{"id":6307,"date":"2022-05-24T20:15:24","date_gmt":"2022-05-24T20:15:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/winesfromaragon.com\/raul-igual\/"},"modified":"2022-07-22T07:06:34","modified_gmt":"2022-07-22T07:06:34","slug":"raul-igual","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/winesfromaragon.com\/en\/raul-igual\/","title":{"rendered":"Ra\u00fal Igual"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Ra\u00fal Igual, best sommelier in Spain 2010 and 2021<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u00abThe red garnacha is that variety that puts us in value, our queen\u00bb<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Where does your passion for wine come from?<\/strong><\/p>

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I started studying at the Hospitality School in Teruel because I liked cooking and pastry, but there I discovered the part of the room, the treatment of the client and that is when I decided to do the service part. As for wine, it was something progressive, it started when I went to do an internship in Zalaca\u00edn. Custodio Zamarra introduced me to this world, he was a very close person, who marked me a lot since he immediately gave me the opportunity to do things and accompany him to tastings. Later, when I got more involved in the hotel industry, I realized that I had to delve deeper into wines, wineries, menu preparation, and I began to have contact with the Association of Sommeliers of Aragon. Suddenly one day a colleague calls me and tells me that in El Bulli they needed people to work with the sommeliers. That’s when I really discovered how beautiful this world is.<\/p>
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How has your learning been? Have you traveled a lot?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>
I have traveled, but much less than this world requires, I have studied a lot. I decided to present myself to the best sommelier in Spain in 2010 because I needed to be valued, and I had to study because people who know a lot go to that contest. I began to read everything there was and to have, and I went to London to prepare myself, the Master Sommelier. You start studying with a lot of motivation, tenacity, curiosity and desire to try to know everything.<\/p>
A dream that you need to fulfill in the sector? Any project?<\/strong><\/p>
I want to travel. When you study wine regions, you put them in context and you manage to get to that place is when you really understand them. I would like to visit those places that I think I need. The Portuguese Douro catches my attention.<\/p>
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Ra\u00fal Igual needs no introduction, he is a simple person who inspires wine, knowledge, learning, effort and tenacity. Any small talk with him turns into a delicate wine class, of which you do not want to miss a single detail.<\/p>
Since he won the award for Best Sommelier in Spain in 2010<\/strong>, the first Aragonese to achieve it, his recognition has been growing progressively, but before that, we must not forget his time in restaurants such as “Zalaca\u00edn” in Madrid, the “Enoteca Pinchiorri\u201d in Florence or his years in the team of sommeliers at \u201cEl Bulli\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>
In 2013, he represented Spain in the world sommeliers contest held in Tokyo, in 2015 this man from Teruel became part of the Aragonese Academy of Gastronomy, and a little later, he obtained the title \u201cAdvanced Sommelier\u201d by The Court of Master Sommeliers<\/strong><\/a> in London. In 2021 he was awarded as the best sommelier in Spain at the International Wine Challege Merchant Awards. An inspiring career marked by his nobility and love for his land.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u00abI started reading everything there was and would be about wine and I went to London to prepare for the Master Sommelier. You start studying with a lot of motivation, tenacity, curiosity and desire to try to know everything\u00bb<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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What does Aragon taste like?<\/strong><\/p>
Arag\u00f3n tastes of autochthonous varieties, Garnacha, Macabeo, Cari\u00f1ena, unique varieties with their own personality depending on each area. Something that is precious, since someone trained is capable of differentiating a Garnacha bred in Cari\u00f1ena, from another from Somontano, Borja or Calatayud. That ability to value these varieties of ours, but also to value them in the place where they grow, is fantastic.<\/p>
What do you think of the wines of Aragon? <\/strong><\/p>
In Arag\u00f3n they see us that we are there, but they do not know very well what we are doing. Perhaps what we were missing were people like Fernando Mora<\/a>, Jorge Navascu\u00e9s<\/a>, Norrel Robertson<\/a>,\u00a0people who in some way are positioning wines at astronomical levels and who are getting us to be identified outside our borders.<\/p>
In Aragon until we are recognized outside, we do not recognize what we have here inside. When the wines of these people are recognized, among others because there are fantastic winemakers, that is when we will really realize what we have. Those of us who are involved in the world of wine know that we are doing well and that we have great potential.<\/p>
An essential Aragonese variety<\/strong><\/p>
Without a doubt, garnacha<\/a> is that variety that puts us in value. Although there are others such as Garnacha Blanca, Cari\u00f1ena or Macabeo that we should not miss. But our queen is the Garnacha Tinta.\u00a0<\/p>
An Aragonese variety that is yet to be discovered<\/strong><\/p>
I am convinced that the Macabeo is going to give us great surprises. It is a variety that we already knew, but that will surprise us.<\/p>
Challenge: define each one of the Denominations of Origin, and Protected Geographical Indications with a word.<\/strong><\/p>