Tomàs Cusiné, winemaker: "The best wine does not exist, the possibilities for improvement are never exhausted"

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t first glance he seems conventional. But behind that image is a winemaker, an entrepreneur, owner and manager of one of Catalonia's wine empires. Tomàs Cusiné makes wines conscientiously, very thoughtfully, that aspire to bring joy and pleasure to tables around the world. He is responsible for 4 of the most influential wineries in DO Costers del Segre -Castell del Remei, Cérvoles, Tomàs Cusiné- and in DO Conca de Barberà: Cara Nord. Of that business student who enjoyed himself in Barcelona, ​​now remains a passionate lover of wine and life. Rooted in the midst of the vineyards, but fleeting and entrepreneurial when routine sets in. He started in this world almost by chance and has decided to make it his modus vivendi, with effort, talent and a good team, in a constant search for quality and differentiation. A winemaker who would like to be small, but who does not give up on becoming big. We met with him at his Vilosell Wine Hotel, a place that offers rural and oenological experiences, to talk about more than three decades of experience behind him in a sector where he has achieved almost everything he has set out to do. In addition, now, his wine 'Cérvoles Blanc 2016' has been chosen as the best Catalan wine of 2018.

How did you start getting involved with the world of wine? I suppose it wasn't your priority when you were studying...

I didn't study to dedicate myself to anything in particular... In '82, my father bought the Castell del Remei estate (Penelles, La Noguera) where there were already decrepit wineries, but it wasn't until '85 that he decided to invest in this winery. I found myself right in the middle of the fray: at that time I was a mechanic, a farmer, a bit of everything... and I was simply there when this happened.

To dedicate oneself to wine is a privilege for everyone who does. The diversity of jobs you do during the year is very high: as soon as you are talking to a journalist, you are treading the vineyard, driving a tractor, tasting a good wine or sleeping in a good hotel. It is a very eclectic and very dynamic sector, with many possibilities. In short, it is a life project that cannot be delocalized. When you undertake a project of these characteristics, you cannot move from where you plant your roots, from the vineyard.

In the world of wine, you export or you are nobody: at Castell del Remei I started exporting in 1991, we exported 70 percent of what we made

I have had teachers, people who have worked with me, and many advisors. I have learned over many years and from other people who have accompanied me along the way. Companies are made by people, and in any sector, like wine, good people make companies rise and bad people make them fall. In the case of wine, location, the brand associated with the place, and personal brand are also important. It is more difficult to succeed in an unknown area than in a renowned one. Building a designation of origin is a matter of country, as behind it are the territory, production, grape quality, and administrations.

Is there a lot of ego linked to the wine industry? Are personal relationships decisive?

Yes and no. Those who truly make great wines and know how to sell them are evidently very satisfied and believe in themselves. It is a human condition. Within the world of wine, all kinds of relationships are important: recognition from the sector is the most important of all recognitions. I much prefer a good critique from a winemaker over a good critique from a journalist.

When do you take the step to export? Currently, your wines reach 40 countries on five continents.

You export or you are nobody. In the world of wine, you need to export, and even more so in a place that was not well-known. At Castell del Remei, I started exporting in 1991; we exported 70 percent of what we produced. From '92 onwards, exports increased significantly because the national market was not working. Now China is fashionable as an emerging market, but we have been exporting to Hong Kong for 20 years and have been working on it. This year, the Asian giant is indeed very important for our Castell del Remei production, but not for the other wineries.

Catalonia is one of the regions that consumes the least local product. We are more "wine tasters" and want to try everything

Each time a little more. In fact, when I entered the market with Castell del Remei, in Lleida it was very difficult to sell the product. Restaurateurs were not used to it and did not want to take risks. We grew while the DO Costers del Segre was being built and it helped with Catalan commercialization. However, Catalonia is one of the regions that consumes the least local product. We are more "catacaldos" (tasters) and want to try everything.

In terms of wines, Rioja still persists a lot, but a time has come when we can say that Catalan wines sell more than Rioja wines. This does not mean, however, that they sell more than other wines. We are now at 34% consumption of Catalan wine and should reach 50% in the next 5 years.

