Talking wine with... Silvia Álava

The classics never fail, your trusted wine?

As a native of Valladolid, I like the wines made in my homeland, Ribera de Duero, although my father is very much a Rioja wine lover. I must admit that lately "Lolo" (albarino) has won me over.

A tapa (or dish) that represents you?

I love olives, I have no self-control with them, when I was little I used to fight with my brother over the last one and if you put a plate in front of me, if you're not careful you won't try any of them!

Here we are very much into bars, what is your favourite bar?

Only one? There are so many... in Valladolid, La Sepia, Los Zagales, La Mina, El Corcho and El Jero, among many others. And one place that seems to me to have a special charm is La Perla, on La Concha beach in San Sebastian.

Who would you dream of having a drink with? Dead or alive...

My dream is to bring back wine drinking with friends in bars, at the counter and without fear of the virus.

Song of the year?

From this year? I'm more of an eighties person, I'd go for Joan Jett's "I love rock and roll" or any of Sabina's or the Beatles' songs.

And the film of your life?

I'm a big fan of Star Wars, of the whole saga, but without hesitation, I'd go for the first one, which is now episode four.

What are we toasting to today?

For all the good things in life, for those laughs with friends, for the looks that say it all and for the moments of calm. In short, as I explain in the book "Why am I not happy?", for everything that helps us to improve our "emotional wellbeing".