When did you first become interested in wine?
Being Spanish, wine drinking starts practically at birth. The typical afternoon snack for kids is a piece of bread soaked in wine. The older you get, the more sophisticated your palate becomes. If you enter the wine industry, a whole world opens up. Unlike being a lawyer, where everyone is sad, working with wine is a happy thing.

What brought you into the wine business? Do you have a favorite varietal or region?
Tempranillo, but it is also the most familiar to me. If I were born in France, I might like cabernet or merlot or pinot noir.

If you don't order wine at a restaurant or bar, which beverage do you choose?
Depends on the place. Like here, you drink cider.

What's your least favorite drink?
That is the most difficult question!

What's your best wine-drinking memory? What was the occasion?
There are certain moments that you always remember. About four years ago we did a comparative tasting of our wines with some of the big names in Spain. It was just for ourselves for research and to learn and it turned out that our Chalfaldin had arrived at the same level as the bigger names. It was a total surprise. We also learned a lot about how we want to make it better.

In your opinion, which country, other than the U.S., makes the best wine? Why?
Apart from Spain? In my opinion, I love some Portugese wines and some Italian wines. There is also a Penfolds Grange from Australia that I love.

What are your thoughts on recent trends within the industry?
I have seen that the industry has changed. At the end of the 90s and the beginning of this century it was the trend to make very big, powerful wines, but now people are turning their heads towards elegance and the terroir.

What is the first thing someone learning about wine should know?
Keep in mind that your taste is not the same as any expert's. You need to develop your palate and also learn how to decide for yourself what you like.

What are some of the benefits of drinking wine?
There are all sorts of health benefits but there are more important effects that no one talks about, like you make a lot of friends, which is really healthy!

What wines should no home be without?
Some basic wines of each variety and some blends that represent the old world like carignan and garnacha together. If you are a wine lover and develop your own taste, you will discover some jewels that you personally cannot live without.

What are your three best tips, tricks or techniques for wine lovers?
Open a bottle and drink a glass. Take your time and enjoy it over an entire afternoon and see how it changes. That is how you will discover all of the things the wine has to say. When people double decant they get to the end of the story without enjoying how it unfolds.