New sommelier at Tawa Yama

KARLSRUHE. Guests at Karlsruhe's Michelin-starred restaurant TAWA YAMA FINE have been welcomed by a new and familiar face in the region since this month: sommelier Andrés Martí Merinas is now back in fine dining after a brief foray into the drinks industry. Together with head chef Igor Yakushchenko and service manager Annelie Scheid, he will be looking after the guests at FINE during their visit and will be responsible for a growing wine list.

The TAWA YAMA FINE has once again managed to defend its star this year. Head chef Igor Yakushchenko (38) combines classic craftsmanship with new techniques in his dishes and brings unknown flavours from a wide variety of Asian cuisines to the plate. The FINE team is delighted to welcome a new addition to the team to ensure that the wine accompaniment is just as high-quality and varied. Spanish-born Andrés Martí Merinas is taking on the role of sommelier and host with immediate effect. The 44-year-old can look back on a number of prestigious positions and is known to gourmets in the region from addresses such as Maltes Hidden Kitchen, Werner's Gourmet at Schloss Eberstein and Restaurant sein. After a brief period in the industry at Wein Wolf, he returned to the world of gastronomy. "I am a host with heart and soul. Direct contact with people and the opportunity to create enjoyable experiences are my calling," says Andrés Martí Merinas, summarising his motivation.  

In keeping with the flavour-intensive dishes of the TAWA YAMA FINE cuisine, the new head sommelier would also like to further expand the wine list and the range of drinks and make them more international. "Of course, it's great that we can offer top wines directly from our region. But the world of wine is so exciting and I love to surprise my guests with the unknown. I'm looking forward to working closely with Igor and the motivated team and to learning a lot and making a difference together." 

The long-standing service manager and organisational talent Annelie Scheid will remain with the guests and form a warm and attentive host duo with the likeable southerner. Felicitas Stengel, who worked as a sommelier at FINE, is leaving TAWA YAMA to pursue new challenges in the wine industry.