Laura Grau: "If there's a good story, I don't care if the wine is bad afterwards"

Laura Grau (Blanes, 1995) has established herself in recent years as one of the most prominent Catalan-language communicators and content creators on social media. After working for RAC105, Catalunya Ràdio, and iCat, she has created her own platform from which she addresses social issues that concern her and also discusses popular culture, with a particular focus on the world of castles. Hours after the interview, Grau got in touch to add a detail she had forgotten to mention: she loves the summer red wine, although its name in Catalan – black summer cocktail – hasn't quite convinced him.

What is the relationship between castles and alcohol?

— There has been a very specific sponsorship from a brewery in the world of castellers. Ultimately, if you see a brand everywhere, it encourages you to consume what has become popular. And not just in the world of castellers: beer is currently one of the most popular drinks at local festivals in general, because there are taps everywhere and because it's more accessible.

In what sense?

— Sometimes wine requires a glass or some other type of container that you don't have everywhere. Popular culture also champions local drinks: ratafia, muscatel, cazalla… But since we don't have all of those readily available, when we're celebrating, we end up going for beer. I find this contradictory, because the heart of the casteller world is in southern Catalonia, where there are many vineyards and numerous DOs (Designations of Origin). It's a shame that, since we celebrate there so much, we don't drink more wine. It's true that at meals after the Diadas (Catalan National Days) there's a lot of table wine, usually good, and Catalan. But then you quickly go back to beer or whatever. Perhaps it would be good to make a cooler effort to connect the land with popular culture.

Beer also "requires" a glass.

— Perhaps we should popularize serving wine in a festive glass. It's not exactly glamorous, but it's also a way to make it our own. If we have to wait until everything is completely settled to drink it properly, perhaps we're not taking full advantage of it. Wine in a festive glass: sacrilege or opportunity? We'll leave it at that.

Are castells inseparable from alcohol?

— This has come up often. After many years of internal education, alcohol has been completely removed from castells activities. Going to the bar between rounds or while rehearsing is not allowed. Perhaps it was more common years ago, but not anymore. First, the castells are built, and only after the last round of pillars and the vermouth break, then everyone can drink as much as they like. While building human towers, it's not safe for anyone to have alcohol present.

And as a cohesive element?

— Being able to toast after a great day is part of the celebration: you've rehearsed a lot, you've sweated, and there's a sense of meritocracy, of "how hard we've worked and how we deserve to celebrate." However, I think there should be some education about the extent to which we need alcohol to be so prevalent in all leisure activities. But I don't think this should be done solely within the casteller community.

Are you one of the critics of alcohol?

— The problem is excess and constant glorification. In the Mediterranean, celebrating with wine is part of history and can be beautiful. But sometimes it seems you have to reach certain levels of intoxication to have a good time. We've banished tobacco from social spaces; alcohol, on the other hand, is still everywhere and we don't find it strange. Socially, things have gotten a little out of hand.

But do you think alcohol is key to maintaining relationships within groups?

— I'd like to say no, but I know of groups where there have been heated debates. For example, in one group, there was a discussion about whether the board should continue paying for the barrels at special rehearsals to encourage attendance. This happens in many groups. When a board decides that perhaps it shouldn't be paying for barrels with everyone's money, you see the extent to which there's a dependence on alcohol as an incentive. Most of the casteller community will argue that the activity isn't sustained by alcohol, but because people enjoy it, because it fosters social interaction, and because it aims to promote popular culture. But in practice, there's still a lot of resistance to excluding it from festive events.

Do you have clear criteria when choosing wine?

— Not much. I usually shop at the supermarket or the market. When I go into a small grocery store and there's someone who knows their stuff, I'm very open to recommendations, just like in restaurants. What would influence my choice? Price, brand name, region? It's true that this is a filter for me: if I have to choose between a Rioja and an Empordà, I always go for the local one.

Are there people in your circle who know?

— Through the castells I have many friends from the Penedès region and there, practically, if you don't know what you're doing they kick you out of the village (riverI know that when I go to the Penedès region I'll drink good wine and I'll also learn many things I don't know about it. But I don't know if it's because of TikTok or because I completely forget what they're telling me. I also have friends who make wine.

And have you been able to try any of them?

— Yes. And they took us all over the winery and the vineyards, and I'm left with the image of those large tanks where the wine ferments, the filters, the explanations about whether they use egg whites or not, the grape variety… Something I remember very well is that, in some summer camps where I worked, there was a grape harvest workshop in September and October. Schools would come and we would do the harvest with the children.

What did it consist of?

— It was a very basic workshop: we'd go to the vineyard, pick the grapes, and then take the children to some boots we had at home. They had to take their shoes off and stomp the grapes. We made must, sang a song, and explained that they couldn't drink this must, that it had to be left to rest, and that after a long time it would ferment and become wine. I know the vineyard and wine parts clearly because I ran this workshop for several years. I could explain what a shoot is, what a rachis is, what a vine shoot is. But after the harvest, I don't know what happens to the wine anymore. I know everything up to the must.

Did he get to stomp the grapes?

