Fundador Wineries and the City Council present in Madrid the Gastronomic Capital of Jerez

The meeting, held today, has had the participation of the mayors of Madrid and Jerez and has brought together more than a hundred institutional representatives and from the gastronomy at a national level.

Fundador’s sponsorship reinforces its role as a strategic ally in promoting the city on the occasion of this title

Madrid, July 8, 2026

The city of Jerez has presented in Madrid the title of Spanish Gastronomic Capital that it holds during 2026 by the hand of Fundador, in an act presided over by the mayor of the capital, José Luis Martínez-Almeida and the mayor of the city, María José García-Pelayo, in addition to the general director of the Emperador International Brands Group, Ángel Piña, and in which Alfredo Carrasco, president of the Jerez Hospitality Association, César Saldaña, president of the Jerez Wine Regulatory Council, the president of the Spanish Gastronomic Capital, Mariano Palacín Calvo and the president of the Spanish Hospitality Business Confederation, José Luis Álvarez Almeida, were also present, along with more than a hundred guests, among them personalities from the gastronomic, tourist and business fields; as well as media. The communicator and writer, Teresa Viejo, has been in charge of conducting an event designed to convey to Madrid the culinary identity, the winemaking character and the cultural uniqueness of Jerez.

An opportunity with which, as the mayor has assured, “the City Council continues to defend the promotion of gastronomy as a strategic product for the city of Jerez through a promotion work of great importance for the hospitality and gastronomic industry. By enhancing our gastronomic offer we seek to strengthen the sense of belonging, cultural entity and turn gastronomy into a real engine of value generation, employment and economic and sustainable development as shown by the latest data in which the city has dropped below 19,000 unemployed in the month of June, following a positive trend of creating more than 5,000 jobs in the last three years”, she has assured.

Therefore, this event has been the first of the three proposed together with Fundador to promote, at a national level, Jerez as the Spanish Gastronomic Capital, followed by Barcelona and Santiago de Compostela in upcoming dates to carry the “Jerez Brand” and its gastronomic potential throughout Spain.

The event also had the participation of the Michelin star chef from Jerez, Israel Ramos, who offered the attendees a “showcooking” explanation of two of the best “typical Jerez tapas”. Then, an appetizer organized by Fundador, accompanied by wines from the Torre de Macharnudo range by Harveys and a selection of cocktails made with Brandy Fundador.

García-Pelayo has highlighted that “Jerez is a benchmark tourist destination supported by national and international events and festivals throughout the year with events of the level of the Spanish Motorcycle Grand Prix, the Horse Fair or the Zambomba, among others. Gastronomy further consolidates this and reaffirms it as one of the main motivations of travelers and visitors, creating a complete ecosystem of wine, cuisine, culture, hospitality and territory”.

“The growing interest of tourist demand for this type of proposals and the broad development potential of our enclave make gastronomy a first-level strategic product for the city of Jerez, and this is being carried out by the City Council itself through its dissemination and promotion strategy, in this case, hand in hand with Fundador, highlighted the mayor, who also explained that “Jerez is in fashion and we work to keep it that way from the Capital of Gastronomy”, adding that “we come to Madrid to invite all Spaniards and tell them that Jerez is their home”.

At the same time, she thanked Martínez-Almeida for his attendance and highly valued that “the mayor of Spain is here with us today supporting the Spanish Capital of Gastronomy”.

The mayor of Madrid has pointed out that “Jerez feeds our soul from any of its places: from its streets, alleys, palaces, wineries, churches, convents… or talking to any of the people from Jerez. It feeds our soul and, in addition, it does so from gastronomy”.Martínez-Almeida has defined Jerez’s gastronomy as “a hallmark of our country” and has emphasized the idea that “gastronomy unites us to Jerez and Madrid”. “There are few pairings in Spain like the one between Madrid and Jerez”, he affirmed.

On the other hand, Fundador, accompanied the City Council of Jerez in this first presentation, reaffirming its commitment to the city and to the dissemination of its culinary and winery heritage. Ángel Piña, general director of Grupo Emperador International Brands (owner of the brands Fundador, Terry, Harveys, Torre de Macharnudo, Garvey, among others) declares, “As a company with a long tradition, deeply rooted in our land, our origins and the history of Jerez, we firmly believe in the value of supporting initiatives that connect people and generate shared experiences. Our history has always been linked to moments of encounter, celebration and enjoyment. Therefore, this sponsorship is not just a collaboration, but a natural extension of our commitment to local development and to the enhancement of what makes our cities unique”.

Fundador’s involvement in this presentation is part of a broader participation of the company on the occasion of the Gastronomic Capital of Jerez 2026. Throughout the year, Fundador is promoting and collaborating in numerous initiatives aimed at reinforcing the positioning of Jerez as a destination linked to gastronomy, wine, brandy, culture, and experiential tourism.

In this sense, Fundador has established itself as one of the great allies of the Capital, not only for its institutional support for promotional actions, but also for its ability to generate experiences connected with the territory. Through its wines, brandies, its visitor center, its Casa Fundador restaurant and its various proposals around gastronomy, the company actively contributes to making Jerez known inside and outside of Andalusia, reinforcing its role as one of the most committed Jerez companies with the revitalization and promotion of the city.

The trajectory of Fundador is closely linked to the development of the cultural, winery and tourist heritage of Jerez, constituting one of the main hallmarks of the city and a benchmark in understanding its history, its wines, brandies and its international vocation.

The meeting in Madrid allowed to show the potential of Jerez as an integral destination, in which cuisine, wine, brandy, art, culture and tradition are part of the same experience. In addition, the choice of Madrid as the first stop responds to its relevance as one of the main markets sending to Jerez, both by air and rail connection and for its tourist, institutional and media importance.