The renowned sommelier stars in the second of ‘The Spanish wine talks’ together with the journalist Javier Pérez Andrés. The Zalacaín restaurant, in which Zamarra has carried out his profession for more than 40 years, is the setting for this conversation about the world of wine
La Seca (Valladolid), July 3, 2019.- After having the specialized journalist Carlos Delgado in the first installment of ‘The Spanish wine talks’, the second conversation in this space is starred by one of the most renowned sommeliers in Spain. Javier Pérez Andrés sits down on this occasion to speak with Custodio Zamarra, with whom he has shared anecdotes and reflections on the wine sector and its evolution in the last 25 years. Zamarra, carries out a deep reflection on the sector in Spain and emphasizes, among other details, that «the best wine is the one that makes you happier according to your pocket.» Apostille, in this sense, that «oenologically there is no wine that costs more than 50 euros», although «in wines not only the content is paid, but also its history.»
Summary of the interview with English subtitles
Full interview
The setting for this talk was the restaurant Zalacain , in which Zamarra was a sommelier for more than 40 years and until his retirement. Its history in this famous Madrid emblem of gastronomy, as well as the evolution of sommelier and wine in recent years are some of the cornerstones on which Pérez Andrés and Zamarra’s conversation revolves. Thus, after highlighting the experience of winemaking in our country, the sommelier has not hesitated to affirm that «Spain is one of the most important countries in the wine sector in the world». Pérez Andrés and Zamarra enjoy the table and tablecloth pairing with Cuatro Rayas Cuarenta Vendimias Cuvée, a collection Verdejo exclusively distributed in the hospitality industry and the best wine bars, which the sommelier reveals is “a truly extraordinary Verdejo”.
Four decades of dedication to wine in Zalacaín
Custodio Zamarra is one of the most important personalities in the sommelier world in Spain. Linked to the hospitality industry from a young age, his professional history in Zalacaín began when he was only 24 years old, when he joined the Madrid restaurant team. From there, thousands of wines passed through Zamarra’s hands. All this makes him one of the most authoritative voices on the national wine scene.
Promotion of wine culture
‘The talks on Spanish wine’ is a format that is committed to new technologies, with an exclusive distribution through social networks. 30-minute chapters that will show the meeting of great wine prescribers in our country with Javier Pérez Andrés, a specialized journalist whose career has placed him as an opinion leader in information on wine, tourism and gastronomy in Castilla y León. In these meetings, they will share their opinions, values and criteria. All this in a series of conversations, which, for the first time in Spain, generate a serious and knowledge-laden debate on the part of the most authoritative voices in the sector: journalists, sommeliers and different professionals of recognized prestige. The initiative ‘The talks on Spanish wine’ is sponsored by Bodega Cuatro Rayas, a benchmark in the DO Rueda. With quality wine as a fundamental pillar, the winery focuses with this new format on the knowledge of the wine sector from the hand of experts.
Thanks to Restaurant Zalacain
