The owner of Mas Martinet Winery has highlighted the role of the enologist as an artist, the same at the conference coordinated by José Peñín "The Future of Signature Wines"

07.05.2007 | 

José Luis Pérez, owner of the Mas Martinet Winery, has offered a conference on signature wines at FENAVIN 2007, the same coordinated by José Peñín, Director of the Guide 'Peñín de los Vinos de España' and Director of the magazine 'Sibaritas'. The lecturer has stressed that "the only solution we have for differentiation is to become more professionals, to acquire more technical and scientific skills, and to train specialists in the conjugation of wines".

For Pérez, elaboration of wine is more than just a mere industrial process, to the point that he understands reaching differentiation in an increasingly globalized world as a true art. José Luís Pérez, one of the five pioneers that just barely ten years ago relaunched the Priorat region with talent and enthusiasm, is also Enological Adviser, working through the 'Mas Martinet Assessoraments' firm. In his experience, the wines that are being produced are better all the time and this is basically because the grape is being allowed to ripen optimally until it reaches its perfect point of maturity. Once this point is reached, José Luís Pérez compares the role of the Enologist with that of an Artist, as lacking the artist's personal signature the work of art would not exist.

Mas Martinet's owner asserts that extraordinary things can be done in the world of viticulture because there is a demand that grows thanks to the improvement in our level of life. "We can no longer talk about good and bad wines, but about good and better wines", he assures, underlining that "wines that score more than 90 points do so because they are good, but also because they have a great personality".

"Creators of wine" in an increasingly globalized world

During Peñín's presentation of the lecturer, he highlighted that the term "signature wines" is not the term that pleases enologists the most, as they prefer to be classified as "creators of wine". In José Peñín's opinion, differentiating wines in a globalized world is harder and harder all the time, because this situation creates uniformity in high quality wines. Thus the reason why he considers the role of enologists as a determining factor when the difference is to be created.

As an example of where the connoisseurs of the sector are aiming, José Peñín also explained that the current tendency amongst French experts is leaning to Rosés, Champagnes and White wines, precisely because these are capable of maintaining the differentiation they are talking about.

Pérez underlined that technicians can be of great help with the varieties corresponding to each area in order to obtain a high quality production, because we should not forget that "wine is culture and history, and history must be respected". He again stressed that there is no better or worse variety, but in fact, each variety has its own characteristics and structures, the same depending on the genetic markers, thus the reason why he considers that one has to adapt and find the methods and varieties that are best suited to each location.