Tempranillo Day

Yesterday, we celebrated “Tempranillo Day“, a concept put forward and championed by our friends at TAPAS (Tempranillo Advocates Producers and Amigos Society). And though a fabulous evening, “grape days”, which are all the rage right now (#cabernet day was also yesterday and #grenache day is coming up soon) are a bit tiring and becoming a little […] Continue Reading →

Pla i Llevant: An Island Region of Growing Quality

I feel a little sheepish to admit this, but Catavino has never been to an Iberian island. Of the 30+ islands floating carelessly off the Spanish, Portuguese and North African shores, we’ve only heard rumors of their incredible beauty, natural diversity and ample tourism. The Balearic Islands have sat squarely on my radar for years, in […] Continue Reading →

El Puño, Viogner, Vino de Mesa, 2009

Now I normally recoil from international varieties being propagated on Spanish soil like a liberal in Alabama. The idea of Pinot Noir in Castilla, for example, is about as revolting as seeing an Englishman in a baseball cap (to borrow a phrase from the Libertines). But, as we all know, Ribera del Duero is not […] Continue Reading →

Vibrant Rioja Tempranillo LIVE TASTING in New York on May 5, 2011

Are you a Rioja wine fanatic? Do you stay up late at night itching for that next bottle of vinous pleasure? If so, we have the event for you no matter where you are in the world! This Thursday, May 5th Tempranillo will be featured at the Vibrant Rioja 3rd Annual Grand Tasting in New […] Continue Reading →

Pairing Wines with Portugal’s Faithful Friend: Bacalhau

Editor’s note: In 2009, Catavino contributor Andrea Smith dove into the origins, popularity and over-fishing of cod fish or “Bacalhau” in my native Portuguese. Today, I pick up where Andrea left off with a greater focus on how to prepare the dry, salted version of this flavorful fish, featuring four dishes and a few wines […] Continue Reading →

Rioja Reserva, Pandering to the Lowest Common Denominator?

It is a fashion, of late, to praise ‘modern’ winemaking and its techniques. Up until very recently – if it isn’t still going on – the argument held that because US wine guru Robert Parker liked a certain style of wine, most wines were made to this standard (Parker wielded great power on behalf of […] Continue Reading →

Sierra de Gredos: A Treasure Trove for Old Vine Garnacha

I have a guilty secret. I just do not get the excitement about Grenache and Shiraz. Blended together, or on their own, these grapes often seem too much of a blunt instrument to me. That is not to say that I cannot appreciate that these are good wine grapes that have their place – of […] Continue Reading →

4th Annual NY Wine Expo: Taking a Trip through Portugal’s Wine Regions

Letting loose wine lovers in a tasting of the size of the New York Wine Expo is like putting a child in the middle of a candy store. It can get ugly. With exactly 760 wines from nearly 200 wineries from around the world, the three-day 4th Annual New York Wine Expo at the Javits […] Continue Reading →

Dominio de Sexmil: A Rising Star in Tierra del Vino de Zamora

Tierra del Vino (do not confuse this with Vino de la Tierra) is yet another small region pretty well overlooked by the wine world. Its full and correct name is Tierra del Vino de Zamora but everyone who lives within its borders calls it Tierra del Vino (land of wine). There are regular discussions over […] Continue Reading →

Wine Blog Wednesday #70 Wrap-Up: Reaching Out of Your Comfort Zone with Spanish Wines

Por fin! With a considerable amount of hours logged, searching for those few eluding posts, we have finally completed the wrap-up post for Wine Blog Wednesday #70 – a truly successful event! We gave you the daunting task of stepping out of your comfort zone to find a Spanish grape, wine style or region that […] Continue Reading →