New issue: Selectus Wines April 2024

Sommeliers... a question of values.

In recent years, I have had the pleasure of attending several sommelier competitions, both in Catalonia and in other parts of Spain. This year, among the speeches given by the different bodies present at the Catalan competition, summarising the events of the past year and the resolutions for the future, the one given by Anna Vicens, President of the Catalan Association of Sommeliers (ACS), offered us a lesson in values, attitudes and motivation.

Many sommeliers do not enter these competitions because they are afraid of losing or not doing well... and they see it as a failure. According to Anna, "No, it's not failure. Failure is not trying, because the goal should not be winning, but how you get there, the time you spend preparing, and the spirit of self-improvement".

A good sommelier is not the one who wins awards (although that does happen), but the one whose values include hard work, high standards, self-improvement, study, dedication, discipline and the right attitude.

The attitude should be about "making things happen" and it is personal to each individual. That and character. Both are essential for progress and development.

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