THE GOLDEN NOSE

Testing the senses, well not all of them, just the sense of smell, is the purpose of this prestigious competition organized by VINO+GASTRONOMIA magazine for twenty years now.

The human nose can distinguish between more than 10,000 different aromas, and smell is the sense we have most developed at birth, but training olfactory memory is no easy task; it is a matter of a lot of practice and dedication, and the 49 sommeliers who put their skills to the test last weekend by reaching the final of the XX edition of this important event for wine professionals had plenty of both.

Throughout the year there have been many matches. Semifinals in Gijón, Andalusia, Alicante, Bilbao, Madrid and Barcelona have provided the names of all those who secured a place to participate in the Grand Final at the Silken Puerta de America hotel in Madrid.

Only nine professionals reached the Great Challenge, and they faced five black cups containing five "mystery" liquids: a white wine from Alsace, two reds, a reposado tequila, and a gran reserva brandy.

The second definition of olfato according to the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy is: Sagacity to discover or understand what is disguised or concealed. So I suppose that among the many adjectives and praises she will receive in the coming days, we can describe as astute Montse Velasco, sommelier of the La Cuina de Guinardó restaurant in Barcelona, who won the coveted award, a gold-plated glass, an exclusive design by the painter-sculptor D. Antonio López.

For the third year in a row, the Golden Nose award has a woman's name.