Fundador & Friends closes its third edition with a full house and high cuisine in the key of brandy

Chef Leon Griffioen, Michelin star of the Cadiz-based Código de Barra, successfully concludes a cycle that brings together tradition, innovation and author pairings at Bodegas Fundador.

More than 300 attendees have enjoyed a gastronomic experience already established as a must-see in Jerez.

Jerez de la Frontera, October 20, 2025

The terrace of Casa Fundador experienced a memorable evening on October 17, the perfect ending to the third edition of the Fundador & Friends cycle. With all seats sold out, the dinner signed by Leon Griffioen —Michelin star and soul of the restaurant Código de Barra (Cadiz) crowned an unforgettable season in which brandy joined hands with high cuisine in a unique setting like Fundador, the oldest winery in the Marco de Jerez.

The data supports the success of Fundador & Friends 2025: four exclusive dinners, four top-level chefs, more than 220 attendees in total, with full capacity at each call and with diners coming from different areas of Cadiz and all over Spain to enjoy a different sensory experience with some of the most prominent names in national cuisine.

The chefs also enjoyed the initiative: Juan Viu (Viu, Barbate), Fran Vicente (Élkar, Madrid), Luis Alberto Martínez (Casa Fermín, Oviedo) and Leon Griffioen (Código de Barra, Cadiz). Each one designed an exclusive gastronomic proposal, paired with the best brandies, wines and cocktails of the house.

“It’s a luxury to be able to cook in a winery with so much history. This cycle shows that cooking and brandy have a lot in common: time, technique and soul,” said Leon Griffioen after the closing dinner.

Similar comments were made by other chefs: “Every detail counts: the environment, the liquids, the diners. Cooking here is cooking with history,” summarized Viu , who inaugurated the cycle in June.

“Bringing the flavors of the north to Jerez has been a gift,” expressed the Oviedo native Luis Alberto Martínez, whose legendary Cudillero hake and his Asturian fabada were the most applauded dishes of the August evening. Pairing creativity with solera was a challenge for Fran Vicente: “the experience of Fundador & Friends makes it possible,” he pointed out.

Guided tour and live music

All dinners began with a guided tour of the winery, followed by the outdoor experience on the terrace of Casa Fundador, with live music and a carefully detailed atmosphere.

During the dinner, each chef personally presented their dishes. For his part, Alberto Pizarro, Brand Ambassador of Fundador, was in charge of introducing the pairings: from Jerez wines to unique cocktails like Magas by Fundador, or creations with Triple Madera, Supremo 15 and Supremo 18. 

Fundador & Friends was born in 2022 with a clear objective: to connect the world of brandy with high cuisine, generating a dialogue between tradition, innovation and product. Three editions later, this proposal has become an essential event in the gastronomic calendar of Jerez.

The spirit of Fundador

“Each edition has been a step further in our vocation to offer authentic experiences that speak of the spirit of this house. The response from the public and the chefs confirms that Fundador & Friends is already a wine tourism and gastronomic reference in the city,” highlights Ángel Piña counselor at Pedro Domecq and Global Commercial and Marketing Director Fundador-Emperador, who personally attended some of the dinners and thanked the work of the entire team, from the kitchen to the room to the wine tourism team that made this event possible.

This cycle, which seals Fundador’s firm commitment to gastronomy, has also had the support of the Jerez Hospitality Association, which will recognize the winery’s effort on November 12 for its work in stimulating the gastronomic field.Fundador & Friends will return in 2026 with new proposals and will become part of the official program of activities on the occasion of the designation of Jerez as the Spanish Capital of Gastronomy.