Category: Cava

Bobal, Cava, Spain, Valencia, Wine bars, Wine travel

My Favorite places to drink wine in Valencia

Valencia, Spain’s third largest city after Madrid and Barcelona, is a charming, vibrant place with understated elegance and a more manageable feel and slower pace than its larger cousins, yet it has everything you need in a large city. This is the home of paella – the quintessential Spanish rice dish -, Valencia oranges, and a burgeoning wine industry from nearby Utiel-Requena and Alicante. After … Continue reading My Favorite places to drink wine in Valencia

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Catalonia, Cava, Galicia, Garnacha, Priorat, Rioja, Sherry, Spain, Travel

Spanish Winemakers are embracing old traditions

Spanish wines are undergoing a Renassaince, fueled by a newly-found self-belief in the unique combination of their land, their grapes, and the traditional know-how of their people across generations.Up to the recent past, Spanish winemakers always looked up to France as the gold standard and noticed how Italians used their deft marketing skills to build the image of Italian wine worldwide. During the last few … Continue reading Spanish Winemakers are embracing old traditions

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Cava, Godello, Listan Blanco, Palomino Fino, Priorat, Rioja, Spain

Must-have Spanish Wines for your cellar

Spain is a country of great diversity, as evidenced by its multiple languages, landscapes, customs, food, and, of course, wines. As discussed in a previous blog, Spain is going through a revolution in its vine-growing and winemaking practices. Producers are rediscovering indigenous grape varieties, regions, and forgotten vineyards, which is expanding the already rich list of different styles.  From the point of view of the serious wine … Continue reading Must-have Spanish Wines for your cellar

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Albarino, Catalonia, Cava, Galicia, Godello, Islas Canarias, Rias Baixas, Ribeiro, Valdeorras

Five White Spanish grapes you should try

In my recent post on Rias Baixas, I pointed out that most people would mention Albariño, along with Verdejo from Rueda as the iconic Spanish white varieties. Though the country continues to be best known for its hearty red wines, there are dozens of exciting white grapes worth getting to know. This group includes a mix of cool climate varieties from rainy Galicia such as … Continue reading Five White Spanish grapes you should try

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Cava, Spain

Cava’s Big Steps towards the Sparkling Elite

Fine bubbles, subtle yet complex. Toasty notes, rich texture, berry and floral notes and a mineral, almost steely finish.   Vintage champagne?  Close… though actually I’m describing high-end Cava.  Cava? Yes. For most consumers, the word “cava” usually brings to mind cheap, simple, inoffensive mass-produced sparkling wines from Spain. Millions are sold every year and most of them fit the descriptions above.  However, a handful of … Continue reading Cava’s Big Steps towards the Sparkling Elite

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Barcelona, Catalonia, Cava, Food, Travel, Wine bars

My Favorite Places to Drink Wine in Barcelona

Barcelona is one of the most visited cities in Europe and well-known as a place where one can eat and drink very, very well.  It is also the gateway to Catalonia’s wine country, with famous regions like Priorat and Penedes as well as up and coming D.O.s like Emporda, Alella, Conca de Barbera, Terra Alta, and Montsant. In the last few years I’ve been on … Continue reading My Favorite Places to Drink Wine in Barcelona

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Barcelona, Cava, Spain, Wine Events

Salon de Estrellas – The Best Value Spanish Wines

Earlier this month I had a chance to attend the “Salon de las Estrellas” event in Barcelona, organized by La Guia Peñin, Spain’s most famous and comprehensive wine guide. This event gathered the highest-rated Spanish wines (3, 4 or 5 Stars) that were also characterized by high quality-price ratio, with over 50 bodegas from all over Spain participating in the tasting. Though I’ve been a … Continue reading Salon de Estrellas – The Best Value Spanish Wines

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