(WineSpectator) - The festivities continued Monday night at Vinexpo as Spanish winemakers poured for a throng of 1,500 at Wine Spectator's "Taste of Spain" party, held in Bordeaux's magnificent Palais de la Bourse on the city's historic waterfront.

It was an unprecedented showcasing of Spain's distinctive wines and cuisine, gathering more than 100 of Spain's leading bodegas selected by Wine Spectator and chosen to reflect regional diversity, historical leadership and extraordinary quality. "Wine Spectator has been closely following Spain's impressive progress for decades," said executive editor Thomas Matthews, who is also the magazine's lead taster for the wines of Spain. "We are pleased to give the country the showcase it deserves."

"This is a sample of what Spain is," announced chef and culinary co-chair José Andrés, "and the best is still around the corner. This is true for wine and for food. This is where we come from, who we are and where we are going."

Also making the journey north were 12 chefs from acclaimed Spanish restaurants, selected by Andrés and his fellow culinary co-chair, legendary chef Ferran Adrià. Andrés and Adrià chose to focus their invitations on younger chefs and chefs from lesser-known regions.