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!

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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Michael Jacobs

2020-02-06T01:29:04+0000

Ryan and his team are very humble. I've traveled the world for food and wine, having many amazing experiences along the way. For our trip to Portugal my wife and I wanted insider access to the best experiences without getting bogged down in too many touristy things. Ryan and his teams services were more than worth every penny we spent. The team at Catavino have an uncommonly detailed and up to date list of recommendations that they tailored for us based on our requirements and when we would be traveling. They arranged all of the details and allowed us to really enjoy our trip. The wine tastings, tours and meals they arranged were all superb. While we may have found and arranged a few of them on our own there's no way we would have found or been able to arrange them all. I also credit them with two of the most incredible tasting experiences of my life. One was at a family winery tasting ports out of barrels and the other was in Madeira tasting through all of the grape varietals used in vintage bottles going way way back in time. We've always planned out our trips on our own to save money, but we made the exception to work with Catavino this time as it was clear that they could provide great value and many unique experiences. They then completely exceeded our expectations. We can't recommend them enough!

Jeff Burrows

2020-01-05T19:39:47+0000

We had a wonderful multi-day tour of northern Portugal with Ryan at Catavino. They organized the tour around our interests (wine, food, culture) and budget. Ryan was a superb guide and our visits included intimate winery visits, lunch with the winemaker and a wonderful walking food tour in Porto. We'll be back!

Bob Sfire

2019-11-10T19:33:21+0000

we are a regular group of experienced upscale travelers. we have been many exotic places and serious hikes. and we all agreed that our Catavino Portugal 3 week trip with Ryan was outstanding. maybe the best or right up there with a guided trip to Bhutan. we ate and drank superbly. and stayed at very nice inns. Ryan is on a first name basis with many upscale restaurants and wineries and we were treated like rock stars at all these places. our seafood extravaganza dinner and the 77 year old port wine tasting was the best meal that I have ever had on a vacation. tell him what you want and it will be even better. Catavino is very strongly recommended.

Lauren Walts Marwil

2019-09-20T12:28:18+0000

We booked a food tour in Porto through Catalina. It was a top notch experience from start to finish. They were quick to respond to my inquiry and communicated with us throughout the process. Catavino also sent us tons of information about Porto to help us with our trip planning. The tour was a highlight of our trip. Maria and Bruno were so informed and interesting and funny. It was such fun eating our way through Porto with them both.

Anita Lee Breland

2019-09-10T08:45:54+0000

A beautiful day in the Douro… Gorgeous scenery of course, but our bespoke itinerary included a visit to Favaios for bakeries and a Moscatel tasting, a worker’s lunch and winery visit in Pinhão and a short stop in Amarante to see the church and sample pastries there. We traveled with our guests in air-conditioned comfort and with a superb, English-speaking driver. Benjamin kept us on schedule, organized our lunch (which included a couple of tasty extras), and as a Douro native, spoke passionately about his home territory. Our visitors loved every minute of the day, and so did we. Thank you, Catavino!

Alyssa Danielle

2019-07-16T20:41:46+0000

The cooking class was incredible! We took the class in Lisbon, Portugal. Our chefs were friendly, warm, and made the experience unforgettable. Aside from cooking amazing food, we were part of the entire process, from picking out the fresh ingredients in the market to cooking the meal, and then getting to enjoy the cooked meal with the chefs out on the balcony. It was an overall wonderful experience. Thank you for giving us this experience. I highly recommend this to anyone who visits Lisbon.

Paula Calheiros

2019-06-20T13:12:31+0000

As a local, exploring my own city - Porto - through the eyes and tastes of others is always a challenging experience, and I had a great experience with Catavino - learning a lot of hidden facts and stories about our portuguese daily pleasures (tea, coffee, beer, wine...). 3 pleasant hours that pass without noticing, ending at the beautiful Wine Shop - The Lab, where Ryan, the owner, welcomes you with a smile and an assumed love for Portugal. I could only raise my glass and say Cheers to all these beautiful moments. Thank you Catavino.

Caterina TheFox Segantini

2019-06-17T12:23:41+0000

Ryan and Will are amazing! You can learn a lot about Porto and in a different way with The History of Portugal in 5 Glasses tour. Fantastic, approved by an italian! ;)

Paulo Prata

2019-06-17T12:14:28+0000

Had a great experience in the walking tour, and as a Portuguese I learned a lot of things about the history and the origin of some of the things we normally take for granted in this beautiful country of ours. Thank you Catavino.

Lisa Marie Schulte

2019-02-27T00:21:26+0000

You have to check this out!!

