Meet Paola Medina

What is your first memory related to the world of wine?

One of my earliest memories is of running and playing among the butts as a child in our family winery in Sanlúcar, not yet fully aware of the treasure that surrounded me.

Who are your references? A woman in the sector who we should not lose sight of?

My references are many, and not only in the world of wine. I learn every day from the different people I meet and with whom I work, and the sum of these experiences is what shapes you as a person.

From the world of wine, I have felt special admiration and affection for the owner of Bodegas Maestro Sierra, Pilar Plá, who sadly left us a year ago, for her daughter, the winemaker and historian Carmen Borrego, and for the winery's oenologist, Ana Cabestrero. They are three women who inspire me, whom I admire as professionals and as excellent people.

A professional moment/milestone that you remember above all others?

My first harvest in 2007, in La Mancha. And also the second, in 2008 and also in La Mancha, because there I was able to consolidate the knowledge I had acquired and enjoy it to the full.

What do you ask from a wine?

That it has an identity. That it represents the area it comes from. That it excites me and leaves me wanting more after tasting it.

A wine that has left its mark on you?

It is impossible to choose just one. All the sherries and their different categories. I miss them when they are not around. I even miss the smell of the Bodega when I'm away, so peculiar, unique and different from any other.

What changes do you think are needed in the wine industry?

With regard to sherry wines, which is what I know most closely, it is necessary to consolidate its identity as a quality wine, as one of the great wines of the world. We must work to reach a younger consumer. And this can be achieved by focusing on training and dissemination. Fortunately, as I said before, we are in a time of change, we are witnessing a growing interest in sherry wines and we must ensure that this interest is maintained. And it is also extremely important to position Sherry wines in gastronomy.  There is no dish that can resist sherry wine because, thanks to its diversity, there is a sherry wine for each of them.

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