Agustí Vilamasana, "CETT provided me with a very solid foundation to effectively develop different paths for professional growth."

Agustí Vilamasana is 29 years old and from Barcelona, although he currently resides in New Zealand. He studied the Sommelier Higher Diploma at CETT.

Studying at CETT

What aspects of your training at CETT do you consider key to your professional development?

I would say that, without a doubt, CETT provided me with a very solid foundation to effectively develop different paths for professional growth.

It is important to have a strong base to build upon. In my case, CETT gave me the opportunity to establish that foundation, providing a strong and structured educational base.

CETTWanderlust New Zealand

New Zealand is known for its wine diversity. How was your process of adapting to the wine culture in this country compared to what you learned in Europe?

Since I arrived in New Zealand, I have mainly been working as a viticulturist. I had very little practical experience in viticulture, so in part, it was easy to adapt because I didn’t have many prior references and have learned almost everything from scratch.

Regarding New Zealand's wine culture in general, there’s something important to remember: it is still part of the New World.

The wine sector in New Zealand is still extremely young compared to Europe, especially when compared to countries like Spain, France, or Italy. To put it into perspective, I would say New Zealand is where Europe was 20 years ago. Right now, we are just starting to see producers transitioning to organic viticulture, and in fact, there aren’t many of them yet, just as there aren’t many betting on biodynamics. Honestly, I think you could count the latter on your fingers.

The concept of “Terroir” that we have in Europe is something that hasn’t been much of a focus here throughout most of New Zealand’s winemaking history. Instead, the emphasis has always been on the variety and large-scale production of those varieties.

Fortunately, we are now starting to see more diversity, as you mentioned in the question. Small producers, or not-so-small ones in some cases, are beginning to offer alternatives to traditional New Zealand wine, and in terms of quality, these can already compare to great European wines. Without a doubt, I believe a path has been set that will place New Zealand wine in a much more prestigious position in the coming years.

What key differences have you noticed between wine consumers in New Zealand and other places where you have worked or studied?

Here in New Zealand, there is also a great interest in beer. In fact, more beer than wine is consumed, even though it is a wine-producing country. This is something that will sound familiar to anyone who has worked in the wine industry in Spain, as it’s something we have in common with New Zealanders.

Even so, and just like in Spain, there is a progressive growth in wine consumption, possibly driven by producers offering alternatives with more personality, moving away from the classic large-scale productions.

You work at Black Estate Wines, a very renowned winery in the region. Could you tell us about the biggest challenges and satisfactions of working there?

I would say that the biggest challenge was working outdoors during the winter with such a small team. I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to feel the arrival of spring as I was this year.

On the other hand, it is incredibly satisfying to work and be part of the team at one of the country’s leading wineries, especially given their strong involvement in organic viticulture, biodynamic practices, and the production of low-intervention wines.

What is your favorite grape variety to work with and taste in New Zealand, and what makes it so special?

Without a doubt, the variety that has captivated me here in New Zealand is Pinot Noir, specifically from Central Otago in the south of the country.

It’s funny that I had to come to the other side of the world to start appreciating this variety more. But honestly, Pinot Noir never attracted me much before—perhaps because it’s not a prominent variety in Spain, or maybe because I lacked access to a good version of it, such as the great wines of Burgundy, where this variety is undeniably the queen.

In any case, working at Rippon at the beginning of my journey—a winery located on the shores of Lake Wanaka in Otago—gave me the opportunity to engage much more closely with this variety and discover exceptional wines with great personality that also perfectly showcase the essence of “Terroir,” something I’ve always considered fundamental for wines aspiring to achieve high quality.

If you could recommend a wine from Black Estate Wines to surprise a European wine enthusiast, which would it be and why?

The recently released Skypunch Viognier 2023 is, I believe, one of the best Viognier wines I’ve ever tried. I would also recommend the Damsteep Pinot Noir 2021 or the Home Chardonnay 2023.

I would sincerely recommend them because they come from unique plots and perfectly demonstrate what a well-made low-intervention wine should be.

Advice for Future Students or Graduates

Fear is inevitable; we always feel fear in a situation like this. In fact, the strangest thing would be not to feel it.

We feel fear because it is a step that completely takes us out of our comfort zone and exposes us to something entirely new. However, I sincerely believe that all the magic happens outside of that comfort zone.

So, to those who are considering taking that step, I would say to accept fear as something natural and as part of the process of exposing yourself to the unknown. In this life, it will never be a bad decision to explore new paths or places.

I don’t know if I can give advice, but I can share my experience and perhaps offer some perspective to people going through situations similar to those I have experienced.

We clearly live in a world that is upside down, and we are currently going through a very complex socio-economic situation, which generates a heavy burden on a personal level. Everything is moving extremely fast, and we want everything to happen almost instantly.

In my experience, I have realized that nothing comes that quickly; it takes time to achieve goals. In fact, I am still in the middle of building many of my objectives, and I know there is still much to do and accomplish.

For this reason, it is important to learn to enjoy the process. We must allow ourselves to celebrate the small moments of glory and take pride in each step forward we make toward our goals.

Without a doubt, there will be days when we feel low on energy, moments of internal struggle, and times when we even feel lost on our own path to our goals. But, once again, we must accept all these challenging moments as part of the process.

I believe we must be patient and, above all, fair to ourselves. There can be no reproaches when passion and perseverance are what guide our lives.