Master Winemaker 100: Delfí Sanahuja
The chief winemaker at Spain’s Perelada features in this year’s Master Winemaker 100 guide and won the title of Grenache Grand Master. He tells db about positive influences, advocating for moderation and the multidisciplinary appeal of winemaking.
Ever since he joined Perelada in 1993, fresh from an Oenology degree at the Rovira i Virgili University in Tarragona, Delfí Sanahuja has been the architect of this producer’s evolution and success. Working alongside Perelada’s third-generation owner Javier Suqué, Sanahuja has remained focused on his mission to preserve and enhance the diversity of Empordà’s character.
This approach is illustrated by wines from Perelada’s Finca Garbet, a 12-hectare property with steep, slate soils running down to the Mediterranean shore. Beyond his duties at Perelada, Sanahuja is Viticulture lecturer at the Sommelier’s College in Girona, member of the DO Empordà Technical Committee and sits on the Catalonian government’s Sustainability & Circular Bioeconomy Commission.
My next ambition is for Perelada’s winery to become an international benchmark in quality, sustainability, wine tourism and respect for the land. I would love this because the new Perelada winery is the vision of Javier Suqué, the driving force behind this dream come true.
A wise person once told me that life is very short, so you should surround yourself with people who bring you happiness and positivity.
A great wine should reflect the landscape it comes from and, if possible, move you emotionally.
A great winemaker should convey passion for wine and communicate that we work to create enjoyable moments in front of a bottle of wine.
Perfection is taking care of every detail to craft exceptional wines, knowing that perfection will never be fully reached, but that every day you can – and should – improve.
The thing I’d most like to change about the wine world is for there to be a perception that drinking wine in moderation brings more positive things than negative ones, and that it is a part of ancient history and culture.
I wish I could tell the consumer who drinks my wine that it represents the effort and dedication of many people over a long period of time, and that they should enjoy it and share it with friends or loved ones.
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The last time I asked a sommelier for advice was very recently. I like having wine recommendations at a restaurant; it’s an important part of a sommelier’s job, and one they should carry out with freedom and creativity.
If I couldn’t be a winemaker… To be honest, I can’t imagine my life without being one. Beyond being a job, it’s a way of life, and its multidisciplinary nature makes it one of the best professions in the world for me.
I wish our vineyards could continue to display the spectacular mosaic of the landscape, and that we care for them wisely so they can be passed down to future generations.
If I won the lottery, it would certainly be a joy, but I don’t think it would change my life much. I would keep working just as I do now, because I love what I do, and I would keep the same people around me.
If there were more hours in the day, I would dedicate more time to my family: my wife and two daughters. There is always a lack of time for loved ones, especially with a job you are passionate about, but one that also absorbs you.
When it’s all going wrong, I try to keep a positive attitude and rely on the people who will surely give me good advice – my family and friends.
My desert island wine would be a Finca Garbet from Perelada, because it would remind me of how beautiful that vineyard is and of all the times I’ve enjoyed walking through it with the Mediterranean so close.
Delfí Sanahuja’s Master medals
Finca Garbet 2021, The Global Syrah Masters 2025
Aires de Garbet 2021, winner of the Grand Master prize at The Global Grenache Masters 2025
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