A Celebratory Milestone in the Vineyards: Budbreak

Whether it’s the sight of a flower blooming, or if you’re David Attenborough, the birth of baby elephants and tigers, the first glimpse of Spring does wonders to raise our spirits. A walk in the countryside or stroll in the park will reveal new growth in the flower beds and on the trees and the […] Continue Reading →

Interview with Catalunya Tour Operator: Nico James

Editor’s Note: Nico James has been a long time friend of Catavino. A daring entrepreneur, with a wicked sense of humor, he’s been our “go to” man whenever we need a fabulous tour of the Penedes. Today, we’ve asked Nico to provide you a little background on what drove him not only to Spain, but to […] Continue Reading →

Mas Candi: Reinvigorating the Native Grapes of the Penedès

As we’ve boasted on many an occasion, the Penedes is an unlimited geyser of native grapes. From our beloved Xarel.lo, a white chameleon grape capable of displaying intense tropical fruit and mineral aromas, to Samso, a vivacious and precocious  red grape, the Penedes is a multifaceted palette of flavors. Yet, despite our undying support for […] Continue Reading →

Icewine in the Penedes: The First Electrically Defined Wine

<rant>Twitter this past two days has been flooded with news that the Penedes region of Spain has approved a new DO for the category of Icewine. Reporting in Decanter Magazine, David Furer states: In Penedes grapes are frozen in a cold room, refrigerator, or with dry ice. Freezing on the vines is allowed, but in […] Continue Reading →

Sustainability in Winemaking is a Philosophy, Not a Religion

A few days ago, we mentioned that we were attending the II International Conference on Organic Viticulture, Sustainability and Climate Change (EcoSostenibleWine 2010) being held just south of Barcelona in Vilafranca de Penedes. The aim of the conference was to disseminate information on the latest technology in sustainability, organic procedures, and means to reduce the […] Continue Reading →

Barcelona: Which Wineries You Can Visit By Train

Quite often, we receive requests from people visiting Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon or Oporto, as to which wineries they can visit by train, taxi or foot. Our responses have commonly been, “Good question! And to be quite honest, I don’t know!” Well, maybe Oporto is the exception, as you have a plethora you can get to, […] Continue Reading →

A Couple of Wine Notes – Montau de Sadurní

Recently, Ryan and I were inspired by both Lenndevours and Spittoon, two wine blogs on either side of the vast Pacific Atlantic, for creating simple and straight-forward articles on wines they’ve tasted, and at times, just haven’t had the opportunity to share with others. Due to a large quantity wine notes slowly slipping through the […] Continue Reading →

The Festival of Sant Joan and an Incredible Rosé Cava

I sometimes like to believe that my father is a master pyromaniac in the most docile sense of the word. The week before Independence Day, my brother and I would pile into the back of my father’s car and go for an hour and half car ride north to Wisconsin, where it is legal to […] Continue Reading →

NV Rimarts Brut Reserva and DO Cava's New Image

At the end of March, we threw a little shindig for Ryan on his birthday consisting of wine, mounds of grilled butifarra and dozen friends. And with the appropriate social graces, many of our friends came bearing gifts, all looking distinctly similar to a bottle of wine. Clearly, they had been well versed in the […] Continue Reading →

WBW 45 – Old World Reisling

Today, I have a treat for myself. I need a treat. It’s been one of those weeks that leaves you wondering why you even bother going to bed, since you’ll be up at back at work the minute you wake up again. Recently, my days have started to feel drawn out and full of ups […] Continue Reading →