Since last September, Júlia López (Barcelona, 1994) has been one of the voices accompanying family meals on weekends. After stints at Betevé, La 2, and Canal 3/24, the journalist has joined the show as a presenter, airing Saturdays and Sundays. Midday news of 3Cat.
Her social media is full of photos of country houses and calçotadas (traditional Catalan barbecues). What does she like to drink on these occasions?
— At these kinds of lunches, beer and wine are always on the menu. I was going to say red wine, but I'm very particular about that: I don't like red wine. It's funny, because I've been trying for years: every time someone brings red wine, I try to reconcile myself with it and wet my lips a little. And it's no use. I thought it was an age thing, that as I got older I'd end up liking it, like what happened with beer, white wine, and cava. But I haven't found what it is.
So, when they have a meeting…
— My friends laugh, because wherever I go I always take my bottle of white wine, just in case nobody has bought any.
And how does he choose these wines?
— I'm no expert, and I'll never be the type to bore you with wine or boast about having picked a good one. But I do have a few wines I trust. Some, like Viña Esmeralda, I've seen at home with my parents. Others I choose because they're not too expensive and I know I'll like them. Right now, at home, I have two bottles of Jazmín, which I love. Also El Hombre Pez. And one that's always a good choice is Blanc Pescador. There are a thousand more wines that I love when I go to restaurants, but I'm terrible with names and I forget them.
Do you like to choose or do you prefer to delegate?
— It depends. If I know the other person is somewhat knowledgeable, I'll give them the privilege 100%. Otherwise, I'm very easygoing. When they offer me a taste of wine, I know I'll say yes. It would have to be really bad—I mean, it would have to be spoiled—for me to say no. I care, as if it were impolite.
Have you never turned one down?
— No. And yes, sometimes they've brought me one that wasn't exactly what I imagined, that when I tasted it was stronger or drier than I wanted. But you see the waiter look at you and you say, "Yes, yes, take it." I find it hard to say no. And maybe the first glass is a little harder for me, but once I start eating, it's fine.
Is it a drink you've always liked?
— I haven't liked it for that long either. My friends and I started out drinking beer; I suppose because it's one of the most affordable alcoholic drinks. But I don't know exactly when I made the switch to wine. And it's true that at first I found it a bit difficult. Some wines I've been really enjoying lately are...orange.
And what attracts you to this type of wine?
— It's not a typical taste: it's very tropical. I like everything that's fresh, light, almost imperceptible.orangeThey're dangerous wines, because you drink one glass, and another, and another... And you don't realize it, and between two people the bottle goes down very easily.
Any quirks?
— I have my preferences. I'd say I'm generally not a fussy person. But, obviously, a chilled glass of white wine is best served in a glass, if possible. Of course, I've been to local festivals where they serve wine in the typical festival tumbler, and that's fine. But if I can ask, I appreciate a glass.
Any anecdotes?
— Four or five years ago, some friends and I went to the grape harvest at a winery in Priorat. It was all natural, using traditional techniques; the typical harvest you do barefoot. We picked the grapes and then went to crush them. We stood in wine barrels to crush them, and it turned out the whole barrel was full, absolutely full, of earwigs. I was crushing the grapes with a bit of disgust: I have a very vivid memory of sinking my feet into the barrel, the grapes up to my knees, and everything being covered, absolutely full, full of earwigs; some of the earwigs were even climbing up my leg and tickling me. The woman at the winery said to us, "What do you think this is? Look, this wine must have even more protein." Protein wines, that's it.
Like yogurts and smoothies; I see a business opportunity.
— Yes, indeed [laughs].
As a teenager, he spent many weekends in Olot. What memories does he have of that time?
— Religiously, every Friday I would go up with my parents and we would stay until Sunday. And there was the ritual of the meal: my parents would each make a small glass, nothing excessive, but it was always there.
Did he have friends?
— Yes. Until I was almost sixteen, my main group of friends was in Olot. From Monday to Friday I lived in Barcelona, but by Friday I was already nervous about leaving because there were always plans. We'd stretch out the weekend until the very last minute: we'd still be hanging out on Sunday afternoon, and I'd ask my parents to let us go back to Barcelona as late as possible. Then, from the third year of secondary school onwards, I started spending more time in Barcelona, and some weekends I'd stay here.
Were the first parties in Olot?
— Yes. My friends in Barcelona were amazed when I told them I'd gotten home at five in the morning. But in a small town it's different: you don't take the subway or go to nightclubs; it's all about local festivals. Maybe there were also lies to our parents, like saying, "Oh, yeah, I'm sleeping over at a friend's house," and then going out to a party. But in a small town, we had much more freedom to go out.
In an interview, she explained that she had recently attended many weddings. Does wine really play such a prominent role in these ceremonies?
— At least at the weddings I've been to, there's an explosion of drinks. It's not just wine anymore: there are all kinds of welcome cocktails, beer stands, wine corners, sommeliers… It's an open bar, literally: not just in quantity, but in variety. At a wedding I went to recently, the highlight was the Moscow Mule, which isn't perhaps such a common drink, and it became the highlight of the evening. But what really amazes me are the budgets. I don't know where people get the money. There are all sorts of people; not everyone is from a "well-to-do" family. Some are journalists, and we all know what their salaries are, although I can't complain now.
How are you handling working weekends?
— It was a huge shock for me. Before, I might have worked one weekend a month, because at TV3 we rotated shifts. But suddenly my life was thrown off balance, especially socially. I haven't felt the impact as much with my family, because I can visit them during the week, even though they live far away. It's true that I miss birthdays and Sunday family lunches, but the biggest impact has been on my friends. I have to say that, at first, I was very scared.
Because?
— When they told me I'd be working weekends, I made a really long voice message to my friends to explain this new situation, to tell them that it was essential for me that we keep doing things and that I would always try to adapt to them. I've never organized my social life as much as I do now, but it is what it is. And so far, for the first six months, I've been managing pretty well. Just this week, my friends were saying to me, "It doesn't feel like we haven't seen you in ages." We probably see each other in a different way, more for coffee and less for lunch, lingering, andwhatever comes upBut we see each other more than I expected, and that makes me happy.