A moment comes when you decide to bet on making higher-level wines by buying the Cérvoles winery. You say that at that moment it was a revelation. Are you still convinced of the purchase, now that it has been more than 20 years?

In 1997, from Castell del Remei, we decided to bet on mountain vineyards and started a project with La Pobla de Cérvoles. There are 30 hectares of vineyards with many possibilities and between 1997 and 2003 I combined work in two wineries. We wanted to make mountain wines because they are more acidic, have more color, and the wines are thicker.

But, in the midst of this business hustle, you leave Castell del Remei and Cérvoles and set up Tomàs Cusiné. When things consolidate, do you get bored?

Routine is very boring. The beauty of projects is starting over and pushing them forward, and when they have been running for several years, letting them work on their own. We have had 4 very fun years and since 2014 we have been working together on the four wineries, as we have remodeled a line of wines and every year we think of new things to do. We have taken a winery that had aged and we have rejuvenated it in all aspects.

I have been looking for vineyards for 30 years, and that means I know all the vineyards above 500 meters in Lleida. I start a project in Vilosell from scratch and set up in the village cooperative. The idea was to make a small project that has grown.

But you miss Castell del Remei... and you come back!

I have always owned the Castell del Remei winery and had 49%, then 51%, and when it was possible to add everything up, we started working together again.

Is each winery designed to make wines for a specific audience?

More specifically, we can say that each winery has a specific personality, but we have a transversal public. We are at the same price level in all wineries. I believe that any consumer can find interesting things in the four wineries.

Lately there has been a lot of talk about organic, biodynamic wines... in some cases it is a trend. In your case, it is a strategic line to follow, as now 80% of the group's vineyards are already worked with organic criteria.

I believe that, although today you can make the decision about organic criteria, in a few years it will be mandatory. I don't think it will be a differential value from the rest, as I simply see it as mandatory. I believe that if you are not organic, you will end up losing sales: it's not that if you are organic you will sell more, but rather, being so, I see it as a necessity. I like the topic of biodynamic production. I want to investigate, try, and get into it soon.

The quality of wines has grown a lot thanks to factors such as research, winemakers, and good product, and now it seems there are no bad wines. Is that so?

There are no bad wines. The oenological level is high, and if you have bad grapes, you can still make an acceptable wine. The difficult thing is to differentiate yourself within a context where the level is increasingly higher. Here, all kinds of concepts come into play: you can differentiate yourself on an esoteric, natural, organic level, etc. We make 1,200,000 bottles, and how to differentiate ourselves is a very complicated question that we ask ourselves every day. We work to be different; it is a constant search for quality: the day you think you have made the best possible wine, you've screwed up. Research and improvement never end, and you can never make the best wine. The best wine does not exist: there may be some that you like more than others. What is most difficult is to sell expensively; that's where you differentiate yourself.

With wine, what I intend is to transmit a means of joy, for people to have a good time drinking wine and enjoy it. Making something that gives pleasure is awesome!

Benefits never come immediately, unless you have prior knowledge of the market. We have been making wine for 35 years and for 25 we lost money. At Tomás Cusiné, until two years ago, we were not profitable. During this time you also build brand, heritage and have added value. In the world of wine, you don't amortize the brand, you build it.

In recent years, you have also invested money in remodeling the old agricultural colony that was Castell del Remei to create a wine tourism center. Is tourism a way to add value to the product and turn it into an experience?

We constantly organize visits and wine tourism in Vilosell. At Castell del Remei we have been doing it naturally: it has always been a meeting and party center for the region, it already has a historical background and is easier to exploit.

What do you want to convey with your wines?

With wine, what I intend is to transmit a means of joy, for people to have a good time drinking wine and enjoy it. Making something that gives pleasure is awesome! When someone praises what you do, it gives you satisfaction, but we are also self-critical and know what level we are at. We are aware of the dimension of our company in the world of wine, since making a million bottles is not being a great producer if we compare ourselves with some wineries in Rioja, for example. I think we are on the right track, although I would like to be smaller. But when you build and become big, you won't give up being big!