At Entre Cepas we are very much about defending
Enjoy a gastronomic day with Land of Flavor and the International School of Cooking of Valladolid It's one of the perks of our job. Add to that a menu prepared by two Michelin-starred chefs, and the privilege becomes a true gift.
Let's start from the beginning, because this day took us to visit several producers in Castile and León and to learn firsthand about the quality of the products protected by the guarantee seal. LAND OF FLAVOR.
This project began in 2009 with the aim of boosting the agri-food sector in Castile and León. More than 900 companies and 6,000 products now feature the yellow heart on their packaging.
The first stop took place in PROTOS, Peñafiel (Valladolid). It was pouring rain, but the downpour didn't stop us from enjoying a wonderful visit to this winery, which was the first to be established in what would become the Ribera del Duero Designation of Origin, to which it generously lent its name. It was founded in 1927 by eleven winegrowers from the area, and those first wines They had already won a gold medal at the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition. In 1970, construction began on an aging cellar in the mountain that supports the castle, with more than 2 km of labyrinthine galleries. In 2008, the new winery was built, designed by Richard Rogers, winner of the 2007 Pritzker Architecture Prize, and equipped with the latest technology for producing high-end wines. The original winery, dating from 1927, became the AGORA OF PROTOS, PROTOS, a wonderful restaurant and wine bar that preserves the essence of its founders. Today, PROTOS also produces wines in the Rueda and Cigales DOs, and its motto remains: “TO BE FIRST.”
We resumed our route to reach Valladolid, to the facilities of THE FISHERMAN OF VILLAGARCIA, There, Óscar was waiting to let us sample his wonderful creations: smoked sardines, pickled sardines, sardines in pâté… A handcrafted process that this family business has been developing since 2014. It begins with the purchase of raw materials from Galicia. The product is frozen to prevent anisakis and then thawed naturally. The heads are removed, the sardines are cleaned, and the bones are manually removed to obtain uniform fillets, which are then smoked and packaged in the same facilities. This care and attention to detail is reflected in the excellent quality of their products. In addition to their smoked sardines, which are their star product, their website offers other gourmet products such as anchovies, whitebait, pâtés, mussels, scallops, baby squid, bonito, octopus, and excellent extra virgin olive oils.
The destination of our trip was the INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF COOKING OF VALLADOLID. Its modern facilities, spanning 3,000 m2 across three floors, house a pastry and chocolate classroom, a bakery classroom, a food preparation room, a cold storage room, a roasting classroom, and a spacious and spectacular kitchen, as well as the first tasting room certified by ISO 8589:2010 Sensory Analysis – General Guidance for the Design of Test Rooms. There, we were greeted by its director and our star guests, chefs Begoña Rodrigo, from the restaurant THE LITTLE ROOM (Valencia) and Alvar Hinojal from the restaurant ALCHEMY (Valladolid) to treat us to a menu showcasing local produce. Products from Castile and León were the stars of the wonderful dishes, each one a unique interpretation of the chefs.
We were able to taste the following dishes:
Smoked sardine, Beetroot – Alvar Hinojal
Roots and tubers tartlet -Begoña Rodrigo
Autumn broth with rabbit terrine – Begoña Rodrigo
Lamb, Masala, Mango – Alvar Hinojal
Prawn, Green Tomatillo – Alvar Hinojal
All I pebre de piñones, panceta y cecina – Begoña Rodrigo
Seasonal mushrooms, egg yolk, leek
Alvar Hinojal
Parsnip and carbonara pata de mulo - Begoña Rodrigo
Pickled rice with local sausages – Begoña Rodrigo
Duck, Curry, Salsifi – Alvar Hinojal
Figs and cheese – Begoña Rodrigo
Sheep, Red Fruits, Pecans – Alvar Hinojal
To end the day, Bea and Clara from GOLD OF THE DUERO They explained their interesting beekeeping project to us. Their hives are located in the El Carrascal forest, a protected natural area. Their honeys are unique and produced in limited quantities, since the entire process, from harvesting to bottling, is done manually and using traditional methods.
It was a super interesting day, which wouldn't have been possible without the professionalism and expertise of MATEO & CO. Thank you Lola and Sara for your organization… and for those warm churros with chocolate!!
At Entre Cepas we are very much about defending
From January 26th to 28th
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On November 3, 2025,