The Wine Paris fair was the setting on February 9 for the international presentation of the 2026 edition of The Master Winemaker Top 100, a guide that recognizes the hundred most outstanding winemakers of the year according to the publication The Drinks Business. Among the names included in this ranking is, for the first time, Delfí Sanahuja, technical manager and head winemaker of Perelada, a winery located in the D.O. Empordà.
International recognition for Empordà
Sanahuja's access to this list occurs after obtaining a Master Medal in two of the competitions organized by The Global Wine Masters. The jury, composed of industry experts, blind tastes 3,000 samples from the main international wine-growing regions. In this process, the wines Aires de Garbet 2021 and Finca Garbet 2021 have been distinguished in the grenache and syrah categories respectively.
Aires de Garbet 2021 has been recognized as Grand Master, the highest distinction in the competition, and as the best Garnacha of 2025. This special category was introduced at The Global Wine Masters in 2025 to highlight the most outstanding wine of the entire edition.
Selection process and career path
After the first tasting phase, all wines that have obtained a Master medal are re-evaluated blind by the presidents of the Masters of Wine panel. It is in this second round where the jury determines which wine stands out as the best among the best.
Delfí Sanahuja, who joined Perelada in 1998, adds this international recognition to his recent Premi Enòleg de Prestigi awarded in 2024 by the Associació Catalana d'Enòlegs. The Perelada & Chivite Group, under his technical direction, thus reinforces its position on the international wine scene.
Impact for the region and the sector
The inclusion of a winemaker from Empordà in The Master Winemaker Top 100 represents a boost for the region's visibility in international wine circuits. The D.O. Empordà consolidates itself as a benchmark thanks to the work of professionals like Sanahuja and the quality of wines such as Aires de Garbet and Finca Garbet.
- Sanahuja enters the ranking of the hundred best winemakers in the world for the first time
- Aires de Garbet 2021 obtains the Grand Master recognition and best garnacha of 2025
- Finca Garbet 2021 is selected in the syrah category