Blanca Pujals: "It's a shame our wines are more valued in the United States than here."

As an editor, do you find any connection between your approach to books and your approach to wine?

— In both literature and wine, I seek a pleasurable experience. Ultimately, the idea for the Petits Pleasures collection stems from this. When I choose a book for the collection, I follow three criteria: that it be a short novel, that it be fine literature, and that it be engaging. And that last factor is related to enjoyment. When I pick, I look for much the same thing: that the wine be of quality, yet at the same time, that it be enjoyable.

Is it part of your daily life?

— My husband and I really enjoy visiting wineries and cooperatives and doing wine tastings. And, at home, we generally enjoy sharing a table with family and friends. Plus, with my friends, we often get together for a glass of wine instead of a beer, and we have dinners with blind wine and cheese tastings. A dinner with wine is always a more special meal. I guess for us, wine is one of life's little pleasures.

And has he always done it?

— At home, we're from Tarragona, and we've always had a strong tradition. My grandfather and great-grandfather were among the farmers who founded the cooperative in Vila-seca, my town. When I was little, we still had vineyards for personal consumption. It was always on the table at celebrations, and we were taught to identify it as children.

Do you have any special memories?

— During the grape harvest, it can be dangerous to approach the vineyards because bees often build hives in the vines. My grandfather had a very special technique for collecting hives and moving them from one vine to another. And it's something our family has learned to do: when a bee approaches us, we do like my grandfather: we stop breathing. The bee thinks we're simply a branch moving from one side to the other, and nothing happens to us. It has a mystical, magical quality that transports me to Guimerà's stories.

Wine is present in Guimerà's work.

— One of my favorite plays is Maria RosaSome scenes are truly beautiful, with great visual and emotional power: when they meet, harvest, and tread the grapes... Guimerà, as a writer rooted in the land, had experienced the world of the peasantry firsthand. In fact, it was he who gave the name "wine cathedrals" to the cooperatives created by the modernist architects. They are spectacular buildings, of extraordinary beauty and symbolism. It's incredible that all this legacy emerged in an area that suffered so much and has been so forgotten after the Civil War. I really like to reclaim this pre-war Catalan world, so closely linked to wine. And I'm also very excited to see it beginning to recover.

Where do you see the recovery?

— Starting in the 1990s, a new generation emerged that decided to return, recover the vineyard, and start over. And the result is a kind of Catalan Tuscany: all of Priorat, Montsant... The wines being made are spectacular. One place I always recommend is La Conreria, in Priorat: a beautiful winery, with a very friendly and enthusiastic team, who tell you everything with passion. And there are many like this. On a visit my grandfather and I made to Celler Cecilio, they let me taste a wine from casks that were over a hundred years old. Going to a winery like this, with time and patience—without having to rush in the car—is a unique experience.

What do you take into account when choosing a site?

— They have local wines. My friends already tell me directly: "You order the wines," because it's something I'm passionate about and I try to convey [river]. If I'm in La Rioja, I'll order a wine from there. In Portugal, or Sicily, I'll do the same. If we're here, and we have some of the best wines in the world, I don't understand why people opt for wines from other regions. Everyone quickly understands that, when you travel, you should order the typical dish from the place, but the same isn't true with wine. I think it's important to support local produce, the farmers and winegrowers of the region. Besides, the quality-price ratio of local wine is always superior.

Do you think there has been an awareness in this regard?

— I've seen a huge change in the last five years. Before, you'd order a glass of wine in Barcelona and often only have a choice between a Rioja and a Ribera del Duero. Fortunately, they've started adding Catalan wines for some time now. It's a shame our wines are more highly valued in the United States than here. We lack marketing: we don't have the reach that Italy or France have. But in terms of quality, we're at a very high level. But there's a mix of prejudices and complexities that weigh heavily.

What about Catalan literature?

— Yes. I see a parallel with what's happened with Catalan. Ten years ago, many people lived their lives in Catalan but bought books in Spanish. Little by little, the stigma surrounding books in Catalan and Catalan translations has been fading. I think the same thing has happened with wine: before, by default, people would go for a Rioja and not a Priorat, but in recent years there's been a change. Although perhaps I'm projecting what I'd like to see happen.

What wines have you discovered recently on your travels?

— Sicilian red wines, which have nothing to do with those from here. Despite having the same alcohol content, they are much lighter, so liquid and transparent that you can almost see the bottom of the glass. We were also impressed in Collioure and throughout the Vilafranca area. We discovered a restaurant located among vineyards with a view of the sea. It's fantastic that there are initiatives like this, and that there are more and more of them.

Is this an experience that is becoming popular?

— I was surprised when I started seeing content creators and Barcelonans posh people Going to Priorat, visiting villages and wineries. But reclaiming the land also means accepting the increasing number of people in the places you love. I'm proud that they see we have all this close to home and appreciate it. It's a way of honoring those who work in this world and the wonderful work they do.

Is wine a link to the past?

— When you're in a place where all you can see are vineyards, drinking wine and cheese, you think: I'm eating the same food as in the Middle Ages, the same food as the Romans. Only wine can transport us like that. Drinking wine can be a mystical experience. Of course, being drunk helps too [laughs].