Laia Viñas: "Wine escapes the youthful party atmosphere."

Your last book, Down here, in which you talk about the Ruta del Bakalao, takes place on the Mediterranean coast, but the wine element never appears. Why do you think it doesn't fit in with that setting?

— Well, it's curious, because without realizing it, I portrayed a reality that wine producers in Terra Alta have told me still exists today: it's difficult to connect wine with young people. Wine, in fact, escapes this youthful party atmosphere.

What characters and settings do you imagine in a scene where wine appears?

— I think I've changed my perspective in recent years, and now I feel like I could appear in almost any popular scene. I imagine wine in any social setting among young people, especially around a table. It's something I didn't understand before; I always thought of wine as an elitist element, a source of calm, and for specific moments.

Where does this change of perspective come from?

— The change came when I started co-directing the cultural media In Nearby, Through this, we began reporting on areas of Terres de l'Ebre. I realized that even within Terres de l'Ebre, we're also quite centrist and focus our interest on Baix Ebre and Tortosa, while the Terra Alta and Ribera areas—specifically the areas where wine is made—are more overlooked. Still, we've worked to highlight the stories that happen in these two areas, and I've been fortunate enough to hear from many farmers, producers, cooperatives, winemakers, and wine merchants, giving me a 360-degree view of this world. Meeting the people connected to wine has made me value it as a cultural element.

Of all the stories you've heard, which one do you remember most?

— It's difficult to choose one, because you realize they all have their own particularities. But perhaps I'm particularly drawn to the new generation of young producers, who are deeply committed to their work as winemakers. Many of them have gone to train in Falset and then returned to their respective regions to boost their ancestors' wineries or even start new ones. I find it incredible. For example, Alicia Serres, through her father Laureano Serres's family winery, She was one of the first winemakers to make natural wines in Catalonia, and they are delicious.

What's the most valuable thing you've learned from seeing wine production up close?

— For me, one of the region's great discoveries has been vimblanco, a fortified wine that has almost disappeared throughout Catalonia. It used to be produced in the Ribera d'Ebre region, but especially in Vinebre. Some producers have been making vimblanco again for some time now, but because it's a very expensive process, production is low. I met him through Noemí Poquet, from the Molí de Rué Winery, and she explained to me that to make the wine, the grapes are left to overripe and dry in the sun. I find it very interesting, and it was delicious. I remember the bottle was called Sol y Serena, and it had a very sweet raisin flavor.

I see that it's important for you to know who's behind each wine. What else do you consider when choosing a bottle?

— Lately, the first thing I look for is that it has a Terra Alta Designation of Origin: they are incredibly good wines and are very affordable. I also pay close attention to aesthetics: when I see a cool label, I know someone has put a lot of thought into the design. For example, Josep Ollé has launched the Inspira - Wine and Culture wines, which, as the name suggests, are wines designed with excerpts from poets and aim to highlight Catalan authors through wine culture. It's a joy to drink a bottle of wine that includes literary excerpts.

Terra Alta is very present in your mind, but there are also other designations of origin, such as Montsant and Priorat, which are quite close. Why do you think you don't think about them as much?

— It's absolutely true; it's a stupid distance between territories, but it's also caused by the shortcomings suffered by both Terres de l'Ebre and the Montsant and Priorat regions: neglect and a lack of infrastructure for good communication. Despite the short geographical distance, it's not easy to get from Montsià to Priorat. Furthermore, I suppose the fact that Terra Alta is one of the four regions that make up Terres de l'Ebre also makes us more aware of it, but I wish these mental barriers would disappear.