Spanish Bullfighting: The Romance, the Drama and the Traditional Recipes
Fri, 5/02/10 – 12:11 | 4 Comments

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 …

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Culture

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.

Events

Catavino covers wine fairs, food events, cultural events and more, providing you a front row seat to exciting events across the peninsula.

Explore

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.

Food

Delicious and mouthwatering foods from across Iberia covering restaurant reviews, recipes, food and wine pairing, and the history of Spanish and Portuguese gastronomy.

Wine

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.

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Articles in Explore

Os Misterios de Lisboa: A Video on What Tourists Should Experience in Lisbon
Thursday, 3 Dec, 2009 – 19:38 | 6 Comments
Os Misterios de Lisboa: A Video on What Tourists Should Experience in Lisbon

Although we have written over a dozen articles on what you should experience in Lisbon, we have yet to focus on its monuments. As an Iberian wine and food focused website, whenever we visit a …

Catavino’s Travel Woes: How We Got Screwed by Delta !!UPDATED!!
Wednesday, 18 Nov, 2009 – 21:02 | 32 Comments
Catavino’s Travel Woes: How We Got Screwed by Delta !!UPDATED!!

In the course of our lives, we have all experienced difficulties with air travel. Whether it’s a canceled flight, excessive turbulence, poor airline food or rocket high prices when checking in your luggage, we’ve all …

Top 5 Wine Tourism Tips Iberia Can Learn from American Wine Producers
Monday, 3 Aug, 2009 – 15:17 | 7 Comments
Top 5 Wine Tourism Tips Iberia Can Learn from American Wine Producers

Last week, we had spent the better part of a 6 days touring wineries on both the west and east coast of the United States. And during this time, we had a very unique opportunity …

Last Day of Catavino’s Stay in D.O. Montsant
Saturday, 27 Jun, 2009 – 9:50 | 7 Comments
Last Day of Catavino’s Stay in D.O. Montsant

Sitting under a 100+ year old pine tree at Mas Figueres Hotel, drinking fresh squeezed orange juice, while nibbling on jamon iberico, lomo, fuet, triangular sliced of manchego cheese, fruit plucked from orchards located not …

The Ultimate Online Wine Guide for Visiting La Rioja: What To Drink, Where to Eat and What to Experience
Monday, 13 Apr, 2009 – 16:31 | 2 Comments
The Ultimate Online Wine Guide for Visiting La Rioja: What To Drink, Where to Eat and What to Experience

Approximately a month ago, Wink Lorch contacted me in reference to a new online travel guide she had recently launched on La Rioja, Spain. For those of you unfamiliar with Wink, she is the founding …

Terroirs Wine Bar: An Unusual French Styled Bistro in Central London
Tuesday, 3 Mar, 2009 – 11:59 | 2 Comments
Terroirs Wine Bar: An Unusual French Styled Bistro in Central London

Coming from Spain, there is something romantic about having a busty waitress greet you with a sultry smile and rustic french accent. Having traveling through Paris at lightening speed on a half dozen occasions – …

Tourism = Explore, So Why Not Join Us On Our Adventures?
Monday, 2 Mar, 2009 – 12:45 | 2 Comments
Tourism = Explore, So Why Not Join Us On Our Adventures?

When we redesigned Catavino, we felt a need to expand our conversation, while allowing for a more diverse array of topics. One of our choices was to create a tourism category. We love helping to …

Vinarium: A Novelty of a Wine Shop Utilizing Social Media in Madrid
Monday, 2 Feb, 2009 – 9:21 | One Comment
Vinarium: A Novelty of a Wine Shop Utilizing Social Media in Madrid

On Saturday, after a long, and rather arduous day of perusing FITUR, a gigantic tourism fair in Madrid, we decided to give Luis Alonso-Lasheras a last minute call to see if he was available to …

Catavino Gets An Extreme Makeover!
Monday, 19 Jan, 2009 – 0:53 | 18 Comments
Catavino Gets An Extreme Makeover!

Notice anything different about the site? I’ll give you a hint: it’s a little more than a fire engine red manicure or a pair of new patten leather shoes. It’s more like dropping 7 dress …

Catavino is Back in Spain: The Customs, Culture and Cuisine of India
Thursday, 4 Dec, 2008 – 11:41 | 15 Comments
Catavino is Back in Spain: The Customs, Culture and Cuisine of India

Sitting at the keyboard with henna painted fingers, my clothing infused with rich cumin, cardamom and ginger aromas, I am at a loss as to how to put into words this experience. Having arrived last …

Sherry House: Emilio Hidalgo, And Ways to Change Future Generations into Sherry Lovers
Saturday, 4 Oct, 2008 – 18:17 | 3 Comments
Sherry House: Emilio Hidalgo, And Ways to Change Future Generations into Sherry Lovers

In recent weeks, I have visited the Emilio Hidalgo bodega twice, and since their wines are so good, a post has become just about unavoidable. This is a small, truly independent, family-owned bodega. It was …

Vinotherapy (Wine Therapy): Taking the Romance of Wine to a Whole new Level
Tuesday, 6 May, 2008 – 14:46 | 11 Comments
Vinotherapy (Wine Therapy): Taking the Romance of Wine to a Whole new Level

Many of us have no idea what Vinotherapy is. I for one, imagined myself sprawled out on a chez lounge in the middle of a dimly lit cellar. While my therapist listened attentively to my …

6 Alternative Ways to Enjoy a Rioja Wine (Note: not for those who fear heights!)
Thursday, 3 Apr, 2008 – 10:25 | 2 Comments
6 Alternative Ways to Enjoy a Rioja Wine (Note: not for those who fear heights!)

I’ll be the first to admit that I can only take so much wine while on a business trip. After awhile, my eyes glaze over and I feel an intense craving to either down a …