Days of wine and roses. This phrase (originally from an English poem by Ernest Dowson) could define the impact of the award for best sommelier in Catalonia for Paula Cuenda (Badalona, ​​1998), who She emerged as the best in the competition organized by the Catalan Association of Sommeliers"I've received congratulations, lovely comments," and all of this is the beginning of a journey in which Paula confesses her passion and vocation: to promote Catalan wines and their pairing with food.

Paula 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.

I interviewed Pantea Group wine consultant Xavi Nolla on a Wednesday afternoon, two hours before the sparkling wine tasting he will co-lead at the Público restaurant in Barcelona (Enric Granados, 30). He is a sommelier and also makes wines from various denominations of origin, such as Terra Alta, DOQ Priorat, Alella, Empordà, and Roussillon. Since he first launched his Vinos de la Memoria (Memory Wines), as he named them in 2018, they have become benchmarks in a winemaking style that engages with the winemaking practiced in Spain before the 1970s. They are fresh, saline, mineral wines in which the variety with which they are made is clearly evident. Above all, the story behind the wines stood out, wines dedicated to his grandfather, who fought on the Republican front in the Battle of the Ebro, was imprisoned in two concentration camps, and was finally able to resume his life. "If it hadn't been like that, I wouldn't be here," says Nolla.