RAQUEL LATRE, PRESIDENT OF THE SOMONTANO PDO
Raquel Latre Latorre is the first woman to chair the Regulatory Council of the Protected Designation of Origin Somontano and the third, among those who make up the Spanish Conference of Wine Regulatory Councils, to hold this position. In 2017 she assumed the presidency of this PDO, which groups 29 wineries with a total area of 4,000 hectares of vineyards. Latre is passionate about her work and a pioneer in creating a wine tourism company in the area: enoDestino
Where does your passion for wine come from?
My passion for wine comes from 2005, when I decided to return to live in my land: Barbastro. Then, together with my partner, we thought about starting our own tourism service company project, with the aim of attracting people to our territory because Somontano had to be known. We considered that our guiding thread should be wine and enoDESTINO, a wine tourism and activities agency, was born. Little by little, we started to enter this world, with training and travel, until now, which has become a way of life.
When and where did you study?
Each of the topics in which I have been trained has helped me to take the next step. Life is a continuous learning process fom which, if you want to, you learn every day. Regarding my main training, I have a degree in Business Sciences, with a specialty in Marketing and Communication, which has given me the opportunity to have a business vision and an eye towards strategic management. My professional experiences in multinationals and large companies helped me to know the production systems, logistics flows and distribution networks. In the stage where I dedicated myself to providing training, I delved into customer service, online and offline communication systems, protocol, event management…
All of this, until reaching the world of wine, a sector in which I completed a Master in Viticulture, Oenology and Wine Marketing. I obtained level III of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust course, the degree of Professional Sommelier from the Rovira y Virgili University and I am also a Sommelier specialized in Sherry wines. Life is a continuous learning process, so what you study is as important as what you live. For this reason, I have learned a lot from all the trips I have made: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Tuscany, Piemonte, Champagne, Mossel, and from our Spanish wine regions: Aragón, Jerez, Priorato, Ribera del Duero or Rioja. Moreover, of course, from all the people I have met along the way, I have learned from their stories, their tastings and their knowledge.
Why did you choose wine as a way of life?
As I said before, I entered because I wanted to stay and live in the land where I was born, and I felt that I had to work for Somontano. And when you start to get to know the work of the wineries in more depth, listen to their stories, their efforts every year to improve, the direct link with nature, experience the grape harvest, walk through the vineyards and see how the wines, the gastronomy and the tradition is different depending on the wine-growing area you visit. Moreover, every year, the question is, how not to become passionate about this world?
What are you proud of?
I am very proud of the people of my land who believed that Somontano could be transformed into a prosperous wine region and they worked and bet on it. I am proud of those who have taken over and have continued to strive like the first day, going through difficulties and, despite this, choosing excellence and the most difficult path. I am proud of the unity of Somontano, of going all together, because what makes us equal makes us strong and because behind each wine is the illusion to make Somontano a sustainable land full of opportunities.
What are your dreams?
In the short term, I would like to see a speedy recovery for all of us and that from this situation we learn to value what we should focus on in the future. I see Somontano growing as it has done so far, in prestige and recognition of its wines, because behind them are its people and its future, it is a territory where excellence and effort are mottos to move forward, where we want to attract investment, differentiate ourselves once again and thus create real opportunities for those of us who believe and wish to live in this land.
What is the main piece of advice you would give to a new president of a wine Regulatory Council?
It is difficult to give advice. I believe that each one of us imprints our actions on what we know best or what we think is best to represent the Council. From my experience, I believe that our most important task is to gather the starting point and set a horizon towards which we all want to reach and where we make the journey together. And, from there, to defend, represent and carry out all the bureaucratic, administrative, promotional and communication actions that are necessary to achieve it. Knowing that our work goes beyond wines, it is about sustainability and continuing to grow a territory.
If you weren’t in the world of wine, what would you be doing now?
It is very difficult for me to make that effort to think outside the sector, because, as I said, it has become my way of life. Even so, I would like to continue with training as a driving force for mobilisation and consultancy in order to pass on all those learning that has come with me over these years of experiences.