Bodegas El Maestro Sierra today hosted the ceremony for the V Pilar Plá Pechovierto Awards for Entrepreneurship and Excellence, an already consolidated event that pays tribute to the figure of the extraordinary winemaker and the values to which she dedicated her work.
In this fifth edition, the Excellence Award has been presented to Javier Muñoz and Ana Soto, founders of the historic Jerez restaurant La Carboná, in recognition of a career marked by quality, perseverance and the ability to transmit a gastronomic legacy that has managed to evolve while maintaining its roots, now in the hands of their son. The award was granted unanimously by the jury, which highlighted the career of long-standing entrepreneurs who have transmitted the legacy and shown the way, almost without being noticed; allowing the project to have acquired a new dimension starting from bases that were already extraordinary. During the event, held at the winery’s headquarters in Plaza Silos, the owner of Bodegas El Maestro Sierra and president of the jury, María del Carmen Borrego Plá, highlighted the contribution of its founders, both of them, to the projection of Jerez cuisine and, above all, of Sherry wines.
On the other hand, it must be remembered that the Pilar Plá Pechovierto Entrepreneurship Award was declared void in this edition at the unanimous discretion of the jury, considering that the candidates presented already had a consolidated career, which moved away from the objective of the award, designed to support initiatives that are in their early stages of development. As for the prize money, which amounts to 1,000 euros, it has been given to the Red Cross, with the aim of collaborating in the repair of the damage caused by the storm that recently affected Andalusia and especially Jerez, thus contributing to supporting the most affected families. On its behalf, this amount has been collected by its provincial president, Carmen de Lara, who has highlighted the dedication of the volunteers that are part of the entity.
The jury for this fifth edition was made up of Sergio Nieto, from Casa Martín 1920 in Grazalema—awarded for Entrepreneurship in the third edition—; Nela García Jarillo, entrepreneur and expert in the Jerez business community; Rosario Ortiz Sumariva, Ana Cabestrero and María del Carmen Borrego Plá, president of the jury. The event has had a large institutional and social presence, among which the municipal delegates of the Jerez City Council Agustín Muñoz and the aforementioned Nela García stand out.; and the musical closing by Benjamín Rodríguez and Manuel Rodríguez, cellists, professor and student at the Joaquín Villatoro Conservatory in Jerez.
The Pilar Plá Pechovierto Awards are held annually in memory of Doña Pilar Plá, a fundamental figure in the history of Bodegas El Maestro Sierra and a reference for work, perseverance and commitment to Jerez and its wine culture.