Antonio was, quite literally, born on top of the Tio Pepe solera – his father was a Gonzalez Byass winemaker and he was born in the family's apartment, upstairs from the cellars. Having grown up among casks of sherry he became a cellar-hand and begun his rise to the top of the company – chief winemaker and master blender.

A winner of the IWC Merchant Spanish Wine Maker of the Year and Fortified Wine Maker of the year awards in 2016, Antonio is a very hands-on producer, inspecting inspecting the casks himself and spending as much time with them as he did when a child.

He is attending the show with Whyte & Mackay, who are well-known for using Gonzalez Byass's sherry casks, especially when making Dalmore whiskies. Antonio and master blender Richard Paterson work closely together to create the perfect casks to mature the distiller's whiskies.

When you have a glass of Jerez you must not only think that you are enjoying a great wine, but an enological miracle, based on our soil, grape varieties, ageing system – unique only to Jerez – and the knowledge that has been passed down through generations dedicated to caring for our wines.