Been busy the past few months, because Spain is finally waking up to blogging; and we’re excited to be a small part of it. I’ve been buried in two new websites, while trying to maintain a few others. All good news for our small growing enterprise. Today, we head off to Oporto, to consult with [...]

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 [...]

Today we are proud to announce another winery who will no longer be covered here at Catavino. Back in March, Carrie Jorgensen, one of the owners of Cortes de Cima, approached Catavino to assist them in creating a blog. Naturally, we were interested, as we like to help all wineries enter into this social [...]

I love home cooked meals, especially when I’m in a foreign culture, enjoying their traditional cuisine. I love the anticipation as exotic aromas float in the air, the great conversations that lead up to the first bite and the fervent energy that zips throughout the room as glances are stolen into the kitchen wondering how [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Funny how even my most random experiences always seem to come back to wine.
Last Tuesday, I had one of those mornings where you wake up with a small laundry list of errands you want to get done for the day, while breathing shallow wondering how you’re going to magically accomplish it all. We all know [...]

Editor’s Note:As many of you are well aware, Robert Mondavi died last week. Robert Mondavi was fundamental in helping to promote and define what California wine is today. Having read a dozens of wine tributes dedicated to his memory, Ryan and I equally wanted to share our thoughts too, but we didn’t feel as if [...]

Awhile back, Catavino ran a feature we called the 2 + 1 Iberian Wine Survey. The idea behind the survey was not only to get wine bloggers feedback on Spanish and Portuguese wine, but also an opportunity for readers to gain a better perspective as to what’s available outside the big peninsula.
To be honest, [...]

If I say “white fish”, what Portuguese wine comes to mind? Possibly a crisp, dry Alvarinho? Maybe you’d even go so far to include an Alentejo white made from Arinto or Antao Vaz? All fair combinations, but I doubt you would ever say, “hey, what about a light, refreshing Port wine!” At least I hope [...]

Big news in the steep Douro Valley! Symington Family Estates, owners of internationally renowned Port brands Dow’s, Graham’s, and Warre’s is converting their three Vilariça valley vineyards entirely to organic farming. Quinta do Atayde, Quinta de Assares and Quinta da Canada, consisting in total of 146 hectares, or 361 acres, will gain their official “organic” [...]

Pink is hot this year! There are blogs dedicated to hot pink dresses, pink dog jerseys for your prancing little toy poodle, brilliant pink hair, pink party squares, and of course, pink wine. Pink is so cool, that even our emotional unbalanced and slightly obsessive swine, Ms. Piggy, has made her comeback on backpacks and [...]

Many of us have no idea what Vinotherapy is. I for one, imagined myself sprawled out on a chez lounge in the middle of a dimly lit cellar. While my therapist listened attentively to my emotional rollercoaster ride of the day, she would compassionately nod her head while pouring my glass full of Gran Reserva [...]