Paula Cuenda, best sommelier in Catalonia: "I found it outrageous that they didn't let us choose any wines from Catalonia"

GironaPaula Cuenda (Badalona, ​​1998) is the best sommelier in Catalonia for 2026. This was announced yesterday, Monday, by the jury that met in the auditorium of the Fòrum Gastronòmic in Girona, who examined her in several tests, three in the morning and four in the afternoon. In one of the final tests, the three finalists were not allowed to choose any wine from the twelve Catalan designations of origin to pair with the dishes presented to them. "I found it odd that they didn't let us choose any wine from Catalonia, because we have so much diversity, we have some very good wines, and it would have allowed for a lot of pairing possibilities with the dishes," the winner stated.

This year, as last year, The same women who were number two and number three are repeating the feat.Anna Casabona and Chus Brion. Sommelier Anna Casabona (Valls, 1971) has finished in second place for the seventh consecutive time. In her case, the challenge she felt most difficult was the cocktail test. It was a surprise challenge, in which the judges asked the contestant to serve them a pisco sour with a dry shakeThis means that ice cubes cannot be added to the initial mixing of the ingredients in the shaker, as this is how the egg white will emulsify. "I think it's good that the sommelier association has decided to include a cocktail test, because it's true that cocktails are becoming increasingly prevalent in the restaurant industry," said Casabona, who added that, on the contrary, he was disappointed that they had eliminated the test of accuracy in pouring sparkling wines, which consisted of pouring the same amount of the drink fifteen times.

A competition to study

Sommelier Chus Brion (Rías Baixas, 1975) came in third place (as she did last year), and stated that "the competition is a way to stay current, to study, and to keep up-to-date with the latest knowledge." Furthermore, Brion affirmed that she believed she still had a long way to go.

The 2016 winner, Paula Cuenda, currently works as head sommelier at the Villa Mas restaurant in s'Agaró, the town where she lives. She began her internship in the kitchen at Mas Marroch, part of El Celler de Can Roca, and it was sommelier Josep Roca who asked her if she wanted to work in the dining room. "He gave me the opportunity, and I'm grateful to him because it's a world I really enjoyed." For Paula, it was the first time she had reached the final of the competition, and the first time she had won, of course, but the third time she had entered. "For the past four months I've been studying at home, but also practicing daily at the restaurant; in fact, the pisco sour "Customers ask me to make it at the restaurant, and I prepare it for them," the winner points out.

This year, the competition was one of the most followed by a packed auditorium at the Girona Gastronomic Forum, which witnessed the tests live and experienced their rigor and high standards. Among the questions the participants had to answer were: "What is the Spanish designation of origin that accepts Riesling besides the Costers del Segre DO?" and "Which autonomous communities are included within the Cava DO?" 2018.

The Association of Sommeliers of Catalonia also highlighted that three women had reached the final. Marc Gasol.