Wine & Culinary International Forum

Well, the most fascinating reflections on the harmony between wine and cuisine appear... and queues of professionals build up, willing to wait until the last minute to get a seat in the room. This very thing happened on Sunday September 30, when the first edition of the International Wine & Culinary Forum took place at Hotel ME Barcelona, an event sponsored by Bodegas Torres.

Josep Roca, Sommelier from El Celler de Can Roca in Girona gave the first conference, and set the bar very high. Roca excitedly explained the criteria used to configure his wine list and transmit sensations to his customers but acknowledged that "we sommeliers have to make the daily management of vanity... our own.”

The next conference was by Chartier himself, writer, researcher and pioneer in the exploration of flavour, who noted that "we are in a new culinary era: all the work of taste is done by the nose, so the most important thing is aroma".

A panel discussion entitled "Clichés in the harmony between wine and food" led by German Master of Wine Markus del Monego followed and then chefs from the Dos Cielos restaurant, brothers Javier and Sergio Torres, offered a cooking show dedicated to seasonal autumn products.

Those present had to wait until early afternoon to finally listen to the world-renowned Senderens talk about wine and food. Senderens said that "if necessary, modify recipes to suit the wine. Wine is like the master of ceremonies, it allows us to progress, emphasise a dish, and it reveals details".

Peruvian chef and internationally renowned entrepreneur and wine enthusiast Gastón Acurio’s conference, was one of the ones most enjoyed by the public. The Acurio Group’s CEO offered a historical view of his country’s cuisine while preparing five dishes paired with five different wines.

The day also featured a talk from the pastry chef and revolutionary of sweet cuisine Oriol Balaguer and El Bulli’s sommelier from 2001 to 2011, Ferran Centelles. Jancis Robinson, Nick Lander and Victor de la Serna also participated in a discussion afterwards. Finally, nine wines selected from Primum Familiae Vini members were tasted, an association that Bodegas Torres is founder member of.