"WINE IS FOR LIVING, NOT FOR DRINKING…"

Hailing from the Canary Islands, the writer Juan Cruz who considers that wine is "a vital companion", will be moderating the round table 'Wine and the Novel' at FENAVIN, at which the writers Luis Landero, Clara Sánchez and Manuel Hidalgo will also be participating, the same on May 12th at 1.00 p.m.

"There are pleasures that are damaging to the economy and to our health, however, wine is a pleasure that is actually recommended in order to live longer. The fact is that wine is for living, not for drinking…". The journalist and writer Juan Cruz (Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, 1948), author of numerous novels and winner of countless awards such as the Azorín Award in 1988, or the 2000 Canary Islands Literature Award or the 2009 Comillas History, Biography and Memoirs Award, among others, is quite clear on the important value of wine in the history of literature, cinematography, journalism and, of course, in his own life.

The Canary Island born writer, who is personally celebrating the 35th anniversary of the creation of the daily newspaper El País, of which he was one of its prominent figures, is convinced that wine is "a companion, a very special person that matures in repose and that does not offend anybody, unless they are very insistent" and, he does indeed believe that "it makes us better persons."

These concepts, on which he is very clear, are the ones that have led him to be the perfect moderator at the round table 'Wine and the Novel', round table in which the writers Luis Landero, Clara Sánchez and Manuel Hidalgo will also be participating, this on the upcoming May 12th, with Juan Cruz assuring that "it will be very easy to lead this group, because each and every one of them has a gift for words, and as I was commenting with Vargas Llosa a few days ago, there is no merit in asking those who always have fabulous answers."

In Juan Cruz's opinion, the relationship between wine and the novel has been eternal. "There are many novels that overflow with wine and there is much wine in films. In Baroja, in Cela… in countless novelists throughout the history of literature; even in journalism there are numerous chronicles that could never have been written without wine," the writer affirms, also recalling the discoveries that Ernest Hemingway made thanks to wine, or that "wine is Manu Leguineche's heritage of taste."

Although he is sober when he writes, he does acknowledge that there are many moments when wine is necessary: at a dinner with delicious viands and when there are prospects for a good conversation, or in other situations designed for pleasure and creation. "For example -I remember-, that a few days ago I interviewed Luis Landero and, right before we started talking he put a glass of wine in front of himself.. Luis, for example, needs wine to whet his appetite, so to speak."

Cruz also admitted his love for 'Manzanilla' wine, "which really cheers me up" or for a well-chosen wine. At this point, he acknowledges his wife's skill to select wine. This is when we asked him if he thinks that there is a difference in sensitivity between men and women to choose and enjoy wines -one of the subject matters of the round tables that will be held at the trade fair, with the writer Carmen Posadas and the journalist Marta Robles as moderators-, distinction that Cruz categorically rejects. "There are men and there are women, each one of us different from the other, but I am certainly not in favor of divisions based on sex," he affirms.

"We have to pamper wine and explain that it forms part of life's most real pleasures"

In that pertaining to the drop in consumption of wine in Spain, something that is highly pronounced in recent times, he thinks that a good way to recuperate a taste for wine at the dinner table is "to pamper wine and explain that the tolerant king of alcohol forms part of life's most real pleasures."

Following up along this line, he is in absolute agreement with FENAVIN's goal of giving consumption of wine the prestige it deserves, linking it to positive values in the world of culture, health, or sports. Hence finally defining the National Trade Fair on Wine, set to open its doors on the upcoming Tuesday, May 10th in Ciudad Real, as "a very professional trade fair that is completely dedicated to wine and to universalizing a taste for the same."