Carlos Sans: "Triciclo is unique, and making an individual copy seems like a mistake to me."

Carles Sans (Badalona, ​​1955) has spent more than four decades on stage, most of them without uttering a word. A founding member of Tricicle, along with Joan Gràcia and Paco Mir, he helped transform gesture into a recognizable and exportable stage language. Now, in a phase marked by his shift to spoken performance, Sans reflects on time, the body, changing habits, and his relationship with wine: a lesson that, like so many others, requires knowing when to open a bottle and when to leave it closed.

Tricicle did a sketch that parodied a wine tasting.

— Torres wineries commissioned us to create the video for an event with clients from Chile. They needed an international style and thought of us. They showed the video for years.

The voice in the background says: "The first step to serving wine properly is undoubtedly choosing the tablecloth with which we will cover the table"

— We consulted the entire required manual. We spoke with a sommelier who gave us a very serious presentation. And, as we always try to find the right angle on everything…

Which part is the most easily parodied?

— The whole ritual: how to serve it, how to speak about it, the glasses, the color, the notes… If you want, you can spend hours talking about wine. I have many knowledgeable friends who enjoy it immensely, from an oenological point of view as well.

You were a teetotaler for many years.

— Until I was about forty. When I was 18, I had a sort of anxiety attack—back then, it wasn't called that—and I was forbidden all stimulants: coffee, alcohol, chocolate. This stuck with me: when the attack happened, I still avoided all those stimulants, which I demonized. I still don't drink coffee today. Wine came into my life when I met my wife, who said to me, "Why should you eat this meat with water?" I started tasting wine with good wines, and that accustomed my palate. I became much more refined. In fact, there was a time, in the nineties, when I bought all kinds of publications and magazines, went to tastings, visited wineries, and became interested in the winemaking processes…

What interested you about this world?

— It's a captivating world. Many senses are involved. A good wine accompanies a good meal, a leisurely after-dinner conversation. And all that ritual—talking about it, looking at it, discussing it—has always amused me. Also, since I surrounded myself with people who knew a lot about wine and had excellent cellars, you eventually get hooked. It's inevitable.

He was talking about the senses. InIn the key of wineThey made him try one with his nose plugged.

— The sense of smell is very important. For many years I suffered from allergic rhinitis, and at times I lost my sense of taste. Without smell, many flavors disappear. In fact, I would say that, in some cases, there are people who, if you covered their nose and eyes, wouldn't be able to distinguish black from white. The sense of smell is incredibly important.

What would you choose between black and white?

— This brings me to a physical issue: I have gastritis. Unfortunately, in recent years I've had to gradually give up red wine: the tannins are unbearable for me. So much so, that a few years ago I sold my winery. I realized that my stomach—not me—couldn't handle red wine. And it was a real shame: I said goodbye to some bottles like someone saying goodbye to a relative.

Those bottles that are saved for the future…

— I always tell the story of a friend of mine who had a spectacular wine cellar and was married to a woman much younger than him. One night he had a terrible dream: he was dying and his wife was getting together with a young man who didn't know anything about wine, but who drank the entire cellar without a second thought. From that moment on, he decided to start as many bottles as necessary and not wait until tomorrow. Well, now I open more bottles so others can enjoy them.

Now, what is its consumption like?

— Much more moderate. I don't think you should drink wine every day. That idea that a glass a day is healthy… In the end, it's thirty glasses a month. Now I'm a social drinker: when I go out to dinner, when I have people over. I don't start a bottle for myself anymore, like I used to. Wine is fantastic, but you have to be informed. I'll never be a teetotaler, because I like it, but you do have to know how to moderate it. That's what I've done.

Have your tastes changed over the years?

— A lot. For a long time, I was a big fan of new wines, of anything that broke with tradition. We'd always had very good Riojas here, but very classic ones, and then suddenly Ribera del Duero, Toro, and Priorat wines appeared—that whole explosion. I was interested in many people, like Álvaro Palacios and Telmo Rodríguez, people with initiative and a desire to explore new things.

He has also visited very exclusive wineries.

— I was lucky enough to visit the Macán winery two or three years ago through a contact. It's not a winery that readily offers tours. It's like visiting a futuristic cryogenics lab: it's the most futuristic winery I've ever seen. For example, the wine is transported using a natural slope system, without machinery, so that machine vibrations don't interfere.fancyIncredible, but fascinating.

He toasted withbeer or cava,this New Year?

— I'm very traditional: with champagne. I'm a fan of cava, but if I have to choose, champagne.

Who do you remember having the most special toast with?

— It's hard to say. I've shared memorable drinks with many people. But probably with my wife, those first few days after I started drinking wine again after so many years of abstinence. That moment has a special significance.

When you were young, did you imagine dedicating your life to making people laugh?

— Initially, I wanted to be a journalist. Later, I went into law school. I'd never considered going into show business or making people laugh. However, in school, I was always the typical joker, making everyone laugh, teachers included. Humor has always been a part of my life, but the idea that I could make a living from it? No.

Not even when he started training as an actor?

— No. When we started Tricicle, we were students, performing in the street, in Plaça del Pi, living day to day. We didn't plan for the future. The idea that we would have continued success for 43 years and travel the world was unthinkable. Things in life sometimes work out better if you stumble upon them rather than plan them.

And now he's touring withI'm finally leaving.

— After the success ofFinally aloneSomething I didn't even expect myself, something I've been doing for four years with over 160,000 spectators, has led me to start the tour of the new show. The title itself hints at something I'm thinking: that in three or four years, when the show stops running, I'll retire.

Is it also a spoken-word show?

— Yes. I was absolutely certain that once Tricicle brought such a long and successful career to a close, I couldn't do the same thing on my own. Tricicle is unique, and creating a solo version seemed like a mistake. The only option was to go to the other extreme, which was words. Besides, after so many years working with gestures, I wanted to use words. At the same time, it was a risk, because when you shift something for the audience, they don't always accept it easily. Now, with time, I see that people have accepted it very well. Someone told me that for the first few minutes it felt strange to see me talking, but then they were drawn into the story, and that was that.

How does he imagine his life when the tour is over?

— I can't imagine myself doing nothing. Perhaps I've lost the desire to travel, to wait for the show to start in hotels, to queue at airports… It's the most thankless part of the job. I wish I could teleport myself and perform the hour and a half show. Stopping touring doesn't mean I'll stop directing or collaborating.

So, isn't this retirement?

— No, it's about changing my perspective. Retirement, as I understand it, means sitting back and doing nothing, and that's not me. I'm not the kind of person who has hobbies: mine hobby It's always been my job. Now it seems I'll be forced to look for someone else. But this new chapter doesn't scare me.