS
The jury was composed of four members: Pitu Roca, sommelier and co-owner of El Celler de Can Roca (3 Michelin stars) – recently named by the British journal Restaurant as the world's best restaurant – and one of Sherry wines' most prominent ambassadors; Pedro Ballesteros Torres, Master of Wine and elected member of the Institute of Masters of Wine Governing Council; Michael Weiss, Chair of the Department of Wine Studies at the Culinary Institute of America in New York; and Beltrán Domecq, chemist, oenologist and President of the Regulatory Council for Sherry Wines and Manzanilla, considered to be one of the world's leading experts on Sherry. After long and difficult deliberations, the jury reached their decision and named OVERALL WINNER and grand champions of the VI Copa Jerez International to 15 Romolo.
Additional awards given were:
- Best Chef – Adrián Zarzo of Zarzo Restaurant, The Netherlands
- Best Sommelier – Ian J. Adams of 15 Romolo, USA
- Best Starter Pairing – Nico Corbesier & Andy de Brouwer of Les Eleveurs Restaurant, Belgium
- Best Main Course Pairing – Adrián Zarzo and Randy Bouwer of Zarzo Restaurant, The Netherlands
- Best Dessert Pairing – Alberto Montes & José López-Montenegro of Atrio Restaurant, Spain
- Best Creative Pairing – Thanyakarn Phureephatthakul & Simon Bertelsen of Kiin Kiin Restaurant, Denmark
The world's largest international food and wine pairing event featuring Sherry wines was a resounding success. Over 300 trade members from around the world came to Jerez to not only enjoy the versatility of Sherry wines but to also experience some of the world's most prestigious restaurants from Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia.
For more information on Sherry and the Copa Jerez Competition, please visit www.copajerez.com.
