Pairing Wines with Portugal’s Faithful Friend: Bacalhau
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...
A Tasca do João: A Simple Portuguese Restaurant with a Passion for Hospitality
Portugal is known for its diverse and delicious cuisine, which arguably, can best be enjoyed at one of the many local, hole-in-the-wall eateries in any city or town. Whether we’re talking a rustic lunch counter at a pasteleria, or a mom and pop restaurant tucked away in a tiny side-alley, often called tascas, nothing beats home-style, Portuguese...
A Foreigner’s Guide to Spanish Cheese: Mixed / Mixto (Part 5 of 5)
Our journey has taken us through mountainous terrain and spacious pastures; it has introduced us to the sprightly goat, the demure cow, and the helplesssheep. We have also eaten some of the most amazing cheeses produced in the world today. Our final gaze turns to those cheeses produced from a combination of two or three...
Port: Vintage 1827, by Raymond R. Rath
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...
Croatia: A Wealth of Flavors and Experiences! (Part 2)
Editor’s Note: As mentioned in Part 1 of this series, although this article is not directly related to either Spanish or Portuguese wine, we feel it’s important to occasionally give you a head’s up on various other wines we stumble across around the world. This article is based on a trip we took to Zagreb...
Croatia: A Wealth of Flavors and Experiences! (Part 1)
Editor’s note: Occasionally, we take a trip far from the Iberian Peninsula to explore uncharted territory for Catavino. Croatia was one such country. Hence, though not directly related to Spain or Portugal, this 2 Part series hopes to provide you with a glimpse as to what lies outside the Iberian border. When I say Croatia,...
Rioja Reserva, Pandering to the Lowest Common Denominator?
It is a fashion, of late, to praise ‘modern’ winemaking and its techniques. Up until very recently – if it isn’t still going on – the argument held that because US wine guru Robert Parker liked a certain style of wine, most wines were made to this standard (Parker wielded great power on behalf of...
Sierra de Gredos: A Treasure Trove for Old Vine Garnacha
I have a guilty secret. I just do not get the excitement about Grenache and Shiraz. Blended together, or on their own, these grapes often seem too much of a blunt instrument to me. That is not to say that I cannot appreciate that these are good wine grapes that have their place – of...
A Foreigner’s Guide to Spanish Cheese: Sheep / Oveja (Part 4 of 5)
Our gallivants through the pastures of the Iberian countryside now turn our gaze from the quiet and inert cow (vaca), and the rambunctious goat (cabra) to the timid and vulnerable sheep (oveja). I might even say that I am thankful for the animal’s reputation of stupidity – follow the shepherd and eat and drink to...
4th Annual NY Wine Expo: Taking a Trip through Portugal’s Wine Regions
Letting loose wine lovers in a tasting of the size of the New York Wine Expo is like putting a child in the middle of a candy store. It can get ugly. With exactly 760 wines from nearly 200 wineries from around the world, the three-day 4th Annual New York Wine Expo at the Javits...
Part 1: The Allens – How We Came to Know a Living Part of Port Wine History
I’ve wanted to write this post for 8 years now. In the beginning, my hesitation stemmed from a lack of platform to share the story on; and in the recent past, I’ve simply wondered how I could do it justice. I’ve wanted to tell it correctly, ensuring that I didn’t leave anything out or inadvertently confuse you,...
