Where were you born and where did you grow up?
I was born in Asturias, north of Spain, but I am living in Barcelona from almost eight years. I change city looking good restaurants to work and good places to study and learn about wine, and definitely Barcelona has both things.
How did you find your way to into the world of wine and spirits?
The Wine and Spirits Education Trust course was for me the perfect starting point to learn the theory and practice the wine tasting.In this moment I am focus in the Court of Master Sommeliers examination programme. It has four different levels and I am preparing the Advanced Exam for november, which is the third of them.
Do you think that more people are entering this industry and why do you think that is?
I don’t know, but I think that the general interest in the world of wine is a reality.Our guests in the Hotel Arts, and concretely in Enoteca, have a good understanding of wine, and some of them arereally experts.For me as sommelier is a great challenge create experiences around the bottles and fullfill their expectations.
What does your role at restaurant Enoteca at The Hotel Arts entail?
My list of responsibilities includes select wines, create drinks lists, manage the stock, and of course the service in the restaurant.I am always in charge to train my colleagues to learn how to sell beverages with more confidence.
What do you think makes a good sommelier?
A first class sommelier has to have passion, humility and curiosity.But for me the most important thing is the desire to learn and continuously increase the knowledge.
How do you describe the wines selected by Enoteca?
In Enoteca our wine list is very international.We have more than 700 different labels, half of them Spanish wines, one third French wines and the rest from different countries of the world, such as Italy, Germany, United States etc.Every month we have new entries.
Where would you place wines from Catalonia within the current trends in the wine world?
The red wine from Empordà and the Cava are gaining popularity.Also natural wines from Penedès are very popular.
What are your FOUR indispensable wine collection favourites?
German Riesling |Scallops with parmesan pearls, shrimps and seaweed cream
White Rioja |Sea bass with baby squid, sea cucumbers and mussels
Red Burgundy |Truffled rice with mushrooms
Sauternes |Chocolate cake with cardamom foam and banana ice cream
To find out more about Jonathan and Enoteca at the Hotel Arts, click here |www.ritzcarlton.com