As promised for the New Year, we are committed to broadening our discussion on wine beyond Spain and Portugal. One way we’re attempting to do this is by both contributing to Dr. Debs Wine Book Club and by doing a little research on our own as we find books of interest to us. And fortunately, our new plan couldn’t have come a moment too soon considering that my father-in-law was kind enough to surprise me over the holidays with Natalie MacLean’s book, “Red, White, and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass.”

Cracking open the book in Norway next to a roaring hot fire, which are much needed on those cold blistery days; I was reminded how much I enjoy holding a physical book in my hand. It’s funny how often you forget that these objects exist when information is so readily available at click of a mouse.

The book is broken down into eleven chapters, two of which are solely dedicated Natalie’s observations as to how she both entered the wine world and what she intends on doing now that book is finished. Both sections are a fun read, but don’t compare to the meat of her story which describe her roaming adventures through wineries, vineyards, cellars, restaurants, retails shops, wine tastings and interviews.

But before I comment on my impressions, allow me to give you a general overview of what you’ll encounter when reading this book. Natalie begins her journey in Burgundy, where she uncovers some of her deep resounding questions about Pinot Noir and its relationship to some of the most coveted wines in the world through her conversations with Domaine de la Romanee-Conti and …

Yesterday, we traveled two hours due west by train to Villafranca del Penedes, where met with the regulating council of Cava in order to provide you the nitty gritty on what does and does not constitute a Cava wine. However, in light of our meeting, we quickly realized that Cava is not as simple of a definition as you might imagine, nor are the responsibilities of the regulating body as obvious as you might think. Therefore, rather than provide you with a long diatribe about Cava wine, we thought you might enjoy a little test to see how much you truly understand about Cava wine. The game is called (insert deep echoey voice followed by a sinister laugh), Fact or Fiction.

How to Play

We challenge you to answer each question below with either true or false in the comment box.

Example: T,T,T,F,F,T,F,T,F,T,F,T,T

Then, on Monday, December 17th, we will post the results of the contest, along with the winner. In the case of multiple winners, only one will be chosen at random.

Prize

The winner will receive a snazzy, new Catavino T-shirt!

True or False

1. Cava is a sparkling wine that must be aged for at least 1 year in bottle prior to being sold.
2. Cava uses the same method of production as Champagne.
3. Cava is produced a small specified region in Cataluna, first designated in 1966.
4. Cava can only be made from the white grape trinity: Parellada, Xarel.lo and Macabeo.
5. Cava producers recommend white fish, chicken, salads, fruit and nuts to pair with their Cavas, so as not to mask or diminish its elegant, crisp flavors.
6. The most popular Cava worldwide is a Cava Brut, containing anywhere between 0-15 grams of sugar per liter.
7. It is not the responsibility of the DO to promote Cava, …