Not a great deal has been written on what is admittedly the relatively new area of pairing international wines with Chinese cuisine. Or should that be Chinese cuisines? This vast country, now in the grips of the Olympics at last, boasts an incredible array of provincial and regional dishes, embracing just about every cooking technique [...]

Sherry vinegar (Vinagre de Jerez) must be one of the most neglected condiments. It should really be a staple item in the kitchen cupboard. Chefs have been onto sherry vinegar for decades, but for some reason it has passed the general public by, pushed aside in the rush for “easy-drinking” balsamico style vinegars. Sherry vinegar [...]

Gabriella and I are adventurous. When out with clients, or even friends, in a new city, we inevitably suggest that they choose something typical from the region that is important to the understanding of the wine or culture of the region. We, for the most part, have been fortunate and rarely end up regretting our [...]

It’s summertime in Portugal, and as the tourists flood the downtown, the Portuguese retreat to their local restaurants and bars to enjoy the gastronomic tradition of the season: snails! Yes, that’s right, Caracois are to the Portuguese as hot dogs and hamburgers are to the Americans this season, and they’re both cheap eats. From what [...]

Our Chinese correspondent, Edward Ragg, recently sat down with Honorio Noya Dominguez, a native of Barrantes in the heart of the Salnes Valley, part of the Rias Baixas DO, to explore the future of Albarino wines in China. Honorio is the export manager for the producer Veiga Serantes, although, as part of a small family [...]

You may not be aware of this, but the Portuguese are excellent bakers and pastry makers, each famed for their traditional local pastries! And because of this special culinary tradition, I wanted to dedicate a series to the stories behind each of these unique pastries, in addition to what dessert wines are commonly paired with [...]

Editor’s Note: Andrea Smith is one of our newest additions to the Catavino crew. A 25 year old budding wine enthusiast, chef and linguist, Andrea is no stranger to seeking out great food and wine combinations. Having grown up in Northern Virginia, 10 minutes outside of the capital Washington, DC and in a highly diverse [...]

There are bars and there are great, secret gems well worth going out of your way to experience. In the city of Valencia, Casa Montaña happens to be one of those incredible finds completely saturated in both history and beauty.
If left to our own devices, however, we would have never have found this bar, as [...]

I sometimes like to believe that my father is a master pyromaniac in the most docile sense of the word. The week before Independence Day, my brother and I would pile into the back of my father’s car and go for an hour and half car ride north to Wisconsin, where it is legal to [...]

Officially, we are melting into the Catalunyan soil. Temperatures have risen up to 94 degrees F, which may not be that hot many of you suffering in 100+ degree temperatures, but after 2 months of rain and chilly temperatures, this seems like a sauna to us poor folk.
Yet, despite the toasty weather, its exciting [...]

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, [...]

Today, it’s not raining. This is something to celebrate, because although we need more rain, we were dying for a little moral boost. It’s been 3 weeks straight of cloudy skies, and while I appreciate what it has done for our rooftop garden and beautiful park across the street, I do miss sitting on the [...]

La Rioja is a fun place to eat. Any place where wine is so fundamental to a location’s identity will result in a culture of food that accompany their wine. And although, I believe that a food culture is prevalent worldwide, ranging from spicy to bland and rich to light; but if I had to [...]

Editor’s note: This story is from 3 years ago when I first went to Rioja. Back then Catavino was not known, and I only had a small family site I was maintaining. Money was scarce, hell it still is! But this became one of my favorite stories, and since it took place in Rioja and [...]

When will I learn?! When will I put my foot down and say, “No honey, I am not a human guinea pig. I will not eat, nor drink something just because the fine people of La Rioja like it. And yes, I do love you, and I do appreciate your fine moral standards to try [...]