Something Smells Like Jerez in Denmark

Denmark may lack flamenco, salt flats, and taverns, but something smells like Jerez in the country. The Nordics seem to have perfectly grasped the unique idiosyncrasy of the Marco wines and their gastronomic possibilities. This is the only way to explain their repeated success in winning the top prize at the international pairing competition Copa Jerez. Four victories in eleven editions - 2013, 2019, 2023, and 2025 - is a statistic that could raise suspicions, if not for the unanimous applause from the jury, who had no choice but to surrender to the talent of chef Emil Rask Bahr and sommelier Andreas Kobs Laursen from the restaurant Sdr. Bjert Kro. Fried mackerel with palo cortado, pork belly with oloroso, and an unpronounceable but unforgettable dessert paired with cream earned them the award for the best sweet harmony.

Located in a small village of just over 2000 inhabitants by the Kolding fjord in southern Jutland, and far from the gastronomic scene of Copenhagen, Sdr. Bjert Kro had so far garnered modest praise from Danish critics, thanks to a cuisine of traditional inspiration, French precision, and contemporary touches. Upon learning they would represent Denmark in the final, held this week at the Villamarta Theatre in Jerez, they called their suppliers to seek "rarities, limited editions, hidden treasures" to impress a jury - Josep Roca, Sarah Jane Evans, Paco Morales, Heidi Mäkinen, Carlos Maribona, and Camila Ferraro - who know it all. "We also had the pressure of defending the title after so many triumphs by our compatriots," acknowledged Andreas Kobs, already holding the Copa Jerez.

Their approach was not without risks. Instead of trying to replicate proven success formulas, they started from the classic flavors of their country to demonstrate the versatility of Marco wines in harmonizing very diverse gastronomic traditions. That is the essence of the competition. As a starter, they served fried mackerel with a touch of infused Jerez vinegar, sun-dried tomato, crispy sage, and lobster beurre blanc: a high-cuisine homage to a typical summer lunch on the Jutland coasts. They paired it with La Bota 102 from Equipo Navazos, a rarity showcasing the paths Jerez explores today. Coming from a relatively young specific vintage - 2010 - and one of the most expressive vineyards in Sanlúcar, - Pago Miraflores La Baja -, it has undergone aging that neither actively seeks the flor nor orthodox oxidation. It could be said that it is a palo cortado by aesthetic decision and not by spontaneous evolution. Saline, deep, round, with echoes of old Burgundy but typically Andalusian. A statement of intent that the jury recognized from the first moment.

The main course was a pork belly confit in sweet and sour barbecue, with hazelnut dukkah, stuffed blood sausage, and a sauce with timur pepper and apple must. A dish with haute cuisine manners and exotic touches, but deeply rooted in Danish peasant cooking, ennobled by an Oloroso 1730 VORS from Álvaro Domecq. A bold choice, but very coherent, which, due to its depth, texture, and persistence, worked both by affinity and contrast. With the dessert, Emil and Andreas completed their conquest of the jury. It was an 'arme riddere' - a kind of northern French toast - made from a fermented dough, with Ceylon cinnamon, candied kumquats, orange blossom, salted caramel ice cream with rosemary, and cardamom syrup. A Nordic baker and an Andalusian laborer toasted with a Cream Tradición VOS, a blend of old Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez with over 20 years of oxidative aging, which provided an enveloping sweetness, not cloying, established delicate aromatic connections, and embraced the complexity of the dessert with typically Jerez elegance.

Although there was a certain desire to reward new accents, the expert committee was almost obliged to hand the Cup to the Danes, who had hit all the right notes to win the competition. A menu built from a brilliant selection of wines, dishes with soul, and well-measured dramatic touches. It was not easy to impress: the final featured eight national teams, winners of the rigorous previous selections. Spain - which has only won once, in 2010, with the Murcian restaurant Casablanca - was represented by chef Willy Moya and sommelier Juan Antonio Suances, from the Madrid restaurant Poncio by WM. They won the award for Best Starter Pairing thanks to a fermented grape ajo blanco with matured tuna belly and bottarga, paired with a Fino del Puerto Almacenista José Luis González Obregón, from Lustau wineries, which only lacked dancing flamenco.

There were bold proposals, such as that of the United Kingdom, which won the Best Chef award for William Stoyle and the Most Creative Pairing alongside sommelier Zoé Donadio. Or teams that had the audience on their side, like the Mexicans Oswaldo Oliva and Leticia Álvarez, from the restaurant Lorea, who the day before had the opportunity to participate in a round table on the connections between Mexican popular cuisine and Jerez wines. "Amontillado is the favorite wine of Mexicans, it's just that many still don't know it," they joked on stage. In their first participation in the competition, they managed to snatch the award for Best Main Course Pairing with a simple stew of corn and cod skins with lemon leaves and shrimp, paired with a manzanilla from Equipo Navazos, La Bota 113. The list of winners was completed by American Alex Bell, from the restaurant Midnight in the Garden, distinguished with the Juli Soler award for Best Sommelier. But none of them could compete with a team that, by now, speaks Danish with a Jerez accent.