Welcome to another Catavino weekly news roundup! I figured that Ryan has done more than his fair share of this little ditties as of recent and thought I was my turn to give you the scoop from the week’s events. So without further adieu, here what’s happening in Iberian wine news:

Cavatast 2006: As mentioned in past articles, Catalunya held a week long Cava celebration in Alt Penedes. In honor of this said event, two friends of ours joined us in a short trek to Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, a pueblo just south of Barcelona in the famous wine region Alta Penedes to celebrate yet another great year of Cava! Granted, we didn’t really need an annual celebration for an excuse to drink Cava, but it allowed us to don our “professional” caps in the hopes of discovering both new producers and new wines. Over two dozen Bodegas exhibited their wines, including big names such as Cordorniu and Freixenet along with some lesser known bodegas like Castell Perelada, Gramona and Joan Raventos Rosell. It was a really well designed event full of fantastic food, a fun little parade and great music!

Montilla-Moriles Fino: We are extremely excited to announce that one of our favorite wines, the Alvear Fino en Rama 2002 Montilla-Moriles, has recently gotten some additional press by the ever so popular wine critic, Janis Robinson. This single vintage Fino is produced by Bodegas Alvear, a family owned bodega that has been making waves in the sherry world since its creation in 1729. Available in half liters throughout the States, we would highly suggest purchasing a bottle and letting us know what you think.Search here for tasting notes on Alvear’s Fino en Rama : Alvear’s Fino en Rama

Mediteranean Diet: If you have ever been to Spain, you most likely remembered two culinary treats that have continued to leave an impression on both your tongue and your arteries, cured ham and manchego cheese. Eaten at ten o’clock at night, the Spanish dinner hour, you may wonder why Spaniards tend to keep their slim waistlines. Along with having a glass of red wine and some olives, two heart healthy tricks, some also include a handful of walnuts to their daily diet. You might imagine that like an avocado, walnuts would add to your hips, but according to a study conducted by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, a small amount of walnuts after a high fat meal will protect your arteries from shock. Plus, Pedro Ximenez sherry is the perfect pairing with walnuts adding two heart healthy supplements to your meal!

Facebook: In other news, we have now created a Facebook group that allows you to be a part of the Spanish and Portuguese wine community. Facebook, if you’ve been under a rock for the past year, is Social networking tool that allows you to search several different networks from around the globe. By registering, you can not only find out about our other groups for Expats living in Spain, but also Notes from Spain’s network about Learning Spanish.

New Frank Gehry Creation: As if the Marques de Riscal bodega needs any more attention than Spain already gives it, this famous bodega has recently acquired even more. Frank Gehry, the world renowned architect for the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, Spain, has finally inaugurated his long awaited hotel composed of his distinguished curvy titanium design on the Marques de Riscal estate in Elciego, Ãlava. If there was ever a time to be a wine writer, this is one of them. Being that we haven’t profiled Marques de Riscal yet, I expect a visit to their Bodega in the very near future!

Cheers!
Gabriella Opaz