“I hear
and I forget,
I see
and I remember,
I do
and I understand.”
Confucious V century b.c.
I studied Biology; this means that my academic training is scientific. For this reason, I have spent my whole professional life looking for the justification of the importance of applying the scientific methodology (Metodologia Científica) in any area. And, of course, I have also done this in favour of the quality of the wines, because I have always had the impression that the production of great wines goes against science.
It seems that the terms science and technique are only used for making technological wines, and that producers of great wines usually use tradition as a work tool. I disagree with this. I firmly believe that we can compare the evolution of our knowledge with a relay race, where each generation must contribute with improvements, and these improvements will be useful for future generations.
We have felt on many occasions that the quality of some wines is attributed to the estates where they come from because they have a climate and a soil with extraordinary features. And we have also felt that humankind must be careful to avoid damaging everything provided by nature. To be honest, I think this is a way of disregarding and underestimating human capacity.
In a work dating to 1808, we can perceive the effort and the endless will of the owner of the Romanée-Conti estate in Burgundy, who explained in detail the decisions that he took depending on the crop. This is exactly the participation in favour of the quality of his wines, and the favourable soil of his estates. I am sorry for not being able to provide more specific references. If you have the chance to read it, I recommend it.
In any case, I am firmly convinced that we can improve any aspect of vine growing and vine making by applying the scientific methodology (Metodologia Científica).
In both, the vineyard and the winery, there are many actions where you must decide if you act in one way or another. Some producers say one way is better, some others say that the other way is better… There are many studies carried out about a specific issue, and some of them tend towards one approach, others tend towards another approach… I am used to doubt everything and carry out my own checks.
The best thing for everyone is to experiment with their own vineyard and their own grapes, draw their own conclusions and apply the most convenient method for them.
Josep Lluís Pérez
Carretera Falset, Gratallops km 6, Falset, Tarragona 43730