Catalan DO wines and cavas take centre stage at the Mexican sommelier school

Catalan wines are being introduced in Mexico through a series of masterclasses at the Escuela Mexicana de Sommeliers. On Saturday 23 April the school began running six courses centred on Catalan wine. The sessions will include a tasting of 23 Catalan DO wines and cavas already on sale in the Mexican market. One of the aims is to strengthen the positioning of Catalan wines and cavas in the Mexican market and to publicise the characteristics of the wines from the different Catalan designations of origin, their origin and new winemaking trends.

The first session was held on Saturday 23 April in Tijuana, led by sommelier Ricardo Espindola, director of the Escuela Mexicana de Sommeliers, and the coming sessions will be held in turn in Mexico City, Mérida, Guadalajara and Chihuahua. As well as tasting a selection of Catalan wines and cavas, the course includes a presentation on the history of wine in Catalonia and an introduction to the 12 Catalan designations through an explanation of the characteristics of the growing areas, the different grape varieties, production statistics and their respective classifications.

The masterclasses are aimed at sommeliers, hospitality professionals, opinion leaders and the general public in Mexico interested in wine culture, and are designed as small groups of up to 20 people. The courses, delivered in an 8-hour session, will carry a certificate from PRODECA, the Catalan Delegation to Mexico and the Escuela Mexicana de Sommeliers.

Endorsed by PRODECA in coordination with the Catalan Government Delegation to Mexico

These courses are endorsed by PRODECA and the Catalan Delegation to Mexico. Since last year the delegation has had a trade officer specialising in agri-food, following the agreement signed in late 2020 by the departments of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda and of Foreign Action and Open Government to place such professionals in strategic markets. Through PRODECA, these new trade officers are there to support companies in internationalising their products and positioning themselves abroad.

A culinary Sant Jordi in Mexico

The Catalan Delegation to Mexico's work promoting Catalan products and cuisine never stops, and for Sant Jordi it coordinated a special menu to mark Catalonia Abroad Day. The six participating restaurants were:

• L'Arrosseria
• Jaleo Polanco
• L''Arrosseria Socarrat
• Restaurant Çuina
• Orígens
• El Asador Catalán