Robert M. Parker Jr. The Wine Advocate…a very responsible blog…catavino.net…[it's] refreshing to see such professionalism.
The East Coast was a little soggy last week as I made my way to Manhattan for a tasting of Spanish wines. It was the sort of rainy, humid, New York City mess of a day that makes one want to stay inside, but I’m glad I overcame my weather-induced sloth. A train and two […] Continue Reading →
Having just arrived back from the Grandes de la Rioja Wine tasting this past week in Logroño, I’m still a bit befuddled as to how one might define Rioja. When I first started in wine, I was told by many a mentor that Rioja was a region of dried out wines that were over-oaked. The […] Continue Reading →
In our next installment of La Vuelta a España (check out the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4rth and 5th installments), we enter Castilla y León, the largest region in Spain, occupying 18.6% of its land mass, and consisting of 94,222 km2 (36,379.3 sq mi). Nestled against Aragon, the Basque Country and La Rioja to the east; […] Continue Reading →
In our next installment of La Vuelta a España (check out the first, second and third installments), we visit the iconic region of Rioja, and its under-appreciated neighbor, Txakoli. A few years ago, Ryan and I conducted a regional report on Rioja knowing very little about the region and its wines. We were cognizant of […] Continue Reading →
Both Spain and Portugal made their mark at the London International Wine Fair 2009 edition this past week. Spain has always had a knack for its dominating and stylish presence. Walk past the enormous stand representing the generic body promoting Spanish wines called ICEX and you rarely saw a square foot unoccupied. 13 autonomous communities […] Continue Reading →
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 Palau de les Arts. I suspect a less long-winded mention may creep in again, but I’ll try to focus more […] Continue Reading →
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 member of the Association of Wine Educators and a member of the Circle of Wine Writers. As if this isn’t […] Continue Reading →
This past week I sat with José Peñín at the same two person table judging wines that were to become the “best of Portugal”. It’s a humbling experience sitting next to someone with so much history and credibility in the Spanish Iberian Wine Industry. Called the “Robert Parker” of Spain, his small empire includes an […] Continue Reading →
With only hours left before we ring in the New Year, Ryan and I felt it was important to share with you the age old Spanish tradition of consuming 12 grapes in 12 seconds, a tradition we’ll be participating this evening with a bottle of cava and a bbq cooked seafood paella. Huddled around their […] Continue Reading →
At the end of the year, I can’t help but look back and ask myself, “Have I done enough in my life? Have I truly accomplished the goals I’ve set out for, or have I let them slip to the wayside getting snug and comfortable in my safe daily routine”? If I’ve fallen in the […] Continue Reading →
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