Behind the vine

Paula Lopez Ruitti - Cellar de l’Encastell & Les Rampoines - Priorat, Spain

When do you think you fell in love with wine, enough to make a career of it?

Wine in my life has been recent. I grew up in Buenos Aires and studied science, and I was working in a lab, but I was always going to Mendoza on holidays. Then I remember I had a boyfriend who was a chef and we went to a tasting (pairing) led by sommelier, and we did a vertical tasting. And that was 'woah' - the moment I got curious about wine. Because we talk about colour and can describe, but when it comes to aroma, I didn’t have the words. So that curiosity made me go to a tasting course for a year, and a winemaker from Mendoza came and I said ‘I want your life.’ I want to touch the soil. I was missing countryside in my city life, and I started looking at different studies and I saw Europe as an opportunity. I got a scholarship, and I did a masters in enology and studied natural yeast from Priorat. My life was pointed to come here. And I didn't doubt it. I started my winemaking life here. I understand what it is.

What story does your wine tell?

Wine from l'Encastell - I'm producing the wine and the story is previous to me. It's a story from the family - they have old vineyards from the family, and the couple. Expression of the old vineyards into 100% grenache, and 100% carignan. And then the new part they planted (Marge - easy to drink and reflects the vineyards youth). It’s always respecting what they’ve done before.

Then for Les Rampoines it's different because it's a decision we make between 3 of us. We started in 2016 and we are recovering vineyards that are almost abandoned. Every year is a different expression. And that is a story of the way we work the wine and treat the vineyards.

What misconceptions about wine do you think people should forget?

I think, for me, at the beginning, when I started in wine, there are certain labels that have a strong background that are respected and powerful and you feel intimidated, that you're supposed to love those wines because they are big and maybe you think the wines are OK, but you don't feel anything. You didn't enjoy them the way you were ‘supposed’ to. If you spend a lot of money and you don't find what you were expecting, it can be disappointing.

Don't be intimidated. Start searching for small producers and different regions until you find what you like and enjoy. Don't spend a lot of money. The world of wine, it opens and it's huge. Small producers or new D.O.s, single varietals, you can start there.

What great things about wine do you think people should remember?

The sense of place. It has an origin. You'll have beautiful biodiversity - the landscape. Wine talks about the place, and tastes like the place it comes from. You want to avoid wine that could be from anywhere. There's a lot of work behind a bottle of wine - a lot of effort and labor from people. It contributes to this place, this region. The people who live in regions, live for wine. It's work and a way to preserve the history, the culture, as many things that you should think about when you open a bottle of wine. It’s not just a drink.

What is a piece of advice you would give to a woman interested in breaking into the wine world?

Don't have fears. It's totally possible. It's not a masculine activity. We are able to do it physically, technically, emotionally. We are already prepared to do it.

Who is a woman that inspired you?

Mas Martinet, Sara is the leader.

Silvia Puig - her wines have strong personality, she has her own project. She does everything by herself (vineyards, winery) with 2 kids, her husband has a restaurant. Her hands don't lie. I really admire her to see what's possible.

Where can women find your wine?

Online: https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/cellars+de+l+encastell+marge

Or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/les_rampoines/?hl=es