Articles by John Maher
John Maher works in the book industry. His enthusiasm for Spanish wines began while living in Barcelona in the mid-80s. In the UK he was involved in various university wine societies and continued his wine education at the hands of the Wine Society (www.thewinesociety.com). A year living in Tenerife from 1994-95 coincided with a resurgence in the wine industry of the Canary Islands, for whose fascinating wines he retains a great fondness. He has been living in the Comunitat Valenciana since 2006, where he has again encountered a dynamic and bewilderingly varied, though too often overlooked, wine region. He has attempted to do something about this relative neglect by publishing "Valencia Land of Wine: a winemaker's selection" by Joan C. Martín (Anaconda Editions) and through his website winesofvalencia.com.
The talk was of me writing about “the best places to eat in the city of Valencia”, and I immediately felt slightly inadequate. Valencia does have its swanky Michelin-starred restaurants – Ca’Sento, Torrijos, La Sucursal …
So, we arrive officially at a new season, and the usual gastronomic articles appear. In the case of autumn these tend to be about the joys of mushroom-picking in the woods and fields, or getting …
Editor’s Note: This is the 2nd chapter we are publishing of Valencia Land of Wine (see 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th chapter). Articles are written by Joan C. Martin, and translated by John Maher. …
One of the peculiarities of the Valencia Denominación de Origen is its further division into four subzones: Alto Turia, Valentino, Moscatel de Valencia and Clariano. Perhaps the most distinctive in terms of both landscape and …
Editor’s Note: This is the 2nd chapter we are publishing of Valencia Land of Wine (see chapter 1st, 2nd, 3rd). Articles are written by Joan C. Martin, and translated by John Maher. Each story is …
Editor’s Note: This is the 3rd chapter we are publishing of Valencia Land of Wine (see 1st and 2nd chapter). Articles are written by Joan C. Martin, and translated by John Maher. Each story is …
Editor’s Note: This is the 2nd chapter we are publishing of Valencia Land of Wine (see 1st chapter). Articles are written by Joan C. Martin, and translated by John Maher. Each story is straight from …
Coming across Fondillón is a bit like meeting Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s Ancient Mariner, buttonholing you with stories of ancient glories and disaster. You’re half fascinated and half disbelieving. Yet he starts pulling bits and pieces …
Editors Note: Last year, we published a book review for Valencia Land of Wine, composed of translated articles by John Maher and written by Joan C. Martin. Each story is straight from the pages of …
Someone asked on a previous post on Valencian cava whether the wines mentioned were available in the UK. I had a quick look and drew a blank. This set me thinking. I travel to the …
As a wine hobbyist among professionals and experts, I often feel that I have the advantage of being able to sit back and enjoy what comes to hand rather than having to analyze endlessly. Another …
This is my second go at writing this piece. For some reason, the first attempt turned into a lament at the cava on offer at the interval break during operas and concerts at Valencia’s spectacular …
It’s good to be back on these pages. While failing to come up with contributions for Catavino over the last several months I have been mentally filing away things that caught my attention, or most …
Editor’s Note: If you remember, a little while back, Ryan reviewed the book “Valencia, Land of Wine“, written by Joan C. Martin and translated and edited by John Maher. While, in Valencia, we asked John …












