The National Gastronomy Awards 2016, awarded by the Royal Academy of Gastronomy of Spain, were held on 25 September. These awards annually recognise the work of different professionals and entities in the gastronomic sector at a national level.
The quality and the great contribution of the candidates in promoting and publicising the gastronomic culture of our country are the main common denominators that the Royal Academy of Gastronomy places value on when awarding the prizes. In this edition, the Jury's Special Prize went to Vivanco for his great work in the dissemination of Wine Culture.
National Gastronomy Awards
The Royal Academy of Gastronomy of Spain, in its desire to promote the study and dissemination of the gastronomic and cultural heritage of our country, annually recognises the protagonists of the sector. These awards, which celebrate 42 years with the 2016 edition, have been highlighting the impulse and excellence that different actors in the sector, professionals and institutions, transfer to our gastronomy and our culture. Among the different categories of these awards, recognition is given to the work of chefs, head chefs, headwaiters, sommeliers, but attention is also paid to other professionals related to the gastronomic world, such as specialised journalists, or different publications and other works for the dissemination of gastronomic culture are awarded.
These awards, one of the most important in the sector at national level, have undoubtedly contributed to the spectacular evolution of gastronomic culture in our country in recent decades thanks to their recognition of excellence in this field. And this, in turn, adds to the cultural and tourist attraction of our country, both within and beyond our borders.
The Jury
Representatives of the boards of the Royal Academy of Gastronomy of Spain, the Association of Friends of the RAG, members of the Brotherhood of the Good Table and the presidents of the regional academies of gastronomy make up the jury that awards the prizes.
A jury that year after year sees its work become increasingly complex, given the growing quality of the nominees and of our gastronomic sector.
Vivanco: National Gastronomy Prize
The awards ceremony on 25 September corresponded to the 2016 edition of the awards and was presided over by the Minister of Education, Culture and Sport of the Spanish Government, Íñigo Méndez de Vigo. The Special Prize Vivanco was awarded to . The aim of this award was to highlight the work and experience of the family, now in its fourth generation, which has been linked to La Rioja wines since 1915.
Santiago Vivanco, President of the Foundation Vivanco and Experiencias Vivanco , and Rafael Vivanco, Director of Bodegas Vivanco, collected the award accompanied by their mother, Angélica Sáenz.
The family expressed their great gratitude and gratification on receiving this award, which was also added to the long list of acknowledgements and tributes dedicated to Pedro Vivanco, founder of the entire project and recently deceased. The Foundation Vivanco was also rewarded for the work of promoting and disseminating the Wine Culture, which it has been carrying out since 2004 from Briones.
The jury wanted to highlight the importance of this great effort of the Foundation Vivanco to share knowledge, history and culture of the world of wine, as well as the Museum Vivanco of Wine Culture, considered the best Wine Museum in the world and a unique place to learn about the essence of wine from the experience, sensitivity and innovation.
