Wine Shop Talk (IX): Carles Sans

One of the greats. He may not speak much on stage but, off it, all you have to do is mention wine and he talks a lot - and very knowledgeably. He's the third "wheel" in Tricicle, a group of three comedians that have just published their encyclopaedic memoirs entitled "Tricicle, de la Z a la A". But he's also a gourmet from head to toe and a lover of wine. Here he tells us in person about his albeit late-developing love for oenology.

'I love wine and I've always been really interested in it, but the strangest thing is that I didn't actually drink until quite late. I started after I got married: my wife used to say how on earth could I drink water with some exquisitely prepared dishes. I thought perhaps she was right and started with a good wine; and I made the right choice. From then on I got used to drinking good wine and gradually educated my palate and became fond of investigating. Now I'm one of those people who buy specialist publications, who keep an eye on Robert Parker's ratings, who go to a store to get advice, who read a favourable review and go out and buy it…

In general all three of us in Tricicle (Joan Gràcia and Paco Mir make up the trio) love visiting wineries, especially when we go to La Rioja or the Valladolid region or when we're in Catalonia. Wine producers always make us feel great because they're really hospitable and you realise they love their work and live for it.

What kind of wine do I like? Well, I'd say it depends on the time of year. So, for instance, in summer I prefer white wine because, although there are some magnificent whites that warrant the huge respect paid to reds, I can't help feeling that, if they get a bit on the warm side, you can always add an ice cube and it's no problem... Ah, I'd also like to mention a recent discovery that surprised me a great deal: Godello wines, which I thought were undrinkable a few years ago but now I think they've become a lot more refined; I've discovered some really interesting ones.

I don't like rosé wine much and perhaps I'm being unfair with them because some are very good, like those from Navarra, but they've always been associated with wine for tourists... Though I must admit a good rosé can go very well with certain types of dishes.

But when I talk about great wines I think of reds. There are some spectacular ones in France and there have been fantastic developments in Spain over the last 20 years. I couldn't pick just one Appellation of Origin. What can I say? Catalan wines? Toro wines? It would seem unfair to pick out one above all the rest.

Another thing I love about wine is that daring wineries have emerged. I love the change in the names and the fact that wines have gone from being called "Marqués" of I don't know what and "Conde" of whatever to having unlikely names and labels. It's great fun'.

Gastronomistas