I’m excited to share the highlights from the Copa Jerez NL 2024 finals. Dutch culinary talents demonstrated their abilities in pairing sherry wines with delicious dishes. The competition was intense, as three finalist teams presented their innovative menus, each seamlessly blending the diverse styles of sherry with their culinary masterpieces. The Dutch culinary scene continues to make a strong impression on the international stage, and I’m eager to see them represent the Netherlands at the Copa Jerez 2025 in Jerez, Spain! Thank you again for inviting VinoVonk. I had the opportunity to taste a variety of sherry wines and there were several importers present to bring more attention to sherry. As Nadien de Visser would say, “Make Sherry Great Again!”
Understanding Copa Jerez
The essence of sherry-pairing is what Copa Jerez Forum & Competition is about, a globally recognized wine event held every two years. Chefs and sommeliers worldwide compete to create the best food and sherry pairings, highlighting the versatility and depth of sherry wines. But Copa Jerez is more than just a competition. It’s an educational experience featuring talks, tastings, and discussions led by top culinary experts. These sessions allow participants to delve into the nuances of sherry and enhance their understanding and appreciation for this distinguished wine.
Influence on Worldwide Food Trends
Copa Jerez plays a vital role in establishing global food trends by demonstrating the use of sherry in contemporary cuisine. The forum’s impact extends beyond the competition, promoting global chefs and food enthusiasts to incorporate this versatile wine into their dishes, thereby opening up avenues for innovative cooking.
Main Points from Previous Editions
The Dutch finals of Copa Jerez consistently feature top culinary and sommelier talents. Teams from top-tier restaurants such as Vigor and Podium Onder de Dom have previously demonstrated innovative sherry pairings, receiving praise for their creative and well-balanced menus.
Overview of the Finalist Teams
The finals at Peter Pan Kookstudio in Amsterdam this year featured intense competition between teams consisting of a chef and a sommelier. The three participating teams were: Sommelier Marvin Walraven and Chef Nino Christoffel from Zoldering, Amsterdam; Sommelier Stijn Hinke and Jean-Paul Witte from Restaurant Puur Sanh, Berg en Dal; and Sommelier Anne Marie Nijhoff and Chef Yornie van Dijk from Restaurant Basiliek, Harderwijk. All teams displayed innovative pairings, showcasing the impressive synergy between the sommelier and chef.
Not just checking it out, but giving it a try too
In addition to looking, there is also a chance to taste, namely a selection of fine wines from Jerez. The importers Karakter, Anfors, Andre Kerstens, and Granada Wijnen are present to discuss their selection of wines. It is rare for dozens of sherries to be tasted in a row, so Jeroen has tasted a number of them. The highlights of this tasting.
Vino de Pasto ‘La Escribana’ 2022, Luis Pérez, Anfors
Beautiful, unfortified Vino de Pasto, part of Vino de Jerez, but officially not yet a sherry in the D.O. Sherry. This white wine made from Palomino Fino has a beautiful light yellow color and a lovely floral scent reminiscent of chamomile, just like a Fino, with the spiciness of curry and the sharpness of chili pepper. In addition, it has the aroma of wet stone, apple, lemon, and orange. The flavors are fresh and fruity, with a minerality and long finish. It is delicious as an aperitif and a perfect way to introduce people to the flavor palette of sherry but in a softer form.
Vino de la Tierra de Cádiz ‘Contratiempo’ 2022, 4ojoswines, Anfors
This is an exciting, somewhat wild, but especially energetic white wine made from Moscatel de Alejandría grapes. These grapes come from the vineyards of Finca La Blanquita, planted in albariza soils in El Puerto de Santa María. The fermentation takes place spontaneously in stainless steel tanks, after which yeast is added after a few days to stop the fermentation. The wine then matures for three months in these stainless steel tanks. No clarifying agents are used, resulting in a pure flavor profile. The end result is a dry, fresh, and flavorful wine with aromas of citrus, lime peel, cantaloupe melon, lychees, and apricots, complemented with a hint of jasmine and honey. The taste is quite soft, with pleasant acids and a slight bitterness. The characteristic salinity of the Albariza soil also comes forward.
