Continued from yesterday:

Fast forward to December 2008: there is now more retail here, albeit on a limited scale; and wine clubs of various sizes are sprouting for Beijing’s wealthy (focus Bordeaux). Wine lists are becoming more exciting too with less evidence of wayward persuasion by strong-arm importers. Mercifully, tasting opportunities are more frequent and more inviting with new importers coming on the scene (The Wine Republic) – some of whom have done well elsewhere in China or in Hong Kong/Macau (Watson’s, Links Concept). At the same time some of the more distinctive Shanghai importers (like Ruby Red Fine Wines and Globus Fine Wines) are sending their wines to Beijing and the traditional players here (Aussino, ASC, Torres China, Summergate) are shaking up their lists to rival relative newcomers like East Meets West. And so it goes on…. The point is the market is becoming more dynamic. (Flickr photo by tsc_traveler)

My earliest memories are all based on shocks, of one sort or another: not culture shocks, so much as, what, ‘vinous bafflement’? I remember being in a well-known Sichuan restaurant chain and seeing a young Chinese couple confidently order a bottle of Argentinean Malbec. This was great! The waiter came back, presented the bottle elegantly, cut the cap and removed the cork without trouble. He then …

Last year, we hinted that we were going to be attending our first Medieval Festival in Vic, located north of Barcelona approximately 70 km, but we never let you in on the experience. Vic is the capital of the region Osona, nestled alongside the once beautiful Meder River. Now, unfortunately, the fumes that float up from the once pristine waters smell something closer to 2 month old rotten eggs, but the town itself is quaint, swanky and primarily built in Neoclassical architecture. On a crisp, overcast winter day, Vic is a wonderful and almost dreamlike town to visit.

Having gone with a large group of friends in December of 2007, we were completely swept away by its charm and beauty, motivating a much anticipated return trip yesterday. Ryan and I visited well over 200 stands adorned with: gigantic loaves of crispy bread, huge wheels of fresh cheese, greasy and delicious looking cured hams, perfectly browned sausages, thick slabs of bacon, handmade candles, scarves, hand painted wooden toys, customized perfumes, hundreds of bags of whole-leaf teas, brightly colored candies, medieval clothing, chocolates, 1meter long pastries, grilled ribs and freshly boiled octopus. This doesn’t even begin to describe the myriad of animals on display, such as vultures, owls, falcons, camels and half shaved miniature horses (don’t ask) .

But unlike last year, where our group of approximately 15, chose to escape the bitter cold into a warm and cozy restaurant serving traditional Spanish cuisine, Ryan and I opted to go rogue to feast exclusively on street fair.  With rich aromas of paprika and cumin in the air, we savored a plate of couscous, garbanzo beans, falafal, herbed sausage and a …

I like the winery, so this will not be a tell all post. This post is only to show you that electronic media is not a strength in our Iberian home.

Today I received this email:
Dear Sirs, dear Partners, dear Friends,

Here are the last comments received from Stephen Tanzer:

90 points
xxxxxname of winexxxxxxxxxx

(A 50/50 blend of garnacha and carinena) Bright ruby.
Strongly mineral aromas of vibrant cherry, blackberry, graphite and cracked pepper.
Brisk and sharply focused, with racy cherry and mineral flavors and fine-grained tannins.
A clean, brisk wine that offers impressive clarity and energy for the money, finishing with lingering cherry skin character.
Let’s not talk right now about the stupidity of sending an email that directs me to the reviews and scores from someone else, when my job is to review and talk about wines. This doesn’t give me any new information, nor an idea of what your wine is worth. I like Tanzer, but I AM NOT GOING TO PUBLISH HIS REVIEWS! Surprisingly, that’s his job!

Now what is more interesting to me is what I found attached at the bottom of the email:
This message goes exclusively to its addressee and may contain privileged or confidential information. If the indicated addressee is not you, be notified that the use, spreading and/or copy without authorization are prohibited by law. If you have received this message by error, we request to immediately communicate it by this same mail and comes to its destruction.
So you just spent time sending me something that #1. I would not publish if you paid me, and #2. is a crime to tell anyone about it? WTF?

If you enjoyed this post, please let us know. We have several others up our sleeve if they …

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, we had originally intended to run these surveys while we were on vacation in France, but as it currently stands, it may be a little while before Catavino can actually unplug itself from all the action flowing through our headquarters. That said, we’re going to run some of these anyway and invite all of you who still want to participate to please send us your responses. We’re interested in your feedback!

First up is Joe “1WineDude” Roberts. The way our game works is that Joe answered two of our questions about Iberian wine, and in return, he asked one of us. Hopefully we did a decent job answering him

1) What were your preconceived ideas of Spanish wine when you first started blogging, and what do you think of Spanish wine now? If you haven’t had an opportunity to try many Spanish wines, are you interested in diving in and doing some more exploring?

I had a very high opinion of Spanish wines before I started blogging (which wasn’t all that long ago, after all). Nothing has changed! Basically, once I tasted Cava and Priorat, there was no going back. I have had some absolutely killer, smokin’, lights-out wines from Spain. IMO, Spain continues to be the rising star of the wine world, with even formerly bulk-wine-type areas like Jumilla offering some kickin’ wines now.

2) Very similar to the first question, but …