“For me, a good sommelier should have the same qualities as a good person”

Daniel Ramos, sommelier and head of training at Vinófilos.

Editorial note: an interview recovered from Winerim's archive. Roles, career references, relative dates, recommendations, wine descriptions and product assessments belong to the original publication, not to newly verified current facts. Statements about digital tools and an AI project are historical testimony, not current feature verification or guaranteed outcomes.

The original article had the honour of speaking with Daniel Ramos, a true master of wine and a prominent figure on the Spanish wine scene. Born in vibrant Seville, a city of aromas and sensations, Daniel had made his way from the kitchen to the highest levels of sommellerie, always carrying the passion for excellence that characterised him. His was a story worth telling: from his beginnings at the Escuela de Hostelería de Sevilla, through working alongside legends such as Ferran Adrià at the prestigious Bulli Hotel Hacienda Benazuza, to becoming a reference in wine education.

Throughout his career, Daniel had combined a deep vocation for wine with technical knowledge that had earned him the respect of colleagues and critics internationally. His tireless curiosity had kept him evolving, both in his role as Executive Sommelier Director at Grupo Viñafiel and in his position at Vinófilos at the time of publication, where he continued training new generations of sommeliers and experts. But Daniel was not only deeply knowledgeable about wine: he was an enthusiast who found a story, an emotion and a moment to share in every bottle.

In this interview, we enter his world to discover more about his career, how he experiences sommellerie and the keys to understanding each glass.

Featured in Sommelier Corner in the original publication: Daniel Ramos, sommelier and head of training at Vinófilos.

1. When Did Your Interest in Wine Begin?

It began precisely in '93, when one of my teachers at the Escuela de Hostelería de Heliópolis in Seville, Cayetano García, explained how wine was made. It seemed magical to me and sparked my curiosity to learn more about everything surrounding this world of wine.

2. What Qualities Should a Good Sommelier Have?

To begin with, I think they should have the same qualities as a “good person”, hahaha. Sommellerie today is highly specialised and divided into sectors, like other professions. We see sommeliers in restaurants, specialist shops, wine distributors, wineries and specialist apps, as communicators and even as teachers. Each of these specialisations calls for one professional quality to take precedence over the others.

Knowing how to identify your role in each situation and fulfil it is the quality I would highlight, so that you do not find yourself out of context.

3. What Is the Most Unusual Place Where You Have Organised or Attended a Wine Tasting?

In Triana, on the banks of the Guadalquivir, with the Torre del Oro behind me, on a splendid spring evening at sunset in Seville. You can see it in the following photo.

Editorial note: the photograph referred to is not available in this edition; the reference in the original interview has been retained.

4. What Are the Trends in the Sommelier Profession?

As in other professions, the trend in sommellerie is towards everything connected with digitalisation: tools that help us control and manage the cellar, as well as education, with courses of all types and levels on various platforms.

Knowing how to navigate this new world of offerings is essential to choosing the tools we will work with and where we will continue our education.

Another “trend” gaining great momentum and already unstoppable is natural wine, organic farming, agricultural practices based on biodynamics and respect for the environment in which the vines grow. This is an established reality rather than a trend, one that even large producers of conventional wines are adopting, or gradually adopting, in their practices and sales messaging.

5. Recommend a White, Red, Rosé, Sparkling, Fortified and Dessert Wine

  • White: Domaine Vincent Pinard Nuance 2022, A.O.C. Sancerre - Sauvignon Blanc.
  • Red: Valentín Zusslin Pinot Noir Ophrys 2021, A.O.C. Alsace - Pinot Noir.
  • Rosé: Bendito Destino Clarete 2021, DO Ribera del Duero - Tempranillo, Garnacha and Albillo.
  • Sparkling: Recaredo Bufadors Vinya del Rascarà Brut Nature 2015, Corpinnat - Xarel·lo.
  • Fortified: Bodegas Luis Pérez La Barajuela Palma Cortada 2017, DO Jerez-Xérès-Sherry - Palomino.
  • Dessert: Bodegas Luis Pérez Carrascal 2014, DO Jerez-Xérès-Sherry - Pedro ximenez, a single bottling of 1000 bottles.

