Sarah Ahmed The Wine DetectiveIf you thought the world of wine was elitist or exclusive, check out Catavino. Unafraid to prick the balloon of pomposity and refreshingly open to comments and contributions, the dynamic duo have very successfully broadened the appeal of wine by placing it in its wider social and cultural context.
2003 Paixar Bierzo – Spain, Castilla y León, Dragonte, Bierzo (6/30/2006)Dark bloody red color with aromas of dark wood, grilled steak, green pepper and cassis. Forceful tannins with medium acidity. Flavors of charcoal and cassis on the palate. Well-balanced wine that went deliciously with a reduced blackberry salsa.
After several requests to learn more about the Mencia grape and wines available in both the U.S. and UK, we have brought you a Bodega in DO Bierzo, Castilla y León that has been producing two 100% Mencia old vine wines. We promise to post tasting notes as soon as we have a chance to try their wines!
Within a span of an hour yesterday, we received notification from friends and family about an article published in the in the New York Times, about the Spanish wine region of Bierzo. It’s great to know that people are looking out for us, as well as seeing the mainstream media taking notice of some of […] Continue Reading →
2004 Tilenus Bierzo Enbejecido en Barrica de Roble – Spain, Castilla y León, Bierzo (5/17/2006)Deep marronish color, very clear. Chocolatey nose with some pepper, clove, cinnamon, and deep red fruits. The nose really is earthy with a loamy feel to it, unwilling to give up it’s information right away. Soft in the mouth this wine […] Continue Reading →
After having written a short article on the grape [Mencía->http://www.catavino.net/archives/244/2005/12/20/] I thought I would go and spread the word to others on this grapes potential for making great Spanish wine. So, with that in mind, I set about bringing a bottle with me to Norway for the holidays so that my family could share in […] Continue Reading →
Carbonic Maceration: A winemaking technique used to produce light, fruity red wines with a distinctive character. This definition taken from [Answers.com->http://www.answers.com/topic/carbonic-maceration?method=5&linktext=carbonic%20maceration] goes on to explain the process with which this “light fruity wine” is made. Last month, I wrote about my experience drinking a Carbonic Macerated [Spanish wine->http://www.catavino.net/archives/242/2005/12/10/], terrified that I had found a [Beaujolais […] Continue Reading →
What is Mencia? It’s a grape on the rise right now in Spain, as a result of famous estates such as Dominio de Tares. Although, searching around the web will yield many results for information on this grape. So why do I find this grape to be worth taking note of? There are two main […] Continue Reading →
Make sure to look at this survey on the blog FERMENTATIONS. Not only is it informative, but it also really opened my eyes as to the perspective people have about Spanish wines. Of the 216 people who took the survey, you can be sure that every single one probably has enjoyed wine on a somewhat […] Continue Reading →
Catavino evolved from the wanderings of an American couple who craved a radical change in perspective. In 2005 they quit their jobs, moved to Spain and dug deep into the local gastronomy.
As time passed, they expanded their focus to include Portugal, whereby sharing the heart and soul of Iberian food, wine and culture. We invite you to follow our adventures via our blog or, for those who'd like to experience Spanish and Portuguese gastronomy themselves, we'd like to offer you our firsthand tips on travel and our expertise in organizing food and wine tasting tours (coming soon!)
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