What Did I Learn from My Spanish Wine Certification Course?

In the beginning of June, when our eyes were all glazed from dreams of days spent lounging along the coast, drinking a glass of cava, Catavino announced an opportunity for 8 bloggers across the USA to attend a Certified Spanish Wine Course for free. Taught by the Wine Academy of Spain, this 3 day course […] Continue Reading →

Best Catavino Photos of 2008 – Which is your favorite?

I both love and hate Flickr. Some of the censorship issues have wavered my confidence in staying with them, while at the same time, the desire to upload my favorite pictures, and photos, gives me a great vision of the past year. After glancing through my photos from 2008, it seemed ludicrous not to share […] Continue Reading →

How to Reuse Old Oak Barrels While Practicing Sustainability

Although I am no John Radford, I’ve toured a few Iberian wineries in my day, and have always pondered if there was a sacred oak barrel cemetery for all those great wooden vats that have dedicated their lives to a wine’s evolution. For those of you that aren’t familiar with how a wooden barrel is […] Continue Reading →

The Opai Christmas Contruction Company: Building Gingerbread Houses Since December 24, 2008

That’s right, with the economy being what it is, we thought we could create another source of income by founding the Opai Christmas Construction Company, building Gingerbread houses for one and all. For a very reasonable fee, much less than those ridiculously priced Gingerbread Kits, the Opai Christmas Construction Company can build custom homes within […] Continue Reading →

Catavino’s Favorite Trips of 2008 – It’s been a great Iberian Wine Year

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 →

Part 2: Confessions of a Chinese Wine Consultant Continued – “The Vinous Bafflement”

Continued from yesterday: Fast forward to December 2008: there is now more retail here, albeit on a limited scale; and wine clubs of various sizes are sprouting for Beijing‘s wealthy (focus Bordeaux). Wine lists are becoming more exciting too with less evidence of wayward persuasion by strong-arm importers. Mercifully, tasting opportunities are more frequent and […] Continue Reading →

Part 2: Confessions of a Chinese Wine Consultant

Editor’s Note: Edward Ragg comes to us today with yet another two part series on the day and life of a Chinese wine consultant. And as much as it may seem like Catavino is slowly becoming an East Asian wine blog, with posts from both India and China, rest assured that we’re still Iberian focused. […] Continue Reading →

Part 1: Confessions of a Chinese Wine Consultant

Editor’s Note: As many of you know, we diverge from Iberian wine every now and again to give you new perspectives and experiences on wine from abroad. This week, our Chinese correspondent, Edward Ragg, of Dragon Phoenix Fine Wine Consulting gives his the first installment of his series on how he became a Chinese wine […] Continue Reading →

Vinho Verde RED, Reexamined

“Red? You sure that’s what you mean?” said the salesclerk looking at me dubiously. “Yes, I do”, I responded. “Sim, Vinho Verde TINTO“, I repeated to each and every retailer in various wine shops while hunting for this infamous red counterpart of the popular Portuguese white wine, Vinho Verde. What surprised me during my quest, […] Continue Reading →

Wake Up Spanish Wineries! Wine Pleasures is Here!

A bit of self promotion coming up. Ryan here, and come the last week in January, I will have the pleasure of speaking to a crowd of wine industry professionals about the Internets and wine, and more specifically, how to use the Interwebs to promote oneself to drum up some business. From the Wine Pleasures […] Continue Reading →