The Regional Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, and Rural Development, Gerardo Dueñas, presented the 19th edition of the Zarcillo Awards at a press conference, which will take place in Burgos until Sunday. Over these four days, an international jury of 90 tasters will evaluate the 1,451 samples submitted to the competition, 1,093 from Spain, and 358 from other countries, representing a quarter of the total entries.
This 19th edition of the Zarcillo Awards begins having achieved its goal of becoming the first and only wine competition of the Iberian Peninsula.
With the English title “Iberian Wine Awards,” the new branding aims to reinforce the international character of the awards and strengthen the relationship with Portugal as a partner and ally.
The Duero River Basin, as a viticultural link between Castilla y León and the neighboring country, is extended to the rest of the territory through this commitment to Iberian Peninsula wines. The Zarcillo Awards aspire to be an international benchmark for wines worldwide while particularly aiming to put the wines of these two countries on the map, whose designations of origin are increasingly appreciated for their quality, thanks to scientific and technical advancements in recent decades.
Samples
Participating countries in the Zarcillo Awards include: Germany (guest country), Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Croatia, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Romania, and Venezuela. Portugal stands out with 244 samples.
The category with the highest participation is red wines (791 samples), followed by white wines (425 samples) and rosé wines (112 samples). The remaining wines are distributed among other categories, with 49 fortified wine samples and 50 sparkling wine samples.
By autonomous communities, Castilla y León stands out with 665 wines, followed by Castilla-La Mancha (127 samples), La Rioja (67), and Andalusia (60 wines).
According to the regional minister, “It can be said that the initial goal of this edition has been achieved: the Zarcillo Awards confirm themselves as the great Iberian wine competition, as Spain and Portugal are the countries contributing the most samples. Particularly, Castilla y León as a region and Portugal as the second country with the most representatives are the territories with the greatest presence at the competition.”
Jury
The Zarcillo Awards 2023 jury is composed of 90 tasters, 52 national and 38 internationals, from 22 countries. Notable is the presence of four Masters of Wine: Pedro Ballesteros, who holds the executive presidency of the competition, Almudena Alberca, Janek Schumann from Germany, and Pietro Russo from Italy.
Among the jury members are sommeliers, specialized journalists, oenologists, wine experts, technicians from Castilla y León designations of origin, university representatives, and other institutions.
Zarcillo de Honor
Considering the prestige of the Zarcillo Awards, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Rural Development wanted to recognize all those who have contributed to making the viticultural sector of Castilla y León fundamental for the region. Wine serves as an economic development driver by retaining the rural population, creating a valuable landscape heritage, and extending the name of Castilla y León beyond its borders. In gratitude to the architects of this success story, the Zarcillo de Honor Awards have been established.
The jury, meeting this afternoon to decide the winners, is composed of the Regional Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, and Rural Development as president; Javier Pérez, wine journalist; Adelino Pérez, president of the DO Bierzo Regulatory Council; Beatriz Rodero, from Bodegas Rodero; Tomás Postigo, oenologist; and Abdón Segovia, viticulturist.
Zarcillo de Honor Award Winners
The jury has decided to award the following prizes:
Demographic Revitalization: This award recognizes individuals, companies, or institutions related to the wine sector whose trajectory and activity have contributed to population retention in Castilla y León by generating economic activity, creating wealth, and improving living conditions. The award was given to Bodegas Protos.
The jury highlighted their work since their founding in 1927, initially as a cooperative and later, since 1995, as a limited company. Their presence in the area has been essential, playing a key role in the success of DO Ribera del Duero. They have led initiatives based on obtaining quality raw materials at differentiated prices, and they have successfully combined being the largest winery in the region with producing high-end wines while pioneering wine tourism initiatives.
Wine Heritage: This award recognizes efforts to preserve traditional vineyard landscapes, recover and preserve varietal diversity, seek the genuine character of Castilla y León’s wine regions, and revalue the region’s viticultural heritage. The jury decided to jointly award this prize to Ricardo Pérez and César Márquez, young oenologists responsible for the zonification of El Bierzo.
Both represent a shared philosophy: extracting the maximum potential from the terroir. One came from outside but settled in the area and successfully understood it; the other represents the ninth generation of a family of winemakers from Bierzo. Ricardo produces his wines in a winery designed by a renowned architect, while César works in a traditional winery in Valtuille. Both, practically born among vineyards and wine, have uniquely interpreted El Bierzo and highlighted its magnificent viticultural heritage.
Voices of Wine: This award recognizes professionals or institutions for their contributions through actions, projects, publications, and tasks that have promoted the knowledge, marketing, and/or consumption of Castilla y León wines worldwide. The award was given to Peter Sisseck.
The jury highlighted his professional career linked to one of Castilla y León’s most important wine regions. For choosing Ribera del Duero to produce one of the world’s best wines, Pingus, and for positioning a Castilla y León wine as a “cult wine,” contributing to its international recognition.
Gran Zarcillo de Honor for Lifetime Achievement: This award recognizes a lifetime dedicated to viticulture and raising the prestige of Castilla y León wines, similar to the late Alejandro Fernández, who devoted his life to wine production and promotion, making Ribera del Duero wines known worldwide.The jury awarded this prize jointly and posthumously to Javier Zaccagnini and César Muñoz.
Javier Zaccagnini was the general director of the Ribera del Duero Regulatory Council during its rise to one of Spain’s top designations. After leaving the council, he participated in renowned projects like Aalto (with Mariano García), Bodegas Ossian, and his personal project Sei Solo, with his son. His wines have always achieved high-quality standards. He passed away in January.
César Muñoz had a long career as the oenologist at Bodegas Montebaco in Valbuena de Duero. He was a prominent figure among oenologists who advocated for a new vision of wine and the recovery of old vineyards and native varieties. He was considered an expert in the various Tempranillo grape varieties. He was part of the Leda Viñas Viejas team and more recently César Príncipe. He passed away unexpectedly in October due to COVID-related complications.
Special Mention: The jury also granted a special mention to Carlos González and José Antonio Fernández. Both have been involved in organizing all editions of the Zarcillo Awards, sharing the leadership in recent years. Their dedication and experience have contributed significantly to the international recognition of the Zarcillo Wine Awards since their creation in 1991.