La Retahíla 2022, Raul Moreno, Karakter wine import
This special orange wine is made from Perruno and aged in Amontillado barrels. It is light yellow and has a great wild scent of apple, pear, peach, and wet stone. The taste is full and beautifully balanced, fruity with minerality and peach. The aging in old Amontillado barrels provides structure and roundness. The finish is long and impressively complex.
Manzanilla Pasada en Rama ‘Xixarito’, Bodegas Baron, Karakter wine import
This Manzanilla is great, exactly as you want a Manzanilla to be: fresh, tight, floral, fruity. A real recommendation! You notice that the ten years of aging really makes a difference. ‘Pasada’ indicates the high age, and ‘en rama’ means that the wine is bottled directly from the barrel; unfiltered and not stabilized.
Soluqua Manzanilla Pasada’, Bodegas Baron, Karakter wine import
This is the Manzanilla from the premium range of Bodegas Baron, and you can tell. It has the same identity as the Xixarito but with more depth and complexity. This Manzanilla requires considerably more attention: a quiet environment, a good glass, and quick tasting is actually a waste. It has many elements of chamomile, minerality, apple, lemon, wet wool, walnut, hazelnut, and toast. It has a nice long finish that reveals more complexity with temperature difference. Due to the complexity and intensity, this is certainly not a Manzanilla to start with.
Sábalo Organic Palomino, Barbadillo, Granada Wines
This is a beautiful white wine made from Palomino, which is organically certified. It is a pure and really fresh wine. The taste contains a lot of fresh green apple, salinity, a sweet red apple, lemon peel, a nice medium body, and a long finish. This interesting white wine is made from grapes from two areas. One area around Sanlúcar de Barrameda with 35-year-old vines is close to the Atlantic Ocean. The other area, with 25-year-old vines, is on the hills near the ‘floodplains’ of the Guadalquivir River. The name Sábalo is the name of the sea fish, which in Dutch is called Elft, and which spawns in the river mouth.
Manzanilla en rama Salicornia, Barbadillo, Granada Wines
Wow, I was so happy with this opportunity; thank you, Dick, from Granada Wines! This is a completely new wine from Barbadillo, the only test bottle in the Netherlands to get acquainted. It is a sublimely made Manzanilla and Rama, typical Manzanilla, but with a fresher edge, more depth, and complexity. There is a lot of chamomile in it, reminiscent of fresh chamomile, but also concentrated chamomile honey, more on that in the menu of Puur Sanh. Green and red apple, lime peel, feels light but is still 15%. I really can’t wait until this is available on the Dutch market. So Barbadillo, I say go for it!
Let’s take a peek at the menus of the three fantastic teams!
I had the opportunity to taste some of the dishes and sherry. From Puur Sanh’s completely plant-based menu to Zoldering’s innovative dishes and Basiliek’s well-designed plates, they all stood out for me. Here are all the menus with pictures taken by Buro Food.
Pur Sanh
Starter: Leek Mosaic with Leek, Tiger Tomato, Hazelnut, Seaweed, and Sage.
Sherry: Bodega Tradicion Fino
Main Course: The Wonders of Mother Earth, Celeriac, Pecan nuts, truffle, miso, and soy sauce.
Sherry: Hidalgo la Gitana Palo Cortado ‘Wellington’VOS
Dessert: Honey I’m Home, Cepes, Chocolate, blackberry, buckthorn, and our own plant-based chamomile-tea-honey with a Coffee residue caramel.
Sherry: Gonzalez Byass Medium Palo Cortado ‘Apostoles’ VORS
Puur Sanh starter - Photo by Buro Food
Puur Sanh main - Photo by Buro Food
Puur Sanh dessert - Photo by Buro Food
Zoldering
Starter: Langoustine, Crab Bisque, Jasmine, and Ginger.
