More and more wine is being produced all over the world and a new wine culture is flourishing. But, at the same time, many young people and people from certain cultures find it difficult to enjoy wine. For them, the world of wine is sophisticated, complex and old fashioned. On a personal note, I have always enjoyed wine at the dinner table, chatting, laughing, eating and sharing thoughts with others. I enjoy wine simply and that cultured, artistic and traditional quality of wine just enriches these moments even more. I have a keen interest in wine tasting on a professional level because I can learn and acquire knowledge about wine. This tasting has been created in that very same spirit, but without losing sight of…

This is the 7th biannual tasting of “12 Authors and their Wines”. When it came to choosing the different “authors”, I wanted to invite winemakers who make wines from the indigenous grape varieties of their respective regions. The fact that the tasting clashed with other wine events on the same dates has meant that other great winemakers from Valais and Burgundy will be unable to attend. Europe has a lot to say about the future of wine because of its wealth of grape varieties and its traditional wine growing methods. I wholehearted thank all of the participants for accepting this invitation in these difficult times. It is a real pleasure to find such a great marriage of variety and quality. Carlos Esteva, 2012 Can Ràfols…

It gives me great pleasure to organize the sixth edition of our tasting event “12 Authors and their Wines”. This time in particular as it coincides with the 30th anniversary of my story as a wine maker at Can Ràfols dels Caus. During these thirty years I have met a great many wine makers and a lot of people involved in the world of wine. I think it is a wonderful world in which conviviality and companionship prevail. As this time of crisis and dominated by the transnational enterprises, to be able to count on the presence of winemakers of personality is something I am truly grateful for, both personally and for the wines they make. Carlos Esteva, 2010 Can Ràfols dels Caus Alexandre de…

What is quality? The idea of quality is spoken about without knowledge of maximum quality. Maybe the category of maximum quality is not appreciated because it remains unknown, and one only speaks of that is understood. We use points of reference such as comparison and trends to understand quality. But if your point of reference is poor, your idea of quality will be mistaken. Returning to the question: But what is the maximum quality in wine? One must procure the best of each component which makes the final product. And the best of each phase. The best land, the best grape, the ideal moment to harvest, the most careful elaboration, the finest aging, the top cork… maybe the superior product is that which seeks the…