Harvesting the Priorat: Fermentation I – Maceration Techniques
A friend of ours Raymond Magourty (Raymondo) is working the 2009 harvest in Priorat, Catalunya for Celler Mas Doix, a prestigious wine producer located in the villlage of Poboleda whose Parker Points have elevated it in popularity. With his background in wine education, and ambition to learn more about the practicalities of wine-making, the winery employed him as ‘bodeguero’ during the harvest. Raymondo will continue chiming in for the remainder

II Annual European Wine Bloggers Conference Extraordinarily Brief Update
I am currently writing this from my VIP Grand Lisboa hotel room using every single ounce of energy I have left to get word out that all is well. As many of you already know, Ryan and I have spend the last 5 days in Lisbon hosting the II Annual European Wine Bloggers Conference, and to say it was a success would be an understatement, it was INCREDIBLE. And to give you a sense of what people are saying,

Palo Cortado, a Different Kind of Sherry
The WSET Diploma fortified wine exam was nailed down earlier this year. The next exam is sparkling wines so I have been sticking to the bubbly stuff since then. Not much else has made it through my front door, so just for a change, I thought I’d have a copa of sherry tonight. Something slightly unusual, a Palo Cortado. You might be wondering what a Palo Cortado is: Sherries are

Most Intriquing Restaurants in Valencia: Embrace Your Traditional and Eclectic Self
The talk was of me writing about “the best places to eat in the city of Valencia”, and I immediately felt slightly inadequate. Valencia does have its swanky Michelin-starred restaurants – Ca’Sento, Torr

Day Trips From Lisbon by Train & Bus: How to Explore Wineries and Quaint Seaside Villages
You’ve now explored Lisbon, but you’re itching to get out of the city. Then may I suggest exploring one of the numerous routes Lisbon’s train and regional bus system have to offer. You can find ample information about the Portuguese train system called, Comboi