Patti Berg Judalena

2018-10-20T17:37:01+0000

Recently back from a Fall Harvest Wine & Food Tour in northern Portugal. Ryan and his team of angels of Catavino created an absolute exceptional itinerary for our group of 10 from Minnesota. From our first winery visit to grape stomping to our splendid view from our hotel in the Douro Valley, the Catavino team left no details behind. We were treated like esteemed guests everywhere we went and even treated like family is more like it! I'm going through withdrawal and plan to go back with the whole family in the near future. One of our guests summed it up like this during one of our lunches, "Patti, I feel like I've died and gone to heaven. Just when I think I had the best day ever, the next day is even better!" I highly recommend anyone, whether it's the two of you or a group, to look no further than Ryan and Catavino who will customize and personalize an itinerary that will surprise and delight you beyond your wildest dreams. Amen

Kim O'Malley

2018-09-30T19:39:16+0000

A week like no other. Catavino designed an amazing tour for our private group. Ryan Opaz's personal relationship with so many in the wine/food industry allows for intimate experiences everywhere we went, unlike anything we have experienced before. Lisbon, the Duoro, Porto...all were fascinating. Catavino can design trips of any length and scope to suit your criteria. Obrigada!

George L. Leonard

2018-06-09T18:06:54+0000

Catavino is Ryan Opaz. But Ryan Opaz is not all of Catavino. There is a team behind the scenes. He is a Renaissance man with a great knowledge of food, wine and culture. We enjoyed three days with Ryan as he guided us through the Douro Valley and the ancient town of Porto. Although Ryan has a huge database of facts in his brain, he is also a treasure house of stories. You will discover the “real” Douro and Porto, not the tourist version. Ryan is always greeted like an old friend everywhere you go because he has a vast network of relationships. You will not get a stock tour: you will get an experience tailored to your interests and tastes. Ryan will take you to places you cannot enter as a tourist on your own. The guides in the Quintas and Port Houses learn from Ryan, not the other way around. American? Yes. Portuguese? Yes. Ryan lives in both cultures but is completely a “native” son of Portugal. Recommended for the wine enthusiast and professional, and for small groups. You must get to know Catavino.

Ольга Шелег

2017-12-20T14:00:18+0000

Debbie Tarnow Getlin

2017-10-16T23:47:00+0000

What an amazing trip with a fantastic group of people. It was an education about wine we couldn't have experienced anywhere else. Our guide, Ryan Opaz, was extremely knowledgable and brought great enthusiasm to the experience.

David Waldschmidt

2017-10-15T15:44:05+0000

Fantastic tour of the Portugal wine country organized and conducted by the Catavino team. Echoing the comments of the previous reviews below, my wife and I experienced one memorable experience topped each day by the next memorable experience. A week of friendship, learning and interacting all in an environment that was stimulating and stress free. Kudos to Catavino for a wonderful and supremely well organized trip.

DiAnn Lawson

2017-10-10T18:03:43+0000

Our Fall Harvest trip through the Douro valley led by Ryan Opaz and organized by the talented team at Catavino was truly a once in a lifetime experience (well maybe twice)! This was an ongoing visual and sensory experience from start to finish with several “pinch yourself” moments along the way. Like most learning experiences I feel like I’ve retained a fraction of what I learned about the wines and cuisine or Portugal. I guess that’s a reason to do it again

Cornell Anderson

2017-10-04T11:24:00+0000

We just completed a Fall Harvest tour that was organized and led by Catavino Tours. The entire experience was wonderful and met all of our expectations. The tour included several days in and near Lisbon, and then five days in Porto and the wineries and vineyards along the Douro River. All aspects of the tour were planned to provide an exceptional experience for our group of eleven friends. Our tour guide, Ryan Opaz, was extremely knowledgeable about the wines, the Quintas, the history of Port and Portuguese table wine and the country of Portugal. Finally, the food was amazing and included several dinners and lunches with wine makers who were personally know by Ryan. The tour and experience could not have been better!

José Manuel Santos

2017-09-22T16:40:05+0000

Simplesmente fantástico para quem quer conhecer Portugal e Espanha e experimentar o que de melhor têm estes dois países para oferecer, a Catavino é o parceiro ideal para organizar aquela experiência especial para não mais esquecer.

Anna Gunn

2017-09-19T12:00:27+0000

The Catavino team is world class. A tour with them is guaranteed to be something that you won't forget. They show you a true picture of what goes on, busting myths about the wine and port industry to show you the real side of Douro. Their level of knowledge is incredible, and we had access to wine tasting, grape stomping and meet the faces behind the wine industry. I can't even begin to describe the amazing lunch at the farm, overlooking the most spectacular views that only the Douro provides - breath taking!! It is guaranteed to be filled with passion and love, leaving you with a yearning to come back time and time again. Can't recommend this enough.

Sara Scattarella White

2017-09-14T22:26:06+0000

My husband and I had a wonderful day on a private tour with Ryan throughout the Douro Valley. He is extremely knowledgeable and helped us learn to appreciate Port. Beyond the wonderful private tasting sessions, he also brought us to a delicious lunch at a local Portuguese restaurant. Throughout the entire day, he provided us with tips and recommendations for the remainder of our journey throughout Portugal. The whole day was the highlight of our trip! We would HIGHLY recommend it!

