This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)
One of our goals on this blog is to share a bit more with you about one of our favourite projects at our winery: Taller Arzuaga, our Michelin-starred restaurant. Its avant-garde Castilian cuisine based on local produce has won over diners from all over the world, and today we’d like to introduce you to two women who are very important for Taller: Irene González, the head sommelier, and Sara Ferreres, the head chef. Let’s hear some of their thoughts on wine, gastronomy and the spirit of Taller.
‘The wine list at Taller Arzuaga represents the whole of Spain and also features great international regions. The appellations of origin of Castile and León play a very important role, as do wines from Ribera del Duero, of course, as we have all the most representative wineries from the region,’ notes González, who explains what the pairings are like at the restaurant. ‘Many of the world’s best wines can be found on our wine list. We have different pairings for our two menus: on the one hand, wines from other regions and countries and, on the other, a pairing with just wines from our wineries, where we include old vintages’.
Taller’s wines are intertwined with the cuisine, where Ferreres is the commander-in-chief. ‘Taller’s cuisine really takes its local surroundings into account. It’s a luxury to be able to use our own produce that’s truly fresh and comes straight from our garden. We love the versatility the garden offers us because we change as it changes with the seasons. We have to bear in mind that we’re in the heart of Ribera del Duero, we work with local produce and with the Peruvian touch from Víctor’. The restaurant has turned into a big family, a place where creativity, innovation and tradition form a perfect team. ‘The whole team is really involved in the project, with circular work where we all support each other. Amaya Arzuaga is the manager, but she’s always ready to take an order or serve a table since she always keeps an eye on the team; she contributes ideas. She’s someone who adds a lot to the team,’ says Ferreres.
To conclude, the heads of the wine and food at Taller sum up what the restaurant means to each of them, in just three words. González says that the wine list ‘balances tradition, modernity and personality’, while Ferreres defines the cuisine as ‘surroundings, flavour and passion’.