In this classic meeting, prior to the Michelin galas, renowned wine professionals and those responsible for the Michelin Guide, explained the relationship that should exist between wine and gastronomy.
Under the slogan “Wine is gastronomy”, and as part of the program of activities prior to the Michelin star award ceremony on November 28, a new edition of the usual debate was held in Barcelona prior to the gala with a theme linked to current gastronomic events. The debate was moderated by Amaya Cervera, the well-known journalist, popularizer and winner of the 2023 National Gastronomy Award for Gastronomic Communication, in the incomparable setting of the Casa Milà, better known as La Pedrera, one of the most emblematic jewels of Barcelona’s modernist architecture.
Amaya Cervera the debate coordinator
As the title of the debate “Wine is gastronomy” indicated, the aim was to talk about the links between gastronomy and wines, and define a global restaurant experience that would give visibility and relevance to the professionals and practices involved in the increasingly decisive participation of wines to achieve a complete gastronomic experience.
In this debate, some renowned professionals from the world of wine and the Michelin Guide participated, exceptional guests, each in their field of expertise, professional, technical, academic, informative, etc., who have expressed their vision and opinions, sometimes conflicting, but always emphasizing the strengthening of the relationship between wine and gastronomy.
In the debate have intervened theorists such as: Luis Gutiérrez, the only Spanish taster on Robert Parker’s team and his prestigious magazine The Wine Advocate and responsible for Spain, Chile, Argentina and the Jura region in France (who in turn has also presented the wines that will harmonize with the menu of the Michelin Guide Spain 2024 Gala); Quim Vila, owner and director of the specialized store Vila Viniteca and organizer of the legendary annual tasting by pairs; and Ferrán Centelles, former sommelier at El Bulli, writer and trainer.
Ferran Centelles former sommelier at El Bulli, writer and responsible for the SAPIENS DEL VINO encyclopedia
Other guests in the more practical field are: Cristina Díaz, sommelier at Maralba restaurant (two MICHELIN Stars) and National Gastronomy Award 2022; Audry Doré, sommelier and head sommelier at El Celler de Can Roca restaurant (3 MICHELIN Stars and Green Star); Ricardo Pérez Palacios, winemaker and director of Descendientes de J.Palacios; Sara Pérez, winemaker at the Mas Martinet winery in Priorat; and finally Ignacio Villalgordo, an Oracle executive and passionate about the world of wine, who provided the consumer point of view.
The impact of wines in the restaurant industry
The topics discussed were varied but focused on highlighting the gastronomic importance of wines and their presence on the menus as well as their impact on the cuisine of each restaurant. The willingness of the Michelin Guide to attract new generations of wine experts to give continuity to such an important task as that of cuisine was highlighted.
Naturally, complaints arose about the proliferation of exaggerated prices, a problem in achieving a more appropriate relationship, although the latest statistics were also highlighted, explaining that of the 10 million hectoliters of wine produced, a not insignificant percentage of more than two million corresponded to the restaurant industry.
There was agreement on the need to provide diners with better and more suitable information on wines and their pairings and several options were proposed on how to achieve this. The eternal problem of how to bring wines closer to young people and how to promote them to this type of public was also discussed. Here opinions were divided between proposals on how to promote wines in public places or the benefits of doing so in more intimate spaces, although there was agreement on the need to achieve greater maturity among younger consumers.
There was a lot of discussion on the subject of pairings, and there was agreement on how interesting and innovative it is to create dishes thinking about the wines that are to accompany them and to achieve this, the need to elevate the role of wine as a mere companion to make it a full gastronomic protagonist, although increasingly decreasing the forced solemnity of many restaurants when dealing with wines, as the new times demand.
One issue that confronted the protagonists of the debate was the tendency defended by Quim Vilà that wine should be more open to participate with other products as happens in cocktails with sparkling wines and thus explore the possibilities that could arise if there were fewer corsets. Faced with these proposals, the speeches of those who propose to maintain and serve wine as the winemakers create it and respect their original proposals without changing its characteristics were put forward.
The 2024 gala will feature a new award: the Michelin Award for Best Sommelier.
Taking advantage of the debate, and in an exclusive scoop for the specialized media covering the event, Mònica Rius, Michelin’s Communication Director for Spain and Portugal, unveiled the existence of a new award, a prize that will be awarded at this year’s gala, with which Guia Michelin “wants to highlight the prominence and the great demand of the sommelier profession”, the “Michelin Award for Best Sommelier”.
To this end, and for this occasion, the inspectors of the red guide “have put an eye and the rest of their senses during their visits to the restaurants”, in order to propose as deserving of the new award the sommeliers who have impressed them the most for their characteristics, wisdom, erudition, know-how and professional goodness.
Also last year, for the edition of the gala and the presentation of the new Michelin stars and its 2023 guide, a previous debate was held under the title “The dining room has the floor”. And the theme of the debate was used to present a new award: the Michelin Service and Room Award.
