Miqui Puig: "Wine is like music. Some people make industrial music, while others make crafts."

You come from a family of farmers. Did they understand why you broke away from that world and began your career as a musician with Los Sencillos?

— My mother was scared; she was so afraid that "I wouldn't get lost." My father was a very curious guy, and the youngest of all the siblings, which also influenced my personality. He himself had to leave his farming profession because he didn't feel like living and entered the world of mechanics. Life events eventually led him to join livestock farming, and he ended up working at IRTA, developing technologies for milking goats. It also helped my parents understand that the first Catalan music festival was held in l'Ametlla del Vallès, with Lluís Llach presented by Flotats. And although I dedicated myself to a "non-standard" profession, my mother always said that if I liked rock music, I couldn't possibly like discos, and that made her feel better. In the end, it wasn't...

Wine was also made in l'Ametlla del Vallès, and in fact, it suffered a population decline due to the arrival of phylloxera. Was this present in the town?

— There are many stories in the village about the arrival of phylloxera. Without going too far, my father always said, "We all had vineyards here"; we did at home too. Despite the arrival of the plague, some people survived and continued working there, and I remember climbing on tractors, cutting the vines, and putting them in the carriers. The grapes were taken to the neighboring village in Bigues and Riells, where Can Sapera was located, where they processed them in bulk. We're not a typical village, not by any means, but we've seen them. I've seen the peasantry; I can still smell the cows.

Despite the professional distance between your field and that of your parents, you often defend peasants on social media.

— I can't forget where I come from. I'm sure it makes my parents dedicated, but I think it's genuine; it comes from within.

What is Miqui Puig like as a wine consumer?

— I like trying things. Seeing what's being done in each place, what's being produced, like with music. I've met a lot of people who make wines, and I especially like this new generation who've also gotten into the world of wine. I'm not like some people either. influencers That natural wines seem to be the best in the world... because that's not really the case: there are natural wines that are nauseating. However, I have a problem with red wine: I tolerate it less and less with age. On many levels, but especially in the stomach. And what happens with white wine is that you have to be very careful because it seems that if it's already cold, it's enough. Sometimes they can serve terrible white wines and they sell them at a high price. This is where I think we lack a good culture.

So the problem is with the restaurant industry or with the consumer?

— We consumers are sold on beer. I feel like we think that since we sell wine abroad, it's no longer necessary to preserve it here. That's not the case. Because I go to León and the first thing they tell you is "let's go for wines"However, here before we would say, 'Let's have a beer.' We don't internalize this culture here. But beer is very easy, it's very cheap, it's like coffee, it's the biggest profit in the restaurant business. Despite everything, it seems there are people who are clear about it. For example, I went to a festival where they didn't serve beer at the bars; wine is a part of our culture.

Some interviewees before you have suggested serving wine in nightclubs just like mixed drinks. As someone who frequents clubs, do you think this is feasible?

— I think so, it's viable. It's a matter of changing habits, because these days it seems we can only drink wine in restaurants. When I go for an aperitif, I always order wine because beer doesn't sit well with me, and in fact, there are some restaurants that embrace this concept, like Sala Barts and Sala Vol, a collective in Barcelona that has local wines and local gins. I know I can order a glass of wine there, and it's always amazing.

What wines would you recommend?

— There's a guy from Móra d'Ebre who's made wines on a small scale, Antoni Canalda, but they're such a white wine that you'd say wow! But wine is like music; some people make industrial music and others make artisanal music. Obviously, you should know that a bottle from a farmer won't cost you the same because they have to pay for many more things. Wine offers this pause and can be a good tool to get away from capitalism, where everything must be cheap and immediate. I can screw up a Coke or a coffee with my car, but not a glass.