LONDON / AGILITYPR.NEWS / June 30, 2023 / The Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino has announced the three newest additions to its esteemed membership. The three new Caballeros were selected for their efforts in promoting Spanish wines to UK audiences and were inaugurated into the historic organisation at the 38th annual Investiture Dinner at the Landmark London Hotel on 29^th June.

The Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino, otherwise known as the GOCV or Gran Orden, was created in 1984 to celebrate the achievements of those whose dedication and passion for Spanish wines has helped raise the profile and increase the market share of Spanish wines in the UK. The Gran Orden counts wine-industry professionals from producers, importers and exporters and merchants to journalists, educators and broadcasters from Spain and the UK in its ranks, with new Caballeros selected each year to join the organisation via a secret ballot of its existing members.

This year’s new Caballeros were revealed to be Jo Ahearne MW, an experienced winemaker, consultant and buyer who specialises in Spanish wines; Ferran Centelles, previous head sommelier at El Bulli, now a writer and researcher working with the elBullifoundation and with Jancis Robinson; and Jesús de Madrazo Mateo, a fifth-generation winemaker and previous technical director at the influential Viñedos del Contino group and the founder and winemaker of Jesus Madrazo Wines.

The three new members were celebrated at a gala dinner at the Landmark London Hotel. More than 220 wine-industry professionals were present for the ceremony, with speeches given by the Head of the Spanish Economic & Commercial Office, Álvaro Nadal, Director General of ICEX, Elisa Carbonell and Sarah Jane Evans MW, Chairman of the Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino.

Guests were treated to an exquisite food menu from Executive Chef Gary Klaner, as well as an enviable list of Spanish wines selected for the occasion by members of the Gran Orden. 

Please find more information about the three new Caballeros below.

Jo Ahearne MW

Born and raised in London, Jo Ahearne began her career at wine merchant Oddbins, before realising her dream of working at the heart of the winemaking process in Australia with Charles Melton. After studying for a BSc in winemaking, she began a distinguished career as a flying winemaker across many short-term and esteemed projects across Spain in the 1990s, from Extremadura and La Mancha to Navarra and Jumilla and living life as an adopted Spaniard, before returning to Australia for another 11 years. Jo returned to the UK to work as a winemaker and consultant for Marks & Spencer, working across Spanish, South American, French and Italian wines, and also moved to luxury retailer Harrods. A variety of consultancy roles in Spain, France, Italy, Hungary and Macedonia followed, before the allure of Spain’s wines proved too strong to resist and she moved to Boutinot, where she currently works as a buyer for Spain. Jo completed her Master of Wine qualification in 2008.

Ferran Centelles

Ferran Centelles is an influential sommelier, who has been working at the upper echelon of Spanish and international gastronomy for decades. As a teenager, Ferran became interested in food and restaurants, before going on to study hospitality as a young student in Spain, but quickly found his natural place in front-of-house and wine. Soon after, he began to learn his trade at a restaurant of towering influence, ElBulli in Barcelona. Under the tutelage of Eloy and Juli Soler, Ferran began learning about the world of wine at the very top level. Ferran has since gone on to make a career as a wine writer and educator with both the elBullifoundation and Jancis Robinson, and aside from Eloy and Juli, counts both Jancis and Ferran Adrià as the biggest influences on a career that has been spent working closely with Spanish winemakers and importers, and serving and passing on his knowwledge about Spanish wines, inspiring a new generation eager to taste and discover them.

Jesús de Madrazo Mateo

Born into a winemaking dynasty, Jesús is a descendant of one of the founding families of one of Rioja’s most highly acclaimed wineries. Having gained a degree in winemaking and viticulture in Spain in 1992, he held positions as winemaker, senior agricultural engineer and technical director at that same winery. Much of his career has focused on continuing the work of his father, José Angel, who founded Spain’s first single-estate winery. With 30 harvests under his belt, Jesús has been actively involved in exporting high-quality wines to the UK since 1999 and has become a much-loved titan of Spanish-English wine relations. In 2019 he launched his own project, Jesús Madrazo Wines, producing a range of styles of wine in Ribera del Duero and Rioja. The project has involved working tirelessly with UK importers and merchants to showcase the beauty of these regions.

The three new Caballeros join one of the most influential and respected organisations in the Spanish wine industry, and also act as an inspiration to the next generation of professionals passionate about carving new ground in Spanish wines in the UK.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

For more information and imagery, please email mbourgeois@sopexa.com

About the Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino

The Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino (GOCV) was established in 1984 by Wines from Spain to recognise and reward outstanding achievement in the education, advancement and business of quality wines from Spain in the United Kingdom. Since then, the Order has invited 90 members of the wine trade to join, in recognition of their unique contributions. The new members are inaugurated at the annual investiture dinner in central London. Among their number are winemakers, winery owners, importers, retailers, restaurateurs, educators, journalists and broadcasters. Led by a small team of committee members, the GOCV provides an unrivalled network for Spanish wines in the UK. Translated literally, each member is officially ‘a knight of the great order of wine’ and once accepted into the GOCV members continue their support of wines from Spain by promoting the work and events of the whole Spanish wine community across the UK, in Spain and around the world.

gocv.uk

About ICEX and Foods and Wines from Spain:  

ICEX Spain Trade and Investment (ICEX) is the Spanish Government Agency that promotes exports and investment, enhances competitiveness, and assists Spanish businesses in international markets. Foods and Wines from Spain is ICEX's brand for a wide range of promotional activities designed to inform trade and consumers about Spain’s wines, food products and gastronomy. For more information about Foods and Wines from Spain, please visit www.foodswinesfromspain.com