The Vila Viniteca Wine Tasting by Couples Award, created in 2007 by Quim Vila and Siscu Martí, has become a unique event in the world of wine that has achieved international fame. It is the best endowed financially, as it distributes 40,000 euros among the three couples who obtain the highest score in the blind tasting. The staging of the competition in the emblematic Gothic hall of the Casa Llotja de Mar in Barcelona is spectacular, especially considering the logistical complexity it requires, with more than one hundred people involved in the organization, more than 260 bottles and 2,700 Riedel glasses used so that the 120 participating couples can taste all the wines.
Just the fact that the type or brand of wine contained in each bottle is kept absolutely secret is an immeasurable feat. The waiters who fill the contestants' glasses do not know what they are serving, and only a very small group of Vila Viniteca employees, who are made to sign a strict confidentiality agreement under penalty of losing their jobs, have that information. To prevent leaks, many of the wines chosen for the competition are not decided until the last moment, Vila explains.
The anticipation that this award generates among tasting enthusiasts is such that, year after year, registrations for one of the 120 double spots sell out in less than five minutes. Each couple pays 200 euros to participate. It is estimated that 60% are repeat participants, as this competition "hooks you, traps you," according to the participants themselves. A very small group of tasters has participated in practically all editions. Among the contestants are renowned sommeliers, restaurateurs, viticulturists, winemakers, and wine enthusiasts in general, most of them Spanish, but there are also usually about ten foreign couples.
The competition is extremely close and the degree of difficulty is maximum, as many of the selected wines can cause confusion. Facing a blind tasting of seven wines is a major challenge that requires having previously tasted hundreds of wines to be able to have registered in the brain those elements that will allow one to guess the wine being tasted. During the competition, they cannot have their mobile phone at hand or consult notes. Thus, participants prepare thoroughly throughout the year and spend a lot of money on wine to reach the prize as prepared as possible and be able to win some of the prizes. Tasting as a couple has the advantage that when one is lost, they have the help of their partner, but, at the same time, it is a component that adds complexity, since often the two participants do not agree on which wine they are tasting.
The Vila Viniteca Award grants one point to tasters who manage to guess the country of origin of the wine. If they also recognize the production area, they get another point. Guessing the designation of origin is two more points, the grape varieties, three points; the vintage, another three points; the producing winery, also three points; and the brand, two points. If there is a tie, the jury takes into account the quality of the tasting comment.
In the initial qualifying phase, the 120 couples must taste seven wines (sparkling, white, red or sweet from any country in the world), all served in the same type of glass so as not to give clues. The ten couples who obtain the highest score or who have guessed the most pass to the grand final, where they taste seven more wines. Everything is supervised by a notary and by a professional jury made up of winemaker Xandra Falcó, Fernando Gurucharri (president of the Spanish Union of Tasters), critic José Peñín, Juan Muñoz (president of the Union of Spanish Sommelier Associations) and Jordi Segura, from the company Euroselecció, importer of Riedel.
The winning couple receives a prize of 30,000 euros; the second-place winners receive 7,000 euros and the third-place winners receive a prize of 3,000 euros, in addition to a set of Riedel glasses and decanters. The top ten classified are also presented with a set of wines.
The Vila Viniteca Award is held in alternate years in Barcelona and Madrid. This 14th edition features a poster designed by América Sánchez and marks the return of the competition after the 2021 hiatus, the year in which the pandemic prevented its celebration. In parallel to the competition, the award hosts an exhibition space in which 40 wineries and brands participate and features a cheese buffet for attendees who can purchase tickets on the organization's website for 30 euros.