Organic, Biodynamic, Natural… What Do These Wine Terms Really Mean?

This article was written by Mia Recto, from Manila, who completed an internship with our company. A few years ago, choosing a bottle of wine was mostly about the region, grape variety, or vintage. Today, however, wine labels increasingly feature terms such as organic, biodynamic, natural, regenerative, vegan, and PIWI. These terms describe different approaches […]

The Verdict of Salamanca

Spain against the Rest of the World.: A Blind Tasting Challenge Inspired by the historic Judgment of Paris of 1976, the famous experiment organized by wine merchant Steven Spurrier in which a panel of French judges blindly compared French wines with Californian wines, this event was born from a context of clear cultural imbalance. France […]

Your beer deserves a happy ending

There are two kinds of people in summer: the ones who accept drinking lukewarm beer because “well, it’s not that bad”… and the ones who show up carrying a Stanley. Because the Stanley isn’t just a mug. It’s a statement. It’s looking at warm beer and saying, “not on my watch.” Thanks to its insulation, […]

PIWI Grapes

PIWI is the acronym for Pilzwiderstandsfähige Trauben, which means “fungus-resistant grapes” (Pilze = fungi, widerstandsfähig = resistant). The history of PIWI varieties is closely linked to one of the greatest challenges in viticulture: vine diseases. In the 19th century, Europe suffered a devastating crisis with the arrival of phylloxera, an insect originating from America that […]

NEWS: You’ve spent your whole life drinking “wine”… and you may have been missing the best part

So much Rioja, so much swirling the glass, so many “notes of wood and vanilla”… but no one has told you that there is a parallel universe of fruit wines—blackberry, strawberry, cherry—that are dangerously good. And no, it’s not some hipster trend: in the Black Forest, this was everyday bread (or wine). I grew up […]

Interview with Dieter

Annabel, from England, is doing an internship at Catas Divertidas as part of a training project. Interested in Spanish wine culture, she interviews the founder, Dieter, about his career, the project and his passion for wine. What makes Catas Divertidas different from other tastings? The surprise factor (spicy vermouth, Blanc de Noirs cava, underwater wine, […]

Wine excursion to El Hierro and La Gomera

This month, many of the recommended wines lead us to the Canary Islands, and especially to El Hierro, a small and rugged island that hides a surprising viticultural richness. Visiting its wineries and tasting its wines is a constant journey of discovery, where landscape and wine engage in an intimate and sincere dialogue. Viticulture in […]

Sentia Gaba Spirits, explosion of flavour, zero hangover

A while ago I was at a party in Scotland and I was given a bottle of Sentia Gaba Red.  I opened it and mixed myself some drinks with tonic water. After having a few, I noticed a very pleasant feeling: I felt more upbeat, I became a little less shy, and I talked more […]

Ice beer: the official drink of snowmen

In recent years, ice beverages have won over the palates of lovers of intense and authentic flavours. From German ice wines (Eiswein), made with grapes that naturally freeze on the vine, to ice ciders from Quebec or Sweden, which concentrate the sweetness and essence of apples thanks to the cold, ice has become an unexpected […]

A preposition changes everything: orange wine from Condado vs orange wine

They share colour, but not history or soul. The Vino de Naranja from Condado de Huelva (a PDO) and orange wine could not be more different, even if grammar lumps them together. The first is pure southern Spain: white wine from Condado—mainly made from Zalema grapes—that is macerated with bitter orange peels and then aged […]