Kathryn Schutz

2017-06-30T11:32:25+0000

Ana arranged a trip for my client through Portugal. My client is a single woman traveling alone and she had the time of her life! I felt very good about having her in Catavino's hands. Thank you for introducing her to Portugal in such a wonderful manner.

Steve John

2017-02-09T04:40:53+0000

Geraldine da Luz

2016-12-24T04:52:52+0000

Nuno Caldeira

2016-11-25T11:53:47+0000

David Mulally

2016-08-22T06:42:40+0000

I can only second the comments written here. Catavino is highly professional and will stop at nothing to give you an incredible, unforgettable time. All the biggest highlights from my recent trip to Portugal and Spain were made possible by Catavino. I know how much work goes into it- thank you so much Ryan and team. I'd trust you with my holidays any time.

Marcie Schultz Eilers

2016-08-10T00:08:20+0000

We were part of the 2016 Harvest Tour and had the experience of a lifetime! The Douro Valley is breathtakingly beautiful and our guides were wonderful. Ryan and Gabriella must have called in all of their personal favors because we met and drank wine with many winemakers, a wine shop owner and tasted '72 port which Oscar Quevedo's grandfather had made. Doesn't get any more special than that! Of course, gourmet food at every meal as well. We'll be back!!

Miriam van Nie

2016-08-07T14:19:35+0000

When there were hiccups in the itinerary; Catavino was nothing but gracious. They understood what our visit meant to us & offered us fantastic guides & activities. We ooh'ed & aah'ed, ate & drank almost too well (!) & we laughed for days. Deep thanks.

Heiðrún Schnoes

2016-07-28T13:49:47+0000

Thank you for an amazing and unforgettable week!! Great itinerary, great tour guides - fun, original and unique experiences every day!

Louis Marmon

2016-07-11T20:26:42+0000

No enough words, even for a wordsmith like me, to say how wonderful it was spending time with Gabriella and Ryan. Our tour with Ryan as our guide to the Douro Valley was spectacular. Excellent wines, wonderful views, terrific people and a delightful lunch topped off with a lovely boat ride. Highly recommended!!

11:46 19 Sep 17

This team is first class, they are knowledgeable of all areas of wine, and the Douro. If you are looking for something to do when in Porto I cant recommend their tours enough - first class. Many places here say they offer the authentic version of Porto, but rarely do - these tours go into places that others don't, they bust the myths of wine, Port and give you the real insights, show you the faces behind the wine. The tours offered here give you something that is unique, filled with passion and love for this wonderful city and surrounding areas.

Anita Breland

13:51 19 Sep 17

Looking to enjoy a great excursion through some of the world's most beautiful vineyards? Our group's tour off the beaten path with Catavino was a carefree day of discovery in fine company, and with memorable food and wine. A big plus was an opportunity to spend time with a winemaker happy to share his family story, expertise and excellent wine. I cannot think of a better way to experience the authentic Douro!

11:23 04 Oct 17

Julie Dawn Fox

14:18 21 Sep 17

Just spent a wonderful day in the Douro wine region with the Catavino team and a local winemaker. We had breathtaking views of a side of the Douro that most visitors don't get to see, knowledgeable explanations of the grapes, wines and processes and of course, delicious table and port wines, some poured straight from the barrel. The highlight of the day was the chance to join the Purple Foot Club by treading grapes in stone tanks.

Flavio Bastos Amiel

09:53 19 Sep 17

Yesterday we had the chance to visit a few places in the Douro with Catavino. We had the chance to meet one very young producer (Oscar Quevedo: thanks!) who did a complete tour through one of his vineyards and educated us on the different types of grapes the Douro has to offer and how the wine in this winery is made. The highlight was a great food experience in the winery while staring at the amazing Douro landscape, while sipping whites, red and port wine from the same house. Thanks!!

Tom Fakler

09:26 15 Nov 17

Outstanding day trip from Porto with Catavino! We spent a day off the beaten path in the Douro wine region and its spectacular scenery. We visited a winery where the vintner gave us the most authentic and informative tour of the vineyards and wine cellar we have had. We tasted this year’s new wine and port from a 10,000-liter cask. We had a gourmet lunch with wines perfectly paired. Our tour was in the harvest season and we were able to participate in the traditional stomping of grapes in a granite lagar. It was a fun time for all! Catavino and team know the area and vintners well, and this made our day truly special.

15:35 15 Oct 17

My wife and I had a first rate experience touring the wine country in Portugal. Catavino Tours organized the trip for us and friends. The tour was organized down to the most specific details permitting us an experience unencumbered with worry or stress. Best of all, Catavino is extremely well versed in the wine business, the wine country and the people behind the wineries. As a result, we were treated to experiences and face to face interactions that we would never have had on our own or with someone less tied into the art of making wine.

Award-Winning Content about Spain and Portugal

Contributors

Ryan Opaz

Gabriella Opaz

Sonia Nolasco

Sam Zucker

Rochelle Ramos

Andrea Smith

Melissa Leighty