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Luis Cárdenas Barona
Editor’s Note: Luis Cárdenas Barona is a pillar in the world of sommeliers in Mexico. Our representative in Mexico City, Alfredo Espinola, interviewed him about the world of Mexican sommeliers.
Who is Luis Cárdenas Barona?
I consider myself an ordinary person, in love and committed to the subject of wine and sommelier, which today is part of my life. I have more than 32 years of experience in the oenological, gastronomic and tourism fields.
How did your interest in the world of wine begin?
It started as a hobby, and in the middle of my career I became interested in the world of wine. In 1980 I worked at the Montejo Hotel Restaurant, which received a lot of tourism, where I got into the subject of wine at a practical level. I was attracted to wine because it is a culture approached from different sides and civilizations, such as the Sumerians, Persians, Egyptians and Romans, cultures that have lived around wine, not only economically, but also religiously. From a geographical point of view, it has allowed me to get to know different countries, and the appellations of origin are related to gastronomy, as well as to health qualities.
When was the Mexican Association of Sommeliers founded?
The Mexican Association of Sommeliers was founded in 1995. I was one of the founding members, since then I have served as treasurer, general secretary, academic coordinator and from 2007 to 2015 I served as president of the association.
When was the Mexican Academy of Sommeliers founded?
The Mexican Academy of Sommeliers was founded in 2009. I am currently the chief instructor director of the diploma courses in wines, distilled beverages and infusions and beers.
What was the purpose of creating the Mexican Academy of Sommeliers?
It was created with the purpose of training sommeliers, but also with the aim of offering topics related to wine and sommelier. Different diplomas have been developed for people who are not sommeliers and just want to complement their profession, as in the case of chefs or simply wine lovers, so they can start practically from scratch in the world of wine; as well as other diplomas aimed at people who require more specialization. There are also diploma courses on beverages and infusions or beer, as well as short courses such as the introduction to wine knowledge, tasting techniques and pairing methods, to mention a few.
What is the importance of developing an adequate academic program?
Developing an academic program requires a whole descriptive chart that considers the different sectors of the industry, since that can impact the academic offer. I believe that what is promoted needs a foundation. I have hired instructors who train our instructors, since it is not enough to have the knowledge of the subject of wine, but to know how to transmit it; I have always been concerned about being up to date in the transmission of knowledge.
How do you perceive Mexican sommeliers today?
Mexican sommeliers have grown significantly. When I started in 1993, we had nothing -- a person from abroad gave us a diploma and there were only lectures of 3 to 6 hours and books in English, and expensive. Today we have institutions specialized in wine, as well as magazines that also deal with it.
How do you see the participation of women in the sommelier field?
Nowadays, women are more and more involved in all areas, and wine and sommelier are no exception; nowadays there are many restaurants that prefer a woman sommelier.
It should be added that from the beginning our courses have been inclusive, we have even had some blind students on scholarships, which has been a great experience.
What do you think about the sommelier market in Mexico?
I am going to be honest, we have to have much more respect for the word sommelier in order not to “prostitute” the word. It has already happened to us with chefs who show off as sommeliers, but do not have the training of a sommelier. We do not train sommeliers with a diploma in wine, which, although that it is a structural part of the training of a sommelier, it is not the only one. As I mentioned, the trends and the profession are demanding more competence, more and new knowledge. With us you must earn the diploma in wine and another in distilled beverages and infusions -- with these two accredited diplomas you are certified as a sommelier, not before. We seek the professionalization of the sommelier -- with us you need to complete at least 305 hours to be trained as a sommelier.
As director of the Mexican Academy of Sommeliers, what do you expect for the year 2025?
One of our purposes is to continue with the training of subjects related to wine and sommelier, to resume the positions that were paused after the pandemic, since the training of sommeliers is very necessary in the areas that receive a lot of national and international tourism, such as Los Cabos, the Riviera Maya, Cancun and Playa del Carmen, to mention a few. We need to be present again, mainly to satisfy the needs of the market.
We will continue to promote wine culture with a lot of responsibility.
We will continue to professionalize ourselves in the different areas. We need to continue to prepare ourselves, to reach challenges, to seek excellence.
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