If you visit Porto in the last week of February, be prepared to get wet – drenched even, as the rainy season can be almost tropical in its intensity. Metaphorically, you’ll also get drenched in wine, as the city hosts not just the huge Essencia do Vinho fair, but an ever-increasing range of off-events, lunches, […]
Discovering Irresistible Portuguese Wines – Simplesmente Vinho Read More »
A year ago this week, my now husband and I had just gotten married in the beautiful town of Sintra. There was so much we were celebrating – loved ones visiting us from afar, spending time with friends we hadn’t seen in years, our very dear friends’ wedding celebration just a few days before our
The Undiscovered Sparkling Wines of Portugal Read More »
Editor’s Note: Today, we’re very excited to introduce Cathy Fisher, an American currently living in Lisbon with her Portuguese husband. Cathy approached us with an infectious passion to share her love of Portuguese wine; and who are we to say no?! Welcome Cathy and thank you for getting us in the mood for old Vinho Verde! “Portuguese guys care
The Serious Side of Vinho Verde Read More »
Don’t let the bucolic fields of pink and white almond blossoms, abundant fruit orchards and twisty vineyards fool you, there’s a gory, bloody side to Northern Portugal. Here is where you’ll find extreme snout to tail eating, where winter pig slaughters are a time for families to bond, to roll up their sleeves and hand-wash
6 Extreme Foods of Northern Portugal – For Foodie Adventurers Read More »
Picnic season has arrived! Throughout the cold and rainy winter in Portugal, few people are keen to even venture outside their front door. However, once the weather turns sunny and warm, or more like blazing hot, the Portuguese head straight to greener pastures as wicker baskets overflow with fresh, local ingredients! Natural Parks of Portugal There are
How to Picnic Portuguese Style Read More »
I adore nature. Call me a tree-hugger, but I’m the girl saving spiders, running barefoot through the mud or picking up random leaves to inspect whether they have a particular aroma. I guarantee evolution would have killed me a century ago, if left to own devices. Nature is my place of rest and relaxation. And
Portugal’s Unknown Treasures: Peneda Geres National Park Read More »
Like most of northern Portugal, the geology of the Minho region is dominated by granite rocks. Rolling hills with massive round boulders cluster around peaks or are strewn about slopes and sandy river banks in the valleys. Every now and again, on my hikes through the forests or along the country lanes, I come across
Schist: A Cultural Staple in the Douro Valley and Beyond Read More »
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
Grilling Season: How Portuguese Expats Fire it Up and What They Pour to Cool Down Read More »
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
Pairing Wines with Portugal’s Faithful Friend: Bacalhau Read More »
In the American restaurant scene, the Spanish small plates, “Tapas, ” are no conundrum. But say the word “Pintxos” (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
Petiscos: The Portuguese Cousin of Spanish Tapas Read More »
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
Pairing Portuguese Wines with Roasted Fowl Read More »
It was autumn in the lush Minho region; an area of mist and granite of northern Portugal hard up against the border with Spain. Our elderly neighbor Manuel was calling over to us. It was mid-afternoon and time for a drink. He carefully poured the purple frothy liquid into white porcelain bowls and my husband
A Vindima: A Geologist’s Take on the Grape Harvest in the Minho Read More »
I’m pretty certain my father-in-law buys an extra dozen clams just for me each time he whips up his special recipe for the family. It’s not uncommon to catch him staring over at me as I devour mounds of the shellfish and sop up the garlicky sauce with Portuguese rolls. “Soninha, ” he says, teasingly.
Vinho Verde Wine Selection Reverts to Regional Portuguese Recipe Read More »
When drinking a Portuguese white wine, it’s difficult to encounter one that doesn’t express the lovely flavors of Arinto. Arinto’s big, compact bunches, made up of small or medium-sized yellowish berries are grown and cultivated in just about every wine region in Portugal, but happens to be the most readily available from the regions around
Arinto: The Chameleon of Portuguese Whites Read More »
Like Gabriella in Barcelona, I too have received several emails wondering what my ideal foodie day in Lisbon would consist of. And although Lisbon is comparatively smaller than Barcelona, the options for encountering incredible food and wine experiences are both various and plentiful. So allow me to take you on a tour of Lisbon taken
Planning A Trip To Lisbon? A Food and Wine Lover’s Perfect Day Read More »
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