My father had, grew grapes, he didn't make wine, but grew grapes.
Since I was very young I grew up around grapes. But yeah, with 14 or 15 years of age
you still don't really know what you will do. But already back then I heard that in this region you can make
very good wines, of international recognition. And here in Falset there is a winemaking school.
I went there for 2 years and in 1997 I started working in the winery of Alvaro Palacios.
And it was there, where, well... I had the grapes of my father
and together with the grapes of my family and the things I learned and knew, well
then it clicked and I knew that that's the thing I will dedicate myself to.
So you mentioned Alvaro Palacios,
who was your role model when you started with your own project?
Before I started my own project, I had only worked in Alvaro Palacios' winery and at that time, the winemaker
was Joan Asens, who was already my teacher in the winemaking school, and he was
my teacher again in the winery. When I was working with him I learned many things.
And also the passion for the world of wines.
Tighten it. Who has put this one?
Both of us, but no, now it's not leaking anymore, it's ok. Are you sure? Really?
It's not leaking because there were no grapes now, eh? Because there were no grapes, let me see...
For how many years now do you follow the rules for
organic agriculture for your wines? For many years I do not use nor herbicides,
nor insecticides, nothing like that. With the official organic label since 2011.
I have to say that many things I have learned by myself. Failing sometimes, but yeah,
I am making wine since the year 2000 now, so this year that means 17 harvests, since I am making wine. Trying
and failing, trying and correcting. Here you always learn many things, and you always ask your colleagues,
and if you see that something is not right, or is failing, then you ask and correct and you get better and better.
And from your errors you usually learn a lot.
Why does everybody say that your wines are a perfect example of the Montsant region?
I think they are very authentic wines and are not disguised with anything, or
almost anything, no. In case of the two Miloca wines, for example, they are
not disguised with anything. And with the Serè and Alleu, they were in the barrel, right.
So you can distinguish them. But I hardly ever use new barrels, hence the wine is always
dominating, and never the oak, or other things. This is what we try to do.
This is the style of wine I am trying to make.
So you re-use the barrels, right?
I do re-use them until a certain point, as then they suddenly can add some strange taste, but until
5, 6 years I do keep and re-use them.
Regarding wine rating. What is your opinion about that?
I think you have to buy the wine for what the wine is, and not because of a punctual
rating of one year or the other. It is also a risk. If one year they give you a good rating, and the
the next one not, so what will happen? You won't sell the wine the next year?
You have to make the wine which you think you have to make, and you have to do it as good as possible and
the ratings are ok. If they give me good ratings, then I am very happy, but if not, then
it's alright, too. They gave my wines some good ratings. But then I dont' really sell much more.
And when they gave them some less points, then I don't sell much less neither. There is an important
guru here from Robert Parker, who we all know. And if he would, or let's say,
if he for example rates a wine with 98 points, in that case yeah, I think I would sell the entire winery,
almost... At once. It is difficult. Because apart from the wines, they do also consider and rate the
background. I am very humble and I don't think that they will ever, that they would
give me this rating for what the winery is. I know that in Switzerland you like a lot the wines aged
in oak barrels, but sometimes alternating a bit is fine. Yes, that's true. One time alternating a bit
and discovering more fruit, or let's say, a nice fruit, a complex fruit, it's nice
when you can discover that and alternate a bit. So this is very important. The Miloca wines are very authentic.
Yes, yes. But you didn't have them since the beginning, right?
No, we make them since 2009. It is almost grape juice in a bottle. Fermented grape juice
in a bottle. Without nothing, nothing which distracts from what they are, you know?
What's your next goal?
As I have the two Miloca which are 2 young wines, monovarietal wines, 100% Garnacha,
100% Carinyena, I am thinking about making again 2 monovarietal wines, first
maybe Garnacha, then we will see with Carinyena.
But they will be barrel aged wines, of high-end quality. And yeah, I have some stuff prepared and we'll see,
If finally it is worth it, and I am able to make a really exclusive wine, then, well
I will make it. We'll see.
Well, Nuria. Hi.
As birthday present from your husband, what do you prefer
a trip to the Maldives, or a labelling machine?
How's that going?
Man, some travelling wouldn't bother me, but it's true, what we really need is a
labelling machine. Because I do everything by hand, label by label, bottle by bottle.
And how many bottles?
Well, around 30 and something thousend bottles, depending on the year.
What's it like being the wife of a winemaker and especially during harvest?
Well, being the wife of a winemaker is very nice. I have not worked in this sector
before, but now I do work with him,
the two together and during harvest it is quite hard. Because you depend on the whole year, and
on the weather it will be, for example this year there was no rain at all and well, every
year is different. And depending on the year you need more or less nerves.
True.
Well, then thank you for your time. You're welcome.
Well, now you got me a bit staggered
Well, this is information... Almost confidential, no?
When I was a kid, together with a friend we put the bonfire of our village,
the bonfire of San Juan, we lit it up one week before it was
supposed to be lit. And yeah, this was, oh man, yeah I got punished during quite some time. My mother
punished me by having me locked in the house, without being allowed to go out. Because this was a thing..., well
maybe it was better, that I could not go out.
Because they would have knocked the shit out of me.
How's your daddy these days during harvest?
Mmmmh, I dont' know...
... he's tired.
He's tired!
And what about you? What do you think? How is your daddy these days during harvest?
Fine.
Ah yeah, fine?
Yes.
How is he? What is he doing?
Harvesting.
Harvesting!
And your mommy? How is your mommy during harvest?
How is she? Is she any different?
No.
No?
As always?
Yes.
And you? Are you also as always?
No.
No? So what are you doing different?
I dont' know...
Harvesting?
No.
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