Wines of roots and wings

The Tarragona region is not only the country's breadbasket, but also, and especially, the most complex, diverse, and rich mosaic of vineyards in all of Catalonia, safeguarding our landscape and making it resilient. Perhaps that's why, from its inception, this supplement has been fueled by winemaking stories with deep roots and wings, reminding us monthly that wine is a delicious consequence of the human domestication of the vine and, intrinsically, the will to perpetuate a culture.

We have narrated the experiences of people deeply connected to the land, of wineries striving to respect and innovate; we have explained that we are witnessing the best-prepared generation of winemakers in history, thanks in part to the Faculty of Oenology at the Rovira i Virgili University of Tarragona and the Jaume Ciurana School of Oenology in Falset. We have also covered the challenges and opportunities of the sector, now more closely linked than ever to climate volatility and changing consumption habits. With droughts and high temperatures, the profile of the wine we are accustomed to drinking will surely change, just as the plant communities of some wine regions that suffer from intense thirst and have scorching soils are mutating; the telluric slopes of the Priorat DOC, for example. Our palates crave more agile and fresh wines, more whites, rosés, and sparkling wines; and the reds, which will continue to be the voice of the valuable heritage of old vines, will revise their body to regain appeal and desire.

Over the years, we have discussed many sciences linked to oenology: from the fine arts and philosophy to biology, geography, and geology... Wine has the virtue of connecting many ecosystems of thought because it is an extension of life. Bottles have been filled with quality, dignity, and value, but these parameters still have much more to develop. Today's wines are more steeped in convictions and reason. From the desire to give life to the soils, to intervene minimally in the winery, to use fewer sulfites, and to diversify tanks for maturation and aging. We drink wines with greater purity and identity, with more character and personality. Wines that are lively in the glass; wine, the most civilized and intellectual of beverages, that doesn't want humankind to abandon it because, together, they enliven the table.

We drink less, but better. We've written about it. Just as we've narrated how sommeliers humbly teach us to travel to a very specific place and a very specific vintage each time they serve a bottle. They invite us not to be afraid of wine, to embrace it wholeheartedly. To drink consciously and without inhibitions. From these pages, we've encouraged young people to dare, because it's up to them to break the downward trend in consumption. It's a Mediterranean and contemporary beverage, with increasingly natural and authentic production methods and creative designs. And yes, you can drink good wine from a can. We've argued this point. At a calçotada, on the beach, or after reaching a summit. If they start there, we'll have part of the problem solved. But we can also try to bring back the porrón of grandparents and godparents to the table. Because we're not just drinking a liquid, but also their memory.