If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!Recently, the northeastern Spanish region of Catalonia (or Catalunya) voted to ban bullfighting; which consequently, provoked me to write an …
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Culture is the adhesive that binds a community together. From gastronomy to music, we provide the stories that give you a foundational understanding of Spain and Portugal.
Catavino covers wine fairs, food events, cultural events and more, providing you a front row seat to exciting events across the peninsula.
Join us as we explore the world around us. Explore is a place for us to riff on ideas that don’t fit the Iberian wine mold, and allows us to share our travels around the globe! You never know what to expect in explore.
Delicious and mouthwatering foods from across Iberia covering restaurant reviews, recipes, food and wine pairing, and the history of Spanish and Portuguese gastronomy.
Tasting notes, wine and regional profiles, wine book reviews, and breaking news in the Iberian wine industry allows your next wine purchase to be an informed one.
Editor’s Note: Burt Frink is not only a close friend of ours, but one of the most cultured individuals we’ve ever met. His ability to explain an opera, cook a 18th century French dish or dance the waltz with immense grace and dignity is astounding to our X Generation spirits. Thus, after the vast interest we received on our comparison piece on classical music and wine, Burt has taken a personal interest to chime in on a series dedicated to the subject. Now although Burt will be applying international grapes, regions or wines to a specific musical piece, we’ll make sure to add a Spanish or Portuguese compliment – as we are an Iberian wine site. Thanks Burt for your knowledge and passion. Enjoy!
I listen to Schwarzkopf while I take early-evening baths.
Sometimes I also play Miles Davis, Chris Connor, Bev Kelly, Alfred Cortot or Mafalda Favero – but best for baths is Schwarzkopf, because her faultless voice carries so well above running water, and because her precise pitch and narrow vibrato recall me to highest principles. The music comes …
Click here to continue reading...Recently, the northeastern Spanish region of Catalonia (or Catalunya) voted to ban bullfighting; which consequently, provoked me to write an article. Since moving to Spain in 2005, I have attempted to understand the “corrida de …
Editor’s note: Everyday, we come across fantastic articles on an Iberian food, wine or cultural experience by a blogger. Some are based here in Spain and Portugal, while others are chiming in halfway around the …
Editor’s note: Everyday, we come across fantastic articles on an Iberian food, wine or cultural experience by a blogger. Some are based here in Spain and Portugal, while others are chiming in halfway around the …
Last year, I wrote an article on how Spanish and Portuguese wineries could succeed online. I mentioned words such as passion, culture, adaptability and history, which are all powerful reasons why Iberian wineries have a chance to …
It seems that the holidays are all but a distant memory now. For those of us who spend our 40+ hours a week in a mundane, unfulfilling job the only glimmer of hope is the …
Editor’s note: We’ve provided viticultural perspectives specific to both Spain and Portugal after Raymond’s article from renowned Spanish wine author, John Radford; Portuguese winemaker, Rui Reguinga; and Port winemaker, Oscar Quevedo.
For many of us, …
Last weekend, I had the very last minute privilege of attending the Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya (Barcelona Symphony and Catalonia National Orchestra, or OBC), where I saw the second half of “The …
We like loyal readers, but we love readers who send emails, leave comments or give us virtual shout-outs even more! So when CJ and his wife, Edna, contacted us with a intriguing request, we jumped …
Spain is synonymous with cured Jamon Iberico, olives and sharp Manchego cheese; but let’s not forget that it’s also the birthplace of a wide variety of sausages. Since the dawn of time, Spaniards have mastered …
Editor’s Note: In December of 2008, Ryan and I visited Raventos i Blanc in DO Cava for our newsletter dedicated to Spanish Cava, in addition to conducting an interview by phone with patriarch, Manuel Raventos. …
An often mistaken and underrated varietal, Gouveio (go-v’eye’-yoo) is by far one of my favorite autochthonous grape varieties in Portugal. Many believe Gouveio is synonymous for Verdelho, but from what I’ve gathered, there’s no concrete …
When tragedy strikes, there’s nothing more frustrating than feeling as if you’re powerless to do anything, especially when the devastation is so great. As a result of the earthquake in Haiti, tens of thousands of …
Like many holiday travelers, I spent several days this past December going from one airport to another, heavily weighted by bags packed to the gills with Christmas gifts. Sweating under my dozen layers of cotton …
Robert Parker is arguably the most powerful voice in the wine world, or at the very least in the US wine world today. His point system, which is both heralded by some and scorned by …
Here’s a quick look at what two of Catavino’s writers were drinking this holiday season. Needless to say all of us here at Catavino found our tables full of good foods and wines, sometimes Iberian …
Each year, we as a family(The Opai!) do our best, as many do, to gather our thoughts in the form of a Christmas letter. And despite this years delay in being mailed due to our …