Although Catavino is a site about Spanish and Portuguese wine, we’re also about culture, as wine and culture are one in the same. With this in mind, allow me to begin this post with a question, how often do you wake up in the morning, take a long deep stretch, turn to your mate and say, “Happy Dragon Slaying, honey!” Hmmm, I’d bet…not too often, unless your a geeky Dungeons and Dragons fan caught in a bizarre desire to relive the fabulous Medieval times. Today, however, the entire northeastern Spanish region of Cataluna is celebrating Sant Jordi. Sant Jordi is Cataluna’s beloved patron saint and a holiday that honors knights, damsels in distress and those ever common, dragons.

Legend has it that Sant Jordi began when a Roman soldier who was born in the 3rd century in Capadocia, Turkey, was martyred for not carrying out the emperor’s edict to persecute all Christians. Now, add some really gossipy townspeople to the mix who start spinning tall tales about our heroic soldier, and 5 centuries later, watch how suddenly Jordi becomes known for slaying some mysterious dragon determined to take the life of a king’s daughter. And right when his heavy sword pierces the tough, scaly green skin of the mighty beast, the blood that falls from his blade, hits the ground, and in its place, grew one single red rose.

Similar to Saint Valentines Day, on Sant Jordi, it is now customary to give anyone of the female persuasion a single rose, while men are given a book in honor of both William Shakespeare Cervante’s death on April 23, 1616. Seem a bit odd to put these two events together? Historically, the the entire book …

I’m ticked off. I was supposed to be at the Meeting of Wine Creators in Ronda, Spain, this past weekend, but sadly, was unable to iron out the logistics to get there. It might seem like a trivial reason, but I would have needed to take a bus from the airport, and then transfer to a second bus in order to finally arrive in Ronda. I could have made it work, but for a two day conference, it seemed like a ridiculous amount of effort and wasted time traveling. Regardless, it sounded as if it was interesting, when considering the fascinating topics discussed. Top wine makers, wine writers and experts gathered in a who’s who of the wine world to discuss the issues related to the current state of the wine trade. Taken from their site:
WineCreator, the First International Meeting of Wine Creators, sprang from the unique concept of creating a debate between wine creators from all over the world and an international panel of experts on the current
situation of wine.

This meeting was prompted by the need to discuss the globalisation in terms of quality that has already reached the wine industry. The quality of wines today is quite high, not so much because of the imitation of styles and brands, but because of the generalisation of winemaking techniques and teachings.

For the first time, WineCreator, the First International Meeting of Wine Creators, will bring together the twelve most influential wine creators, chosen by a panel of experts made up of twenty of the most internationally renowned critics. The aim is to create alternatives to the models imposed through routine or through fashions in wine by taking a closer look …

This post serves two purposes:

1) We want to assure everyone that the European Wine Blogger’s Conference is moving ahead at full steam. We have a wonderful group of diverse and interesting people coming together, along with some fantastic sponsors for whom we trust will make this event both practical and entertaining. However, for those of you still on the fence, please let us know ASAP if you can come! Additionally, for those of you already committed, we are interested in not only hearing what you think of our discussion topics, but also if you’tr interested in a trip to Portugal! After the conference in La Rioja, Spain, we’re working up an after-conference trip to Oporto to learn about port wine, visit some historical port houses, eat a vast amount of fabulous Portuguese food, and maybe, receive a personal tour of a cork factory. Needless to say, it will be a great time, and hopefully, absolutely free! We just need to know who can get away for a few extra days after the conference. So please, send us an email asap or leave a note in our forum. The sooner you inform us, the sooner we can plan our adventures to Portugal.

2)The second purpose of this post, and something that I hope we receive some feedback on, is to hear more from those of you not currently blogging. I know that we have a lot of readers who are on the fringe, thinking of starting their own blog or just interested in Iberian wine. …

To start off our Friday links, I’d like to make a formal apology to a tiny bodega making incredible wine in Rioja. Although we had mentioned Bodegas Arranz-Argote in our Rioja report, we failed to put them in our buying guide as a “must find” wine. For that, we are very sorry, because there is nothing we’d like more than for you to try their one and only wine, ARAR, and see for yourself how a small family run bodega can make some killer wine. Check out Excel Wines for more information on how to get a hold of their wine outside of Spain.

Now, on to the news:

Kosher Spanish Wine Jessica Yadegaran published an article in the Contra Costa Times, a San Fransisco based newspaper, regarding the increase in both quality and quantity of Kosher wines throughout the winemaking world, quoting a 20% annual growth over the past two years. Interesting, I thought, but what does Kosher actually mean? According to Jessica, Kosher law requires that, “the processing must be handled by Sabbath-observant Jews. Kosher law also calls for harvesting from vines more than 4 years old, leaving the vineyards fallow every seven years, and growing no fruits, vegetables or grains between the vines.” Having seen only a handful of kosher wines here in Spain, I was intrigued by this article because the author highlights Spain as one of the upcoming wine regions for producing great kosher wines that pair well with traditional Jewish foods such as grilled beef, cumin-and-dried-mint lamb burgers and brisket. Check out her article for more information on specific Iberian kosher wines.

Calling all Port lovers! For the Love of Port has recently launched its new and improved website, which includes: producer profiles, a blog, featured articles, …

When we published our Rioja report on Monday, we failed to include one key element - grapes! You know those small, round, juicy little fruits that you loved to pop in your mouth as a kid, one by one, or could even be used as killer ammunition against your annoying siblings? Uh-huh, don’t sit there and pretend that you never put a grape in your mouth and spat it at your brother or sister sitting “innocently” across the room. We’re on to you!

Well, considering that the main Rioja varieties are key players in the region’s international fame, we thought it was high time to give you a brief synopsis as to which varieties are most common, and what unique traits they posses to craft a Rioja wine. The main four grape varieties for reds are Mazuelo, Graciano, Garnacha and Tempranillo, and for whites, Viura and Malvasia.

RED RIOJA GRAPE VARIETIES

Mazuelo
Although a commonly found variety in red blends, it is also the first grape to be excluded from the blend. During our travels, several winemakers voiced their dislike because of this grape’s high susceptibility to powdery mildew and producing wines of racy acidity and little in the way of aroma. However, at its best, this wine can add a considerable amount of depth and vibrancy to a wine. Known for budding early and ripening late, this grape is ideally suited for the warm climates of Rioja. It is also the third most planted varietal in Spain, behind both Airen and Tempranillo, occupying approximately 1,184 hectares, or 3.5%, in DO Rioja.

Iberian Synonyms include: Cariñena, Catalan, Cencibel, Mataro, Samso, Tinto Mazuela

Graciano
Let me introduce our sensitive new-age grape, tending to produce very low yields with low PH. This is far from an …