— Of course! We have to set an example for the children. And then you had to make it clear to them that, in reality, hardly anyone does that anymore, and that behind the wines they find in the supermarket there isn't someone stomping grapes. But traditionally it was done that way, and I think it's beautiful to pass it on.

In a video, talking about his work, he said that "the bottle has to be really cool for you to actually drink the wine." Is that true?

— When I go buying wine blind, without a specialist or anyone to advise me, I'm sure I'll end up with a pretty bottle. But when I go with people who know their stuff, they offer me things that I can be sure have meaning and are well-made. Usually, the wines my friends make come in ordinary glass bottles, without labels, with wax stoppers. It's not aesthetically pleasing, but you trust the people and you know that's a good thing.

Are they good?

— I like them, although it's not the kind of taste you'd expect from a regular bottle from the supermarket or a restaurant. But maybe that's because I'm too influenced by the story. If there's a good story, I don't care if the wine itself is bad: I'm hooked on the plot.

In what sense do you think the taste is different?

— It's like with homemade food: if you buy croquettes at the supermarket, they might be delicious, but they're not comparable to grandma's. I suppose it's the same with wine: the taste conveys a certain imperfection. And the fact that they tell you how it was made, and you can even taste it… In fact, I notice the flavors much more in wines made by individuals or small groups who don't even sell them. When they tell me, "We aged this in pine barrels," I can detect it much more than if I go to a wine tasting and they talk about aromas of who-knows-what. I end up finding it in entry-level wines, I suppose because they haven't gone through so many processes to bring out their flavor. Maybe you won't like that wine later, of course. But it's clear the story is true.

To continue with the bottle and wine metaphor, but applied to work, can you recall a case where something important was lost because of the form?

— It happens to me sometimes with radio shows. Radio stations are really stepping up their game with videos, with quality, with changing things up. When people always see the same studio, the same shot, the same gestures, their brains must say, "I already know what this is about," and they tune out, even if I'm talking about one of the most interesting things of the week.

Do you think information is lost as a result?

— A lot. Now, for example, there's a trend toward rankings and lists, because it seems to be more engaging: "The Ten News Stories of the Day," "The Five Best Plays in Barcelona." But maybe I don't want ten headlines: I want something specific, well explained. Plays in Barcelona? Tell me one, it shouldn't be. This obsession with lists is getting out of hand, even if the algorithm likes it.

Have you ever had digital advice?

— No. Sometimes I think I'd like to, because I'm so lost, but I find it hard to trust intermediaries: agencies that say they're looking for collaborations, but in reality, they only answer emails. These middlemen make me angry.

Do you feel lost with how the network works?

— A lot. For example, I used to know which strategy worked with thestoriesNot anymore. Some days 20,000 people watch, and other days only 500, and I don't know why. It drives me crazy: I don't understand how it works, and my job depends on it. Maybe I'm naive, but I want to keep believing that when what you're saying is genuinely interesting and there's a real connection, it doesn't matter if you're on a TV set, in a radio studio, or making a playlist: people will keep listening.

Does he/she cover topics differently on the radio and on social media?

— On the radio, I do think I have a more general audience: people who perhaps haven't chosen to follow me, who turned on the radio and found my voice there chatting. However, the people who follow me on social media already know what I do. But I must say there aren't many distinctions: anything I talk about on the radio I could talk about on my profile, and vice versa. But it's true that I find a certain power and potential in toning down the content a bit to something that can engage and appeal to a wider range of people.

In other words, he doesn't feel that there are restrictions on topics on the radio.

— Not at all! And I'm absolutely thrilled. Everyone asks me this all the time: "Have they censored any topics?", "Have they told you that you can't talk about politics, or certain political parties, or certain social conflicts?" No one. Not at any radio station: not RAC1, not RAC105, not iCat. In fact, it worries me that people think you can work in radio—especially public radio—and that censorship exists. I, at least, haven't experienced it, and if I did, I'd be worried.

In the absence of editors and filters, how do you cope with the responsibility of sharing things on social media?

— Sometimes it makes me suffer. I try to verify everything as much as possible: talking to journalists, reading, staying informed. But I'm the only filter, and things still slip through the net. Although I'm not afraid to correct myself if I'm wrong. That's precisely why I defend journalism so much: because it's how things should be done, with teams, fact-checking, and even specialized experts. I always maintain that I'm not a journalist and that I don't report the news, and I always say that if someone wants to be truly informed, they should do so through the media.

But many people will not take the step of going to the media.

— Perhaps I should be more careful about including links to news articles, at least from where I read them. And if someone doesn't trust that particular source and looks for another, that's fine.

Teach themaking ofHow the information is reported is of interest. How it was reported on January 3rd regarding Venezuela.

— I hesitated a lot. When there are days like this, with a bombshell of news—literally—I think: maybe what I'm doing is just digital noise, and what's much more worthwhile is for people to actually look at whatever media outlet they choose and get verified information, instead of watching me listen to the radio. But oh well, between doing this and filling another day...feed From Instagram with a "top three rainbow colors"... At the very least, I try to contribute something. Sometimes I don't succeed. But I do.