Adrian Murcia Blame it on RiojaWhen I’m not busy envying them their chosen career paths, I’m invariably and almost daily drawn to their wine blog/web compendium of all things Iberian and vinous,
Portuguese expats in the U.S. like to joke that if there’s a waft of sizzling sardines in the air then a fellow immigrant can’t be too far. They’re usually right. Growing up in New Jersey, expats’ grills were hardly ever graced by the usual American fare of hot dogs, hamburgers, porter house steaks, ribs, lobster […] Continue Reading →
Since we have lived in Terrassa, a small industrial city outside Barcelona, there has been only one place to buy decent beer. Casa Evaristo is a specialty food store in the old part of the city with a wide range of odd ingredients, wines and foods. Sort of a Whole Foods in the way they overprice […] Continue Reading →
90% of the beer scene in Spain consist of cheap lagers. Nothing wrong with a cheap lager, but after a few, or sipping them for 6 years straight, you go numb from a lack of inspiration and flavor. If made in the traditional way, Lagers present simple flavors that are clean and leave your palate ready for […] Continue Reading →
Not an hour ago, Catalan blogger, Joan Gomez Pallares of Devinis requested that we hit the internets with an important Press Release. Normally, we’re not ones to republish PR’s verbatim, but in this case, we feel you should hear it directly from the winery itself. We tried to call the winery, Terroir al Limit, for […] Continue Reading →
From time to time, life gets a bit hectic when our more lucrative projects take center stage. For those of you who aren’t aware, Catavino is the promotional wing of our business, Vrazon, and although we would love for this to change (hint hint, wink wink), its success is purely driven by the deep-seeded passion […] Continue Reading →
A few Sundays ago, I attended the 3rd edition of the Salón de Vinos Naturalesa, an annual event held in Barcelona and hosted by l’Ánima de Vi. We stumbled across L’Ánima de Vi several years ago while wandering the backstreets of Gracia, which features natural wines from Spain, France, and occasionally, various other parts of the world. […] Continue Reading →
What follows is part two in my telling of the story of Villar d’Allen. If you have not read part 1, please do so now. This story was originally published in 1981 by my Grandfather, retelling his experience opening a Quinta do Noval 1827. I have included footnotes to clarify some points, otherwise, this has been left […] Continue Reading →
In the American restaurant scene, the Spanish small plates, “Tapas,” are no conundrum. But say the word “Pinxtos” (generally bread topped with a fish or meat mixture, especially popular in the Basque region of Spain) and you’ll lose a few people. Say the Portuguese word “Petiscos” and you’ll get a whole lot of blank stares. […] Continue Reading →
On cold winter evenings there’s nothing more heartwarming for this writer than a chicken roasting in the oven. The scent of herby seasonings enchant my senses and transport me to my mother’s kitchen in New Jersey where she roasts to perfection just as she learned to do back in the Old Country. In America, roasted […] Continue Reading →
Watching the snowflakes fall slowly to the ground from a warm and cozy kitchen in Minnesota, we couldn’t be happier to finally be among friends and family. A year away from home is a little torturous, in part, because our hot dish consumption goes down radically. Plus, we tend to go a little stir crazy […] 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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