How many articles have we written on the importance of wineries creating a strong Internet presence? Half a dozen, a dozen?

Global Economic Crisis and Spanish Wine, Portugal Pay Attention
Wake Up, Stupid Winery Marketing in Action
QR Code and Wine
Gary, Note to Self, Do Some Research! Portugal, Note to Self, Pay Attention to Gary!
Alimentaria, the Good and the Bad!

We have begged, pleaded, and gotten on both knees trying to convince the Iberian wine community to take notice, but it seemed as if our voices were merely bouncing off of brick walls, only reaching the chosen few who really were open to change.

So we tried another route, creating an Internet marketing company to provide wineries the support and tools they needed to launch themselves into the new Internet. It seemed to work, but our reach was rather limited. A dozen here, a hundred there, but nothing on the scale that we knew was necessary.

In turn, this led us to co-creating the annual European Wine Blogger Conference, in hopes of not only bringing together the vast array of wine bloggers around the world, but to also bridge a previously held gap between wineries and online journalists. The results were incredible, allowing all sides to find ways in which we could communicate and collaborate more effectively through the internet. (Note: more details on the 2009 conference coming very soon!)

Where do I begin this rambling and nonsensical post, filled with random bits of information that don’t really deserve a full post onto themselves, but that still need to be said? Well, where else than our “Iberian Links Around the Web”! Similar to your kitchen junk drawer, this post is filled with interesting bits of information that you may not ever need, but may come in use when you least expect it.

The Sixth….Taste

Granted, although we don’t have Haley Joel Osment scaring us with his momentary episodes of seeing dead people, we can be equally freaked out the next time your buddy turns to you after drinking a glass of wine and says, “I’m not really getting a bitter flavor here, but maybe more of a calcium-y taste”. According to Science Daily, beyond sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami (similar to savory), humans also have a sixth taste receptor for foods that taste, well, like calcium - a flavor bordering between sour and bitter. It explains why foods that are generally high in calcium such as bok choy, kale and collards, generally come off as bitter if not cooked in a few sticks of butter so that the calcium can bind to the fat cells; whereby, preventing you from tasting it. In relation to wine, it just may explain why some wines are described as more minerally/calcium-y, and can therefore, be monitored in order to obtain a better taste profile. Can you pick out the sixth calcium-y taste in a wine?

Hey, That’s What We Needed! Another Roadblock to Enjoying Sherry!

Chef Heston Blumenthal of the Fat Duck Restaurant in London, and scientist Professor Don Mottram of Reading …

Ahhh, actually, they have absolutely nothing in common, but because we had a fair amount of material to cover today, we thought we’d create little hodge-podge of fun facts and interviews. Plus, after week of being inundated with information on global warming, we thought you deserved a break, or at least a quasi break (keep reading and you’ll understand).

D.O. Arlanza and D.O. Tierra del Vino de Zamora
I’ve forgotten how many Denominacion de Origens there were when we first began Catavino three years ago, but damn, it feels like their increasing as quickly as Brittney Spear’s rap sheet. Our two newest additions, D.O. Arlanza and D.O. Tierra del vino de Zamora located in Castilla y León, have finally joined the ranks to encompass a total of 67 DOs. After four years of patiently wading their way through Vinos de Calidad (quality wines) and Vinos de la Tierra (Regional Wines) classifications, they’ve finally earned the title of DO on January 24th.

You can expect to find white wines in DO Arlanza made from Albillo and Viura, and Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mencía, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot for the reds; while DO Tierra del Vino de Zamora recognizes the white varieties of Malvasía, Moscatel, Verdejo, Albillo, Palomino and Godello, and Tempranillo, Garnacha and Cabernet Sauvignon for the reds.

Catavino Newsletter Status and Rioja Adventures

So we’re feeling a little ambitious! Although we originally intended to settle down to a bi-monthly newsletter, we figured we’d surprise you all with an Odds and Ends Newsletter, filled with several tasting notes ranging from the eastern coast of Portugal all the way to the western coast of Spain, in addition to a featured article and a fun podcast. Unexpected? We hope so, because we didn’t plan on putting this together, but …

We’ve done it! Although our two man/woman production was a little delayed in getting you your edition as quickly as we had hoped, we finally put our nose in the flute and our fingers to the keyboard in order to produce a 21 page newsletter. Not bad for a second edition, now is it? Despite the whirlwind of holiday chaos, a 10 day jaunt through the fjords of Norway and a few spells of respiratory illness, we’re quite pleased with the final result.

So what can you expect? You can expect a featured interview with the iconoclastic winemaker, Manuel Raventos of Raventos i Blanc, a compilation of useful Spanish Cava terms, 30 Spanish cava tasting notes covering brut nature, brut and rose, and a bonus article covering the theory behind winemaking using the traditional method of elaboration. Whew! That’s a considerable amount of information, but we trust you’ll reap the rewards when you sit down tonight with your small novel, crack open a cava alongside a bowl of almonds, and enjoy the read. Wait, we never considered what music pairs well with cava!!! Hmmm, may I suggest Thelonious Monk, Herbie Hancock, or Django Reinhardt, just to name a few, or go the Spanish route with my favorites, Paco Peña, a fantastic southern Andalusian guitarist, and German Ottmar Liebert who composes, performs and records music in a “Nouveau Flamenco” style. I might also look into works from Madrid born guitarist, José Miguel Moreno or Francisco Tárrega.

As for our next Catavino Newsletter, we’re heading west to Rioja! February and March will be dedicated to the most prestigious and renowned wine region in Spain. Although we’ve avoided this region since Catavino’s inception, recognizing the ample amount of …

As we are enjoying the holidays with family in Norway, savoring cured lamb and drinking aquavit, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite articles throughout the year. We hope you enjoy them and feel free to leave a comment as to which was your favorite Catavino article! Whether it’s from the list, or an article you fondly remember, let us know.

3 Portuguese Wines and an Orange Metal BucketA lazy Friday night uncovers three Portuguese white wines that both astound and severely disappoint us.
9th Annual OTBN: Open the Bottle NightWhy is Open the Bottle Night, created by Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher, columnists for the wine section in the Wall Street Journal, a highly recommended event for Catavino?
Announcing Wine Blog Wednesday 38 – Portuguese Table Wines with Caveats!Read about our initial steps in hosting Wine Blog Wednesday #38. The mission was to step away from Port and Madeira and focus solely on Portuguese Table Wines.
How to be a Wine Expert Can anyone be a wine expert in 28 days? Wine and Food Magazine seems to think you can, while wholeheartedly beg to differ!
It’s Done, Finished, Set to Go and Ready for Download! Catavino’s 1st Newletter! Our first ever newsletter! This is a must read as it details our 40+ Port wine tasting notes, featured interviews with Taylor’s Flatgate and a secret wine you’ll have to discover yourself.
Podcast #28 - Andrew Holod of Grapes of SpainListen to Ryan’s interview with the Marketing Manager for an exclusively Spanish portfolio, Grapes of Spain, as well as one of the top Spanish wine importers in the US market.
Podcast #29 - Spanish Wine, Food, and Travel Writer Gerry Dawes (pt1)Listen to one of the most respected wine …