Maria Vallespí: "Harvesting grapes is one of my fondest childhood memories."

What is your first memory of wine?

— I'm absolutely clear about it. It's a central anecdote from my childhood, and I'd never explained why it hadn't happened: my neighbor had vines and made wine, and every year he invited us to harvest the grapes. He was a neighbor with whom we had a very good relationship because we played in his garden, and when September came, it wasn't an obligation, and they didn't give us anything in return. But for me, it was an adventure I looked forward to every year. We were about seven years old, and we would get up super early and pick the grapes and make a lot of boxes. For me, it's one of the fondest memories of my childhood because, also, when we finished around 12, they would leave us a breakfast prepared with cold cuts and everything else. For me, it was special to share the table with the grown-ups. When I turned 12, I started saying I had more interesting things to do... [laughs] Maybe I should rewrite them and get back to that!

That was a long time ago, how has your relationship with wine changed?

— Well, I started getting involved with wine quite late. I remember my friends enjoying wine and drinking it, and I found it quite astringent. At most, I drank very cold white wine, but I didn't really enjoy it. But over the last four years, I've been educating my palate, and I'm starting to enjoy it. Even so, I think I still have a lot of room for improvement and things to learn. But it's not surprising that I'm not a big wine drinker, because I'm not a big alcohol drinker either.

This way you will have a hard time finding the time to start a bottle.

— It's true that it often happens that people at the table drink wine and I drink water, but I don't have a problem with that. For me to start a bottle, I have to be predisposed to enjoy it, to be convinced that I want to. It doesn't have to be an important event either, but I like to enjoy wine ceremoniously because, in the end, it's a ritual. Therefore, an ideal time to start a bottle is on a date, a special dinner, a moment of confidence with friends... and under no circumstances should it necessarily be accompanied by food. I like to have a glass as a starter or at vermouth time. The only wine I'll order to accompany a meal if I see it available in a restaurant is Tokaji, a Hungarian wine classified as a dessert wine, something I share with my father. You see, I have a sweet tooth; I only like sweet things!

You're talking to me about drinking wine outside the home. Is there no wine in your fridge?

— No, not at all. In fact, when we get wine as a gift, or when my partner gets a Christmas basket and there's some wine in it, it ends up spoiling. At home, we drink water, unless it's Christmas or a birthday, and I'd like it to stay that way because I think it helps give it the value it has.

You recently collaborated with Blanco Pescador 0.0%. Do you think it could be a good way to reach a younger audience?

— Absolutely. I think there's a trend that was born or has grown through social media that promotes healthy living, and I like that wine has been approached not as a prohibition, but as a matter of controlling the measure and enjoying the entire ritual behind it: pouring a good glass, popping the cork, toasting, and looking into each other's eyes. You don't want to miss all of this, and when I see an entire table toasting, I get FOMO, but in the end, I don't want to drink something I don't want to drink. But with non-alcoholic wines, I think there's a very good alternative, and I see that tastes are becoming more defined, and I think there are more and more options.

If you could have a drink with anyone, who would you share it with?

— I'm pretty clear about it: I would love to have a glass of wine with Sabina. I'm very aware that he is the clearest example that the work must be separated from the artist, but I think that a person with so much battle under his belt and so punkI'd like to see him at close range, beyond the character. I'd have to make an effort to keep him from realizing I'm playing him, but that would be my business.