Sergio Martínez Verdugo

¿Cuánto tiempo llevas trabajando con/para el vino de Jerez y concretamente en esta bodega?

In February 2003 I began work experience as a student at Bodegas Lustau. Since then I have been making a position for myself at the bodega little by little.

¿Qué te impulsó a convertirte en un hacedor de vinos de Jerez?

I had always liked the world of bodegas, but since I started at Lustau I have felt gradually more drawn into this world.

¿De qué vino estás más orgulloso y por qué?

Generally speaking I like them all but perhaps I do feel something special for the biologically aged wines, for the pampering and care they need.

¿Cuál es tu favorito y por qué?

I love Amontillados. The subtleties imparted by the double ageing process makes them unique. They are very elegant wines and, best of all, there are no two alike! The double ageing, the years of age, the way the flor is lost, the time periods for each stage of ageing, the town where they age… all give unique personality to each one. For me it is the most complete and complex of all styles of Sherry.

¿De qué vino estás más orgulloso y por qué?

I love Amontillados. The subtleties imparted by the double ageing process makes them unique. They are very elegant wines and, best of all, there are no two alike! The double ageing, the years of age, the way the flor is lost, the time periods for each stage of ageing, the town where they age… all give unique personality to each one. For me it is the most complete and complex of all styles of Sherry.

¿Cuál es tu favorito y por qué?

Sherry is so versatile that that there is one which will perfectly match any dish. Personally I love a glass of old Amontillado with some mature cheese before dinner.

¿Cuál es tu maridaje perfecto con el Jerez?

Without doubt, it is the versatility they have. From the same raw material (the Palomino grape) we can achieve a huge variety of aromas, flavours, colours… and all that thanks to the unique conditions of the Sherry Triangle.  Sherry is unique and inimitable, something which only we, or perhaps Champagne, could say.

El vino de Jerez posee particularidades que lo distinguen de cualquier otro vino…qué hecho crees que lo hace tan interesante?

Our objective is to uphold the Lustau philosophy: total commitment to quality always seeking out and selecting from the treasures stored in our bodega, launching new products which represent the Lustau style which our customers demand.  An example is the Single Cask range which we launched in March. These are unique and very special wines which have developed personalities and characters which would be very hard to repeat. The range consists of true oenological jewels, not only for their characteristics and age, but also for their rarity and the conditions in which they were created. Little by little Sherry is making a comeback and the figures are improving year by year. This is thanks to the commitment to quality as against the quantity of a few decades ago. This is the path which we must continue to follow.

¿Cuáles son tus primeros recuerdos sobre el vino de Jerez?

My grandfather always had vines in Chiclana so the world of wine has always been very present in my life. I remember going from home to the vineyard by donkey with my grandfather and spending all day there with the family. Every day he enjoyed a glass of Fino with his meal. The old ones, they knew all right…