On a trip to London last week, I tried to get a feel for how consumers might see sherry. Just ordinary consumers, not the sorts who buy wines from expensive West End merchants. Of course, this exercise was totally unscientific. In between errands and meetings, I dropped into as many shops as I could to get an idea of what a [...]

Located just off Plaza de la Reina in the Gothic section of the city of Valencia, snuggled within the tiny courtyard of La Plaza del Arzobispo sits Enopata – a two month old restaurant devoted exclusively to wine. On the first night of our three day trip to Valencia this past weekend, our hope was [...]

In recent weeks, I have visited the Emilio Hidalgo bodega twice, and since their wines are so good, a post has become just about unavoidable. This is a small, truly independent, family-owned bodega. It was started by the Hidalgo family in the mid 1800s and is run by decedents of the founders brothers Fernando and [...]

Initially, I thought I would be the only person bringing sherry to the EWBC 2008 invitational tasting, but once things got going, I was pleased to see that some Osborne Fino Quinta and the Manzanilla and Fino from Equipo Navazos (Nos 7 and 8 ) had made an appearance. The more the merrier, as far [...]

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 [...]

There’s a tradition in Andalucia for fairs - Ferias - in the spring and summer. The format is generally the same: The Feria lasts about a week; there are corridas (bullfights) in the afternoons; it’s held at a temporary “tent city”, usually on open ground near the edge of town; dancing the “Sevillana” (Sevillana video) [...]

Gabriella fondly remembers when she was a child, sitting in front of the TV listening to Cookie Monster teach the alphabet, and on this particular day, words that started with the letter “S”. This episode is firmly ingrained in her head, because unfortunately, she couldn’t pronounce the letter “s” as a child, handicapped with a [...]

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 [...]

Editor’s Note: A short while ago, a friend, and cohort, of ours contributed a piece on the the region of Montilla Moriles, located in the southern political region of Andalusia; along with its indigenous grape, Pedro Ximenez. Being that PX is a wonderful wine to sip after dinner on a cold winter’s night, savoring those [...]

A few days ago, I came across a story aboutSpain’s investment in Sherry wine in Decanter. After reading it, I thought to myself, “Damn, that there is a good idea!” The main markets targeted in 2008 are the US, Canada and Japan. Makes sense, considering that they are all up and coming wine consuming nations [...]

Hey Everyone!
You know how we’ve been chatting about our Sherry experience in Jerez, spending 3 days completely immersed in information about Fino, Manzanilla, Amontillado and Oloroso? Well, guess what? We, evidently, weren’t there!
I assume that you’re scratching your head right now saying, “Uh, Gabriella, I’m a little confused. You’re saying that the articles you’ve [...]

If you’re the average wine drinker, what do you do when you receive a bottle you’re unfamiliar with? I would imagine that if you’re reading Catavino right now, you most likely peruse the Internet to get the most current and accurate information possible, but I fear you’re in the minority.
Let’s pose an example of [...]

Fears take on many forms. They can come from negative experiences we’ve had in the past, or they can simply come from the unknown, an unfamiliar experience.
Several years ago, my fear of the unknown was severely challenged one late Saturday evening while waiting tables in an upscale sushi restaurant. As night turned the corner [...]

And…..we’re back after 5 days and 4 nights in Jerez de la Frontera, the defacto capital of all things sherry related. As many of you know, we were in Jerez to learn all about Sherry. The D.O. of Jerez for the past 3 years has been working to educate writers, wine educators, wine lovers and [...]

We know it’s Friday and that you’re currently daydreaming of grilling, movies, dinner with friends, or just about anything that doesn’t involve active thought. “Hmmmm donuts..” So rather than post something that is either obnoxiously heady or bores you to death with meaningless facts, we’ve declared Friday as a non-thinking day! We’re encouraging silliness, giggling [...]