This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)
As you know well, at Bodegas Arzuaga, we’ve had a clear commitment to sustainability for years now. This commitment is reflected in aspects such as the farm-to-table concept we use in our restaurants, the organic certification for the majority of our vineyards and our oils, as well as the new organic kitchen garden right by Taller.
Now, at Arzuaga, we’re continuing on our path to sustainability with two new initiatives focused on green energy and improving our surroundings. In the winery, on the one hand, we’ve launched a 600-kilowatt project to produce our own electricity. By installing solar panels, at Arzuaga, we’re going to generate the electricity needed to supply the winery, our five-star hotel and the entire Bodegas Arzuaga building. We also plan to install more panels to produce electricity for the spa.
On the other hand, we’ve also opened our own water treatment facility at Bodegas Arzuaga, complying with all the regulations currently in force, so the winery’s activity will not interfere with or alter the water quality of the Douro River. This facility is equivalent to one that could serve a town of 4,000 people, and its purpose is to have the water reach the river in perfect condition and be considered safe drinking water.
The commitment to sustainability at Arzuaga goes back some years now. Our winery was one of the first to bring an organic wine to market in 2010, with the vineyard certified organic since 2007. To that end, of the 423 hectares of vines that we have today, 323 in total – over 76% – are organic. Moreover, both the oil we produce in Toledo, as well as our single vineyard wine Pago Florentino, are also certified organic.
Taller Arzuaga’s organic kitchen garden
The culinary offering at both our traditional restaurant and our Michelin-starred gourmet restaurant Taller, is based on local and farm-to-table products. As we told you a few months ago on this blog, in a post you can read here, an organic garden has been planted on the La Planta estate, at 950 metres above sea level, including around one hundred different plant varieties. We collect the vegetables, herbs and legumes grown there and use them not only for the most classic dishes on the menu but also the haute cuisine options.
Taller Arzuaga’s organic kitchen garden – the largest for a Michelin-starred restaurant in Castile and León – is treated using only natural products and is Green Energy certified by Iberdrola, guaranteeing that the energy consumed comes from fully renewable sources. It is fertilised using sheep compost, treated with ozone and planted according to the lunar calendar, following biodynamic principles.