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 [...]

Editor’s note: When Ryan and I visited Obidos in 2003, we had found a quaint little bed and breakfast run by a woman named Melana. Weary and hungry from traveling with our large backpacks filled with wine, we sat down in her living room decorated more like a cozy ski lodge than a traditional Portuguese [...]

It’s been a 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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Last January, the UK based wine writer and Committee Member of the Circle of Wine Writers, Christine Austin, suggested that we apply to the organization housed in England. Having had several people offer a similar suggestion for over a year, it seemed ridiculous for us not to get off our hides and do something about [...]

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 [...]

Last month, when we were in Portugal for Essencia do Vinho, we had the fortunate experience of meeting Paulo Amorim, Vice President of ViniPortugal. Well, to be perfectly frank, we didn’t just “meet” Paulo, we were required spend several days glued to his side, since he was one of the organizers of our press junket. [...]

A little over a month ago, we attended the II International Climate Change and Wine Conference here in Barcelona, Spain. Having been our first conference with a professional camera man in tow, our goal was to: interview as many speakers as possible to give us a good breadth of knowledge as to what the issues [...]

According to Dictionary.com a Wiki is defined as:
A collaborative website whose content can be edited by anyone who has access to it.
Catavino.net’s definition of the Iberian Wine Wiki is as such:
A repository for our research into the grape varietals and regions of Spain and Portugal.
The main difference between both definitions is the lack [...]

Leaving Spain at 7am to arrive at in Norway a little after dusk, we followed the heavy shoulders of other weary travels towards the baggage claim where we waited patiently for our large black bags brimming with clothing, gifts, and bottles upon bottles of cava, sherry and port wine. As the first bags slowly appeared [...]

I assume that you’ve never paid attention to the top of your cava bottle before, typically tossing them in the garbage without a second thought, but if you have one lying around, take a peak at it. This may require you to remove the foil neatly decorating the bottle, but it’s worth it. What do [...]

Yesterday, we met with Raventos i Blanc, a winery who’s history and property is directly tied to Cava. I won’t reveal much about the winery, as we’re working on a bodega profile as we speak, but I will say that both their winery and their products are second to none in terms of quality. Currently, [...]