Sherry: Juan Piñero – Maruja Manzanilla
Main Course: Duck, Fennel, Blue Cheese, Kumquat, Bacon and Umeboshi
Sherry: Rey Fernando de Castilla – Antique Amontillado
Dessert: Tabacco & Vanilla, Cloves & Sechzuan Pepper Caramel, Yoghurt and Orange.
Sherry: Ximénez-Spínola – Pedro Ximénèz – Medium Old Harvest NV
Zoldering starter - Photo by Buro Food
Zoldering main course - Photo by Buro Food
Zoldering dessert - Photo by Buro Food
Basiliek
Starter: Cuttiefish from the North Sea, cream of Zolderspek, Zolderspek crunch, Camomile-citrus gel, Fermented sugar lettuce broth with chamomile, and black garlic cream.
Sherry: Manzanilla Pasada Blanquito Viña la Callejuela
Main Course: Mushrooms from the Veluwe with duxelles of mushrooms, nashi pear, and roasted mushroom broth with sourdough powder.
Sherry: Jerez Oloroso V.O.R.S. 30 years from Bodegas Tradición.
Dessert: Caviar with tuille of browned butter, cream of toasted chocolate, vanilla ice cream, and a hazelnut crunch.
Sherry: ‘Old Harvest’ Jerez by Ximénez-Spínola
Basiliek starter - Photo by Buro Food
Basiliek main course - Photo by Buro Food
Basiliek dessert - Photo by Buro Food
Fltr: Ambassador of Spain Consuelo Femenía, Randy Bouwer, Heleen Boom, Adrian Zarzo Habraken and Magda van der Rijst.
Evaluation and scores
The jury, which included prominent members such as Heleen Boom and Adrian Zarzo Habraken, evaluated the presentations on creativity, taste, and sherry integration. The winning team will represent the Netherlands in the Jerez de la Frontera international finals.
And the winner is…..
Sommelier Anne Marie Nijhoff and chef Yornie van Dijk of Restaurant Basiliek in Harderwijk convinced the jury and can call themselves the winners of the Copa Jerez 2024 in the Netherlands. The ambassador of Spain presented the winners with the official prize. The sommelier and chef’s combination and synergy were remarkable. Their passion for creating the best combinations was clearly visible. The main course was excellent. Anne Marie and Yornie look forward to the opportunity to represent the Netherlands at the Copa Jerez 2025 in Jerez, Spain. I had the opportunity to taste the dishes, and they were excellent. The balance between the dish and the Vino de Jerez was spot on, allowing the sherry to express its potential fully.
According to Jury Chairman Heleen Boom:
“The three teams consisting of chef and sommelier presented the jury with challenging and surprising combinations with sherry in the lead role. Jury chairman Heleen Boom explains: “The three teams of this edition presented powerful combinations, the level was exceptionally high. Restaurant Zoldering made a big impression with the main course of duck, combined with an Antique Amontillado, and the dessert ‘Honey I’m home’ from Restaurant Puur Sanh, combined with a Medium Palo Corrado was the best of the three. However, Restaurant Basiliek managed to convince us across the board with a presentation of layered dishes that were excellently supported by their sherry pairings. An overall impressive display that did justice to the gastronomic power of sherry.”
Conclusion
The Copa Jerez NL 2024 finals highlighted the skills of Dutch culinary talents in pairing sherry wines with innovative dishes. It was a close competition, with three finalist teams presenting their menus. The event promotes the versatility of sherry wines and influences global food trends. The winners, sommelier Anne Marie Nijhoff and chef Yornie van Dijk from Restaurant Basiliek in Harderwijk, not only impressed the jury but me also with their menu. They will represent the Netherlands at the Copa Jerez 2025 in Jerez, Spain. I enjoyed tasting a wide variety of Sherry and other wines from Jerez, such as the Vino de Pasto. Thanks again for the invitation, Copa Jerez!
