The New York Hotel Marriott Marquis has hosted this weekend the 40th edition of the Wine Spectator’s New York Experience, the most emblematic gala for the international wine sector. These ‘Oscars’ of wine have awarded the highest recognition, the best wine in the world, to a Spanish wine, Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva 2010 from the Marqués de Murrieta winery.
The publication that organises the event, Wine Spectator, is owned by one of the most prestigious North American publishing groups in the field of luxury, wine and spirits. Every year, it makes a list of the 100 most outstanding wines, the most mentioned being French and Italian productions, surprisingly. Spain still has a long way to go before being considered a 'luxury brand’ by the sounds of things.
That said, for this year's selection, more than 11,000 tastings have been carried out and the centennial label of the first winery in La Rioja has been the only one to not only enter the top ten but also to win.
The president of this wine business and owner of the Riojan winery Marqués de Murrieta, Vicente D. Cebrián-Sagarriga, collected the award in person before more than a thousand attendees to whom he dedicated some emotional words. He recognised that it was one of the most important days of his life due to the effort and work that has taken to obtain the precious recognition.
Likewise, Cebrián-Sagarriga emphasized that the award represents a great achievement for Spanish wine, as well as a great recognition for Marqués de Murrieta and the family that is in charge of a project that represents the quality and good work of Spain.
Among the criteria taken into account by the committee for the award of this prize, are quality, the history of the winery, the impeccable image of its wines around the world and what they call the X factor, an aspect associated with feeling, the passion and enthusiasm that wine arouses in tasters. And, according to the organisation, the Spanish winery is more than deserving.
In this event, personalities from Spanish gastronomy such as the influential Chef José Andrés also gathered, who was awarded for his humanitarian work and celebrated that a Spanish winery achieved the highest recognition in the awards ceremony.