The jury is preparing to make its evaluations, the teams are finalising their culinary creations, and the speakers are putting the finishing touches to their presentations. On 2 and 3 June, the Villamarta Theatre in Jerez de la Frontera will play host to the Copa Jerez Forum & Competition, the most important international enogastronomic event around the topic of Sherry Wines. Find out all the details below!
Copa Jerez Forum & Competition: a unique global event
The city of Jerez de la Frontera is getting ready to host a unique event that represents a benchmark of the international food and wine calendar: the 11th edition of the Copa Jerez Forum & Competition. On 2 and 3 June 2025, the Villamarta Theatre will become the epicentre of flavour, skill, and passion for Sherry Wines.
Copa Jerez is about wine, but also about knowledge and training, gastronomy, participation, and pure emotion. This exceptional event brings together the finest chefs, sommeliers, and experts around the world to pay tribute to the wine culture of the Sherry Wine Region. The event incorporates a high-level culinary competition, a participative forum, exclusive winery experiences and an exceptional wine-tasting open to the public.
Hold the dates, and come and experience it for yourself!
Everything you need to know about Copa Jerez Forum & Competition
For those who may be less familiar with this event, Copa Jerez is the top international showcase for Sherry Wine and its close links with haute cuisine. The event is organised by the Regulatory Council of the Jerez-Xérès-Sherry and Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda Designations of Origin, together with Fedejerez. Copa Jerez is held every two years in Jerez de la Frontera, bringing together leading professionals and thousands of attendees. This year, 2025, is a "Copa Jerez year", with many exciting elements: the competition itself, as well as a congress and a showroom, together with a parallel programme of experiences throughout the city and beyond.
Copa Jerez Competition: A tightly contested final that pays tribute to the art of food and wine pairing
The highlight of the event - and the most exciting moment - is the Copa Jerez Competition: an international final where the eight teams, each formed by a chef and a sommelier, compete to achieve the best menu harmonised with Sherry Wines, in front of both a public audience and a rigorous expert jury. Each entry is a declaration of intent that unites creativity, technique and respect for the product.
Reaching the final is a considerable achievement in itself. The eight teams competing to take home the title of international champion first had to compete in a national contest in their respective countries. Now, they will have to perform at the highest level under great pressure, preparing a three-course menu harmonised with Sherry Wines, while keeping their nerve.
In this 2025 edition, the list of finalists shows a broad geographical spread, covering several continents. The chef-and-sommelier teams from the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, the United States, Belgium, the Netherlands, Mexico and Spain are currently finalising their preparations to go out on stage and produce their culinary creations. Each team is competing on behalf of its restaurant to demonstrate its talent in pairing gastronomy and Sherry Wines. These are the eight teams that will represent their respective countries in the grand final on 3 June:
- United Kingdom: Silo x Apricity. Chef Will Stoyle. Sommelier Zoé Donadio.
- Germany: Novanta Bar & Restaurant. Chef Jan Nachtigall. Sumiller Daniel Koge.
- Denmark: Restaurant Sdr. Bjert Kro. Chef Emil Rask Bahr. Sommelier Andreas Kobs Laursen.
- United States: Midnight in the Garden (Austin, TX). Chef Ryan Fox. Beverage Director Alex Wheatley Bell.
- Belgium: SOMM Restaurant. Chef Marina Claus . Sommelier Wim Casteur.
- Netherlands: Restaurant Puur Sanh. Chef Jean Paul Witte. Sommelier Stijn Hinke.
- Mexico: Lorea, Mexico City. Chef Oswaldo Oliva. Sommelier Leticia Álvarez.
- Spain: Restaurant Poncio by WM. Chef Willy Moya. Sommelier Juan Antonio Suanzes
Would you like a sneak preview of the eight culinary entries? Find out about their proposals and pairings.
The jury faces a challenging task
To judge the entries, Copa Jerez has the benefit of a top-class jury. This carefully selected panel of international wine, haute cuisine and specialised experts will not have an easy task. The professionals will be in charge of assessing not only culinary excellence, but also the creativity, technique and harmony of each pairing. Their experienced judgement will be decisive when it comes to choosing the winning team of this 2025 edition:
- Josep Roca, Maitre d’ and co-owner of the restaurant El Celler de Can Roca.
- June Rodil, Master Sommelier and CEO of Goodnight Hospitality.
- Carlos Maribona, Gastronomic critic for ABC newspaper and columnist for the Vocento group.
- Heidi Mäkinen, Master of Wine, member of the International Sommelier Association ASI and WSET lecturer.
- Paco Morales, chef and restaurateur. After gaining experience in such renowned establishments as Mugaritz and El Bullí, Morales opened Noor ***Michelin, his highly original creative restaurant.
Copa Jerez Forum: Knowledge and innovation
The other major event on 2 and 3 June is Copa Jerez Forum, an enogastronomic and experiential conference where more than 30 speakers will share their vision of gastronomy, wine and sherry culture. This forum offers a unique opportunity to find out about the latest innovations and knowledge through guided tastings, showcookings, round tables and presentations in an immersive format. All this - and much more - makes the Forum an ideal space for the exchange of ideas and discovering new insights.
Among the names featured in this year's edition are influential voices on the Spanish gastronomic and wine scene:
- Xanty Elías, founding chef of the restaurants Acánthum and Finca Alfoliz*.
- Isabelle Brunet, sommelier and winemaker at Garraf.
- Juan Luis Fernández, chef and owner of Lú, Cocina y Alma**.
- David Villalón, sommelier at Angelita Madrid.
- Israel Ramos, chef and owner of Mantúa*.
- David Seijas, Co-founder of Gallina de Piel Wines
- Juan Luis Fernández, chef and owner of Cañabota*.
As you can see, this is an unmissable opportunity to learn from top trendsetters in the restaurant industry. Tickets on sale now.
Copa Jerez Showroom - The Temple of Sherry Wine
As if all that wasn’t enough, there is even more! For two days, the Villamarta Theatre will become the largest open tasting space dedicated to Sherry and Manzanilla Wines. More than 30 producers from the Marco de Jerez region will come together to present over 300 wines: you can taste them, talk directly with their producers, and explore the great diversity of styles of Sherry Wines. A meeting point for wine producers, sommeliers, professionals, and aficionados, where each glass and every conversation brings you even closer to the fascinating world of Sherry.
Copa Jerez OFF - A journey to the heart of Sherry Wines
Beyond the Villamarta Theatre, Copa Jerez Forum & Competition also extends to the region's bodegas. You can immerse yourself in their centuries-old history through guided tours, private tastings, exclusive pairings and sensory experiences. A total immersion in the culture of sherry, reserved only for those attending the congress.
The event you can't - and don't want to - miss
As you have seen, Copa Jerez is not just an event, it is a celebration of wine as a culture, of sherry as a living legacy, and of food and wine pairing as an art. There are different types of tickets to attend the Forum and the final of the competition, and you will find all the information about registration, programmes and tickets onthe official Copa Jerez website. In addition, the event can be followed live on its social media channels, where key moments, interviews and much more will be shared.
This unique fixture celebrating sherry, talent and creativity is fast approaching. Book your ticket and experience first-hand the event that puts Sherry Wines and Manzanilla at the centre of the enogastronomic world.
Book your ticket using this link
