Catalan Wines

New DOQ Priorat wineries to know, 2020 edition

by  |  19-10-2020

The wines being produced under the auspices of DOQ Priorat are always in flux and always evolving. They have to because the region from hence they issue forth grows ever more extreme while at the... more »

A farewell to beloved Barcelona wine bar, Monvínic

by  |  05-10-2020

Monvínic, one of the first truly-dedicated wine bars in Barcelona that was once hailed as the best wine bar in the world by a Wall Street Journal columnist, finally announced last week that they’ve closed... more »

Searching for Cinsault… in France

by  |  26-08-2020

Trying to grasp the world of wine is all about drawing parallels which is why I contend that the Southern French grape, Cinsault is the up-and-coming Malbec for a new age of wine drinking. What... more »
Photo from DOC Rioja

A better understanding of Rioja’s “Viñedos Singulares”

by  |  17-08-2020

In 2019, the first “Viñedos Singulares” or “single vineyards” in DOC Rioja were certified. This first batch saw 84 vineyards certified under the new scheme, covering 154ha, which I think by any measure would be... more »

The wines of DOQ Priorat in 2020

by  |  30-07-2020

Having written about the wines of Priorat for nearly a decade, some readers might wonder if I’m perhaps a touch bored of, you know, year in, year out tasting Grenache and Carignan wines from these... more »

DO Cava releases new zones, tweaks, & a fresh serving of brand-new names

by  |  23-07-2020

So, it took about two years. This was time DO Cava spent consulting and figuring out how to release a zone and subzone classification scheme. This is no small feat given that the idea is... more »

Bell Cros, where paths meet in DO Montsant

by  |  10-07-2020

In goes without saying that Stockholm is further from Barcelona just as Barcelona is further from Priorat. And, Barcelona is farther from the Priorat county than its capital, Falset is from the Aiguasals paratge that’s... more »

The wines of DO Empordà in 2020

by  |  16-06-2020

In years past and in times not like these, whenever visiting Alt Empordà in the far northeast of Catalunya, I’d try to find a way to have a drink on the terrace of the Almadraba... more »

2020, the gift that keeps on giving

by  |  11-06-2020

Starting in March it became readily apparent that 2020 was going to be a real slog for wine. When restaurants, bars, and hotels are closed due to a global pandemic, wine doesn’t sell which is... more »

Understanding the Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2010-2017 vintages via Domaine la Barroche

by  |  09-06-2020

I seem to have a knack in catching Julien Barrot of Domaine la Barroche at awkward moments whenever I’m in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. When I first profiled their cellar, I stopped by while the whole family was... more »