Chef Diego Guerrero took a break prior to the opening of his new restaurant in Madrid, DSTAgE, to visit the Ribeira Sacra in order to supervise one of his most recent projects, the creation of his own wine alongside the Ponte da Boga team.
After having studied the vineyards and varieties of grape in the area under the guidance of Ponte da Boga’s expert enologist, Dominique Roujou de Boubee, and the technical director of the winery, Rubén Pérez, Guerrero had the opportunity to taste a number of proposals from the winery’s technical team and opted for the creation of a different red wine with the will to surprise enthusiasts.
Now that Diego Guerrero has chosen the coupage, consisting of two traditional varieties of the Ribeira Sacra but not extensively used, as is the case of the Brancellao and Merenzao grape, the next step is to blend the 2013 wines which have been aging for 10 months, part in used 500 litre barrels (33%) and part maturing (67%) ready to be bottled. After resting in bottle for a few months, its launch is expected as of November.
The renowned chef has begun an adventure to which he is fully committed, aiming to offer diners at the restaurant a wine carrying his name. He highlights that “doing this with a small, family-run winery, which does things with care, makes me feel very comfortable”.
Hence, he has wanted to discover, first hand, the Ribeira Sacra area and its peculiarities with regards to what the experts call “heroic viticulture”. According to Guerrero, “the difficulty that making wine in Ribeira Sacra involves, and all the craft and care there is behind it all, adds incredible value”.
He admits that he travelled to Galicia “looking for a different and original wine, of a high standard and quality, which can accompany our food, that fits in with our establishment, and that transmits the dedication, care and commitment that we have with our profession because we love what we do and we want the client to have a unique experience in our premises”. Undoubtedly, the technical team at Ponte da Boga has managed to surprise the chef with a very special coupage, full of nuances.
DIEGO GUERRERO
Trained in the kitchens of the likes of Martín Berasategui, Goizeko Kabi and elBulli, Diego Guerrero is one of the most prestigious chefs in Spain. Of Basque origin, settled in Madrid, he left El Club Allard last October, after having achieved two Michelin stars and two Repsol suns, in order to set off on the DSTAgE adventure, his own restaurant. It is an informal haute cuisine project, taking its inspiration from the concept of the stage, placing the kitchen in the centre of the restaurant in full view of diners, and making it the main protagonist.
After months of work and finishing touches, the inauguration of DSTAgE took place on 1 July in Regueros Street in Madrid. The name is an acronym of a motto: “Days to Smell Taste Amaze Grow & Enjoy”, also playing with the chef’s initials (DG).
