Award-Winning Content about Spain and Portugal

Contributors

Since 2005, Catavino has provided comprehensive, award-winning content about Iberian food, wine and culture! With the indispensable help of our contributors, we’ve gathered a decade of quality content! Active in the wine and food industry and based in Spain and Portugal, their first-hand experiences have provided passionate articles that both meaningful and relevant. From traditional Spanish recipes to phenomenal Portuguese wines, Catavino has done our very best to help you prepare for your next Iberian adventure. 

If you have an idea for an article, please never hesitate to contact us. We’d love your feedback and are always looking for great content!

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  Ryan Opaz

  Born in Minnesota, Ryan is the co-founder and CEO of Catavino . He's also a Knight of the Port Wine Brotherhood, Certified Port Wine Educator and Certified Sherry Educator. Although a chef at heart, Ryan's time is spent giving workshops and speeches internationally on social media and blogging for wineries. Examples of his work include: Wine Future, London International Wine Fair, Essência do Vinho, WBIS, Fine Wine, and many more. He currently lives in Porto, Portugal where he explores the country with his camera and family. Check out his photos.

  Check Ryan's story archive

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  Gabriella Opaz

  Born and bred in Chicago, Gabriella is the co-founder and Editor-and-Chief of Catavino. As an award-winning speaker and writer, she uses stories to create a human connection between worlds that would otherwise never converge. Her recently published book, "The Undiscovered Food Stories of Northern Portugal" was inspired by the alluring grandmother stories inside Porto's centenarian open-air market, Mercado Bolhão.

  Check Gabriella's story archive

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  Sonia Nolasco

  Born in Lisbon, Sonia grew up in the Ironbound, a vibrant Portuguese immigrant enclave in Newark, New Jersey. Sonia’s passion for Portuguese culture, food and wine eventually led her to Catavino, where she has primarily focused on giving a voice to a Portugal less traveled. Sonia is the co-author of "Porto: Stories from Portugal’s Historic Bolhão Market." Learn more about Sonia at www.portugallesstraveled.com and follow her on Twitter @reddishSonia, Instagram @sonia_a_nolasco, and facebook/sonia.nolasco.773

  Check Sonia's story archive

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  Sam Zucker

  Sam is originally from Boston, MA. USA. He studied ecology and Spanish language during his undergraduate degree at Hampshire College (Amherst, MA). He then went on to train as a chef at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America (Hyde Park, NY) and earn an introductory certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2013. He currently lives in Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain and works as a Community Manager and Content Creator for a Barcelona-based Social Media agency. He also is an active culinary tour operator specialized in historic gastronomy tours of Barcelona, and works as a freelance food/travel writer for several outlets. Find his Blog:  Zucker & Spice Travel. Follow his Barcelona lifestyle on Instagram: @saz444 and Snapchat: @sam_zucker

  Check Sam's story archive

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  Rochelle Ramos

  Originating from the Pacific Northwest region on the US, Rochelle grew up on a small farm where she learned the importance of good food. Now living on a small quinta in the Ribatejo region of Portugal, she has made it her job to research and learn the food culture and stories behind her new home. This has led to a need to share her findings with others who are interested in the beautifully simple and rustic gastronomy of Portugal through photography and writing. A professional photographer and writer, Rochelle's work has been published on a variety of online food magazines and can be found on her personal blog at Acquired Life.

  Check Rochelle's story archive

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  Andrea Smith

  Andrea moved to Campo de Ourique, Lisbon, in early 2008 with a dream to work and learn more about Portuguese wine. Born in Northern Virginia in 1983, Andrea's Italian family taught her the importance of pairing fresh food with great wine, eventually motivating her to graduate from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), where she earned an Associates and Bachelor's degree in Culinary Arts and Business Management, as well as her Introductory Certificate from the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2004. Andrea uses her love of culture, gastronomy and language to research the hidden recipes and wines of Portugal.

  Check Andrea's story archive

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  Melissa Leighty

  Melissa Leighty is freelance writer and photographer. She has work appearing or forthcoming in Colloquium, Salt, English Journal, The Culture Trip, and All Those. When she's not traveling the globe in search of new tastes and inspiration, you can find her at work on her first cookbook about Catalan cuisine.

  Check Melissa's story archive