“We have a tendency, almost a national sport I would say, to drink very powerful, woody wines with very old, long-matured, fatty cheeses.”

6. What Should Someone With Little Wine Experience Consider When Choosing a Wine to Accompany Their Meal? What Basic Rules Should a Diner Know to Choose a Good Wine?

If the ultimate aim is a good match between wine and food, I would recommend asking about the most prominent qualities of the dish you will eat, if you do not already know them; generally, this is not the dish's main ingredient. You should also consider its texture. In relation to what stands out most in the dish, choose a wine within your experience of wine flavours and aromas. But this is only a general guideline.

7. Challenge a Myth About Wine and Food Pairing

We have a tendency, almost a national sport I would say, to drink very powerful, woody wines with very old, long-matured, fatty cheeses.

Wines with high tannic intensity and a woody character do not go well with very mature cheeses, because ageing concentrates more salt in these cheeses. Salt and woody tannins are not exactly the best of friends: the salt makes the wine lose its structure and character.

White, red, sparkling or sweet wines in which fruit takes centre stage over the barrel, or with no barrel influence at all, would be the most suitable choice and my recommendation.

8. What Requirements Must a Wine Meet to Be a Good Wine?

There are many definitions of what a good wine should be. One concerns a wine's ability to evolve well over time while retaining favourable qualities. We are undoubtedly talking about high-quality wines, from a more technical and professional perspective.

If we bring it down to the practical level, for me a wine is made to give satisfaction. Whether it is a good wine depends on how far it achieves that aim for the person drinking it.

9. What Steps Should We Follow to Taste Wine at an Amateur Level?

Look at it, smell it and taste it, or drink it, always in ON mode: conscious of what we are doing. Tasting should be proactive, analysing the sensations we receive, quantifying and qualifying them, and remembering to finish with conclusions that bring together the most relevant points.

10. Which Wine Had Surprised You Most Recently?

A white made by Oxer Bastaguitia under the D.O. Txakoli de Bizkaia, from vineyards in the small village of Kortezubi in Vizcaya. It is aged under a veil of flor, in the Sherry style but without fortification, giving the wine excellent complexity that pleasantly surprised me. It is called Loretxoa 2021, and its name means flower in Basque.

11. What Is the Best Wine You Have Tasted for Value for Money?

It is difficult to say. Fortunately, in Spain we have a very strong relationship between quality, price and satisfaction in wine, and many wines bring these three together. Better-trained winemakers and new winemaking techniques make this possible, not forgetting Spain's excellent conditions for growing vines.

Gomariz X is one example, made by Abadía de Gomariz under the D.O. Ribeiro, from a single plot, “As Penelas”, with schist soils.

“Digital wine lists can offer us endless possibilities, and even more so in Winerim's case, because it is much more than a simple digital wine list.”

12. A Traditional Paper Wine List or a Digital Wine List?

In principle, they are compatible. We must always consider that the wine list is our main tool for working with our wine offering and the customer it is aimed at.

Digital wine lists give us endless presentation possibilities, immediate changes to wine references, price updates and available stock. They can also become one of the best back-office tools for cellar management, making our work easier and leaving us freer to concentrate on service and other restaurant activities.

I would choose a digital wine list for everyday use and keep a paper copy for the romantics.

13. How Does Winerim Help You in Your Work?

Winerim is the colleague you always want to have, hahaha.

I think Winerim can help you with everything related to digitalising the wine list and managing the cellar, even linking in purchases. In some sommelier duties, it can even take care of the task for you: you only have to supervise it or set your guidelines, styles and parameters, leaving you freer for other sommelier tasks in the restaurant, finding new wines, training and so on.

As I said before, digital wine lists can offer us endless possibilities, and even more so in Winerim's case, because it is much more than a simple digital wine list. An AI project for Winerim is also being developed, and I cannot wait to see it.

Editorial note: these are the interviewee's historical views on digital tools and a project then described as in development, not verification of current automation, purchasing integrations or a released AI feature. “Endless possibilities” is personal praise, not a measured or guaranteed result.

14. Finally, a Piece of Advice for Any Wine Lover

My advice would be that, above all the wines they love, they should love even more the people who love them, care for them and worry about them.

Love is giving, and if a good wine is involved, all the better.