"The culture of wine is at a peak"-Interview with Dr. Vita Petek

14/05/2024

Why have you chosen our university for this international stay? Do you have any prior links with the UAB Tourism and Hotel Management Centre?

I came to Barcelona two years ago, at another university. I liked the city very much and a fellow professor recommended me to return, since he was also doing a project with the UAB. He explained to me that this is a good international university and that it has some classes taught in English, which is important to me because of ease of language. I don't speak Spanish, so this was a great advantage to come. I think the school is doing a good job in this regard, and I strongly recommend it.

 

What is your scientific research?

I am researching above all about eno-tourism, and other aspects of tourism linked to my specialty, wine.

 

Slovenia has latitude characteristics that make its wines similar to the fresh ones of Italy. How does climate change affect them?

And they also have characteristics similar to Spanish wines and other Mediterranean regions. Climate change will affect wine-growing areas and, indeed, it is already doing so. For example, the harvest was usually done at the end of September, or even at the beginning of October, but due to the increase in temperature, the grapes are ripening before and develop completely faster. Therefore, the harvest is advanced and is done in early September, or even at the end of summer. And that means that there will also be differences with the wine we are obtaining from these grapes: it will have more color, more fruit aromas, the production will be different, and it will affect the result.

 

In Spain we have very innovative wineries. Are they comparable with other areas? Are we a wine-growing privileged territory? What wine culture do we have here?

Yes, Spain is one of the largest wine producers in the world. Like Italy and other countries, you are at the top of wine production and your specialty is also cava. I have been able to visit, together with the students but also by myself, the Codorniu and Freixenet wineries, and I think they are two of the widely known representatives of wines in the world. Therefore, your production is not only local, but also international. The whole country is doing excellent work, also with your most famous region: La Rioja. For me, I would say that this is the first-class wine country. Very good work is being done and regarding this sector all the other countries are mirrored by your model. You're a good example.

 

 

Dra. Petek presents to the students her field of research about wine eno-tourism.

 

In terms of production and professional dedication in the oenology and eno-tourism sector, is this an area that rejuvenates or gets older? And as for gender, is there an increase in the presence of women?

I believe that the wine industry is balancing. It is already an important industry, but every day it is more. Also, more and more women are working in this field. It is therefore really exciting to see a growing presence of women working in the wine sector.

 

Do you think there is a promotion of the culture of wine, from sustainability and respect for the environment?

Yes. The culture of wine is at a peak, so it is more relevant every day. There are more people who drink more, but the important thing is that they do not drink more wine, but better-quality products. There is a tendency to buy, for example, a bottle, a little more expensive, instead of ten cheaper ones. Therefore, it is a particularly positive trend that begins with sales, but that clearly affects the way in which wineries should treat and produce the product. This is an intelligent way of doing it.

 

What will consist of the class you offer today to the students of our center? Will a wine-tasting take place?

Today's class is about how wine ages. Thus, in the first half of the session, we will see the theory about its aging, how the aromas change, the color of the wine throughout the year or months. And in the second part (the best), we will do a tasting. To do this, I have brought three wines that age differently, with a different number of months of ageing, and we will try the three and compare them.

 

For students who wish to dedicate themselves to the world of eno-tourism, is it a sector with a great professional future?

Yes, of course. They are talented students who are acquiring important knowledge at the university. I am sure that this professional sector will please them and offer them many opportunities in the future.