Prepare yourself for a dramatization of a dumbfounding event that occurred at Catavino Headquarters last Thursday morning.

Scene 1: The Mystery

The scene opens with me sitting down at my computer with a steaming hot cup of coffee. While scrolling through the news of the day, which included the ongoing trucker’s strike, my computer screen goes blank, my printer light dims to black and my lamp shutters before vanishing into the morning light. Shocked, I started flipping all the light switches on an doff in the house, hoping that it was simply a blown fuse in the office. It wasn’t. My entire house was without power, while the rest of the building continued chugging along heard by the elevator making its rounds from floor to floor. Clearly, only our apartment was the only one affected.

Realizing that I needed to call our electrical company, I fingered through my files to find my electricity bill, which typically lists a customer service number here in Spain. What it didn’t do, however, was tell me what the difference was between the two numbers listed. Playing inni minni mini mo, I chose the bigger of the two and dialed their number.

Endesa (Electricity Company): Hello, this is Maria. How can I help you today?
Gabriella: Hey Maria, my power just went out. Can you please help me?

Endesa: Sure. Do your neighbors have power?
Gabriella: Don’t have a clue, but the elevator and communal hallway have electricity.

Endesa: Well then it sounds like you need a private electrician. We can send someone over, but it will run you 70 euros that you’ll need to pay in cash when they arrive.
Gabriella: Ahhh, well, when we pay you every month, don’t we pay for this service too, considering that you’re …

Everyone wants a piece of China. These days, statistics about the country are tossed out from pretty much all corners of the globe. In fact, I’m starting to think that 99.9% of statistics relating to China – including this one? – should be taken with at least a pinch of salt. Reliable data about the wine markets here are, unsurprisingly, hard to come by.

We hear of the ‘rise of China’, but shouldn’t it be the ‘resurgence’? The 50-odd years since the founding of the People’s Republic is a minuscule time period when placed in the context of hundreds of years of developing Han Chinese culture. However, although China has produced alcohols in various forms for centuries, grape growing with Vitis Vinifera vines, wine production and the importation of international wines are relatively new.

Sadly, the wines of Spain and Portugal, although increasingly available in China, are not yet part of consumer consciousness. Let’s not forget – and these are statistics you can trust – that the Chinese market comprises mostly domestically produced wine (something like 80-90% of the market is ‘Chinese wine’, often bulk imported must mixed with Chinese must) with a small, but influential sector of imports.

However, although only 8% of wines sold in China cost over 5USD, and off-trade sales in stores and supermarkets make up by volume more than half of the market, hotels and restaurants take in 60% of its value. Put simply, imported fine wine is where the money is, unless you happen to be Great Wall, part of the government backed Cofco group, an agricultural power-house (17% of Cofco’s massive revenue actually comes from its Great Wall wine arm).

But the important thing to note is that, with imported wines, no one is …

Truth is, I’m a heretic. I’m going to say it, and I’m sure someone is going to call me on it, but I can’t stand watching Gary Vay-ner-chuck. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, then you know nothing of the online wine world. My sense is that Gary of Wine Library TV is a great guy, who I look forward to meeting one day; although I hope his interpersonal skills are better than the loud intros he’s renowned for in his videos.

That said, Gary is my hero as of late. Since the moment I first stepped on Portuguese soil, back in 2003 with Gabriella, I have been in love with their wines. I remember driving my Minnesota wine buyer crazy, upon my return, with requests upon requests for obscure Portuguese wines to sell. I knew then, and I still know now, that Portuguese wines are both amazing values and of great distinction. With so many new flavors, styles and unique characteristics, if you don’t love them, you just don’t know them.

And clearly, I’m not alone, as Gary is currently singing their praises as well. And what’s so phenomenal about his love of Portuguese wine is that Gary’s voice is 100 times louder than ours here at Catavino, not to mention that he’s reaching out to young wine lovers who are just beginning to learn about wine. (Congrats on the Revision3 gig!)

I remember when I was a young, impressionable wine lover, still forming my opinions about what good wine was to me. Many of those early ideas are still firmly implanted in my head, continuing to influence my ideas about the way in which I perceive wine. Now just imagine those very same impressionable minds hearing Gary shout, …

Every morning, I generally do one of two things, immediately brew my coffee and flip on the computer, or I take a little stroll over to our local bread store to pick up a steamy, freshly baked baguette, and maybe, a gooey chocolate croissant. Today, as our bread stash showed only a few crumbs remaining, I quickly fed the cats, donned my gray flannel vest and ran out the door and into the elevator with 3 neighborhood kids looking as if they all needed a shot of espresso. (photo by desislava emilova)

Pushing open the big glass doors and immediately getting hit by a strong delicious wave of yeasty aromas, I greeted my neighbors with a happy, “Buenas Dias”, while scooting to the back of the line, debating if my morning dictated a sinful double chocolate roll.

“Buenas Dias”, all four women sung in chorus, standing in front of the bread counter in the midsts of what appeared to be a very heated debate.

“Have you been stocking up on your fruit? My son told me that we need get as much fruit as we can because soon, we won’t have any if this keeps up!” shrieked the smallest of the four with zebra striped hair.

With hands on her hips, a tall woman in her 40s with stiletto red heels retorted, “I heard the same thing on the radio yesterday, but I doubt it will be that bad. Someone has to stand up to this ridiculous oil monsters, and if I have to have a little less fruit in my diet because of it, I can substitute it for wine!!” This comment, of course, caused a raucous of laughter, as all four women imagined themselves at work with their simple …

Last fall, we received an unexpected call by a British television producer and cameraman, Richard Gillespie. If the name sounds familiar, it should, as Richard is the same genius who did all of camera work and film editing for the II International Climate Change and Wine Conference back in January. Having discovered us through Catavino, Richard asked us if we were interested in making a guest appearance in a Pilot episode for a new program focused on Catalan food and wine with Danny, the Catalan Chef. It was set to air on a now defunct satellite station that sadly backed out of the deal a few weeks after Richard finished editing the show.

At the time, we still thought that we may have a shot and fame and fortune, and so we agreed, despite the fact that we had zero experience in front of large cameras and big lights and knew nothing about acting / being authentic (well, we are bloggers!). I say this because, although we were supposed to be “ourselves”, there were other moments that were a little canned, forcing us to do several takes of “Hey Danny, so what are you going to cook for us?” As you can imagine, by the sixth take, while doing your best to look natural, we were forcing every word out of our mouths. At that point, you could care less what the guy feeds you as long as he gets on with it so you don’t ever have to say that one line again in your life.

Richard has finally posted the entire episode on the web so that we might embed it here for your enjoyment. However, it was originally meant to air on TV and not the internet, hence, we have a few suggestions! Due …