Catavino Begins Cultivating a New Writer: Hello Baby!

Time for the big announcement, something that will make our wine tastings a touch more exhilarating. We both are very excited, and proud, to announce that the Opaz family is soon to be “Plus One”. Shocked? Well, so are we! Life is about to get a bit more challenging and a whole lot more rewarding. In all […] Continue Reading →

Happy Holidays from Catavino to all our Iberian Wine Loving Friends

2012 has been a long journey for Catavino. We began the year without a future, but after a flood of support from a large and loving international community, we returned with a newfound spirit to continue sharing our adventures throughout Iberia. And with this fabulous new energy, our community of writers and readers has substantially […] Continue Reading →

Rick Fisher for Albariño Explorers Club Ambassador

Summer is but a distant memory in the northern hemisphere ,and white wines will soon begin to collect dust on the shelf, but things are just heating up for Rias Baixas – one of Spain’s premier white wine regions. The area’s U.S. campaign (Albariño Explorers Club) is moving into full swing and is preparing for a great 2013. […] Continue Reading →

Please Name Me!! Newest Addition to the Catavino Family

Today, we would like to announce a brand new addition to the Catavino family. It has a crooked tail, large feet, black fur, piercing gray eyes and zero paw-eye coordination. And no, it’s not a troll, or an ewok (though that would be cool), or a spider monkey (on my future list however!). It’s 1 […] Continue Reading →

10 Delicious Reasons Why You Should Visit Portugal!

It’s been almost four years since I called Portugal my “home away from home”, translating to a half decade of savoring Portuguese food and wine on a regular basis – something I’ve never taken for granted. Consequently, while searching for information on Portuguese gastronomy, I stumbled across Catavino’s Facebook page. Immediately drawn to Ryan and […] Continue Reading →

Hey, ho! Please let Pancho go! ~ Time for some wine drinking.

Despite our continued posting, we still plan on closing Catavino. Gabriella and I are finished here, onto bigger and better things, but strangely, we can’t stop just yet. I have a few more things to get off my chest, and after my recent post on the Pancho affair; I know I need to do it sooner […] Continue Reading →

Bidding Adieu to Old Favorites: Scholtz Hermanos Dessert Wine from Malaga

It is never easy to say goodbye and to turn your back on a chapter of your past – parting always hurts and today I have to say two farewells. I have been writing about Spain and Spanish wines for Catavino, as well as my own blog,  for quite a while now, and sadly this […] Continue Reading →

Politics, Practicality and Pomp: The Battle Over the Future of Spanish Wine

Editor’s note: All views expressed below are solely that of the author.  All good things must come to an end. And it seems sadly appropriate that, after six years, Catavino – a site that mirrored so well all that was burgeoning and metamorphosing in the Spanish wine world – closes its doors just as the […] Continue Reading →

Cooking up a Farewell Feast with Moscatel

Parting is such sweet sorrow. That Bard really knew what he was talking about, didn’t he? It’s this way with Gabriella and Ryan’s announcement that Catavino is saying goodbye. My emotions were mixed at hearing the news. Initially, I was disappointed that I wouldn’t have my monthly outpouring of a favorite Portuguese dish, wine or […] Continue Reading →

How it all Began, a Quick Look Back at the Early Years

When we first moved to Spain, we arrived with almost nothing. Our Spanish consisted of  ”hola”, “gracias” and after a couple of days hanging out with other Spaniards, “Vale”, the ubiquitous “ok”. Our friends were back in Minnesota, but we were in Madrid and lucky enough to have a place to live. A fellow TEFL […] Continue Reading →