William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

Transformed by my first visit to Catalonia. I shared with an acquaintance this summer, who is a little lost in life, that, " When I was in Catalunya two years ago, it was the first time I felt like I found a place where I belonged. It was as if I had finally found home. That's the kind of place I believe you are seeking." The Catalan people, their beautiful language, delicious cuisine and their world class wines, all felt familiar, but somehow forgotten. While I was there, I realized that a part of me was missing, and I found that essential part of me in Catalunya. I now consider Catalunya the home I did not know. The home I yearn to return to. Somehow. Today, I am sharing my sentiments toward Catalunya, vi Català (Catalan wine), my desire to return and a bit about what I have learned and wish to experience. “Wine brought me to Catalunya, wine will likely bring me back.”  Visiting the village of Gratallops in Priorat, Catalunya. Where is Catalunya? Catalo...

Tri-lingual signage at Bodegas Torres , Català, Spanish and English. "Raimon, Manel's brother, was our wonderful wine country guide to Priorat. His deep gravelly voice was a pleasure. Català spoken as if from the rocky ground itself. His quiet, reserved demeanor hid great depths of knowledge and passion. My affection grew throughout the day."  William Pollard Jr 25 June 2016. This is Part 2. of my series of posts about Catalunya, what I experienced and what I learned. I learned a great deal. Of course, there will be information on Catalan wine. You can jump to the Outline if needed. "The etymology of   Catalunya  and  català  remains an unsolved mystery. There are obviously a large number of proposals, but none of them are totally convincing."   Etymology of català, Catalunya:    by  Miguel Carrasquer Vidal, June 2013 Once I knew I was flying to Barcelona, I began cramming Spanish, downloading Castilian podcasts a...

Time to take home a taste of Catalunya! Wine is truly about food, family and friends. This self-evident truth was presented clearly to me when I received two bottles of wine from DO Catalunya for review. Unexpectedly, the following week I received two gifts from my sister-in-law who lives in Spain; the first a book on the Catalan wine regions and the second a book on Catalan cuisine ! That is synchronicity. Thank you Crystal for the wonderful gifts.  DO Catalunya is one of twelve Denominació d’Origen in Catalonia. Catalonia/Catalan is the wine growing region in Northeastern Spain surrounding Barcelona. Catalan? Catalunya? The DO Catalunya is one of twelve Denominació d’Origen in Catalonia. Catalonia/Catalan is the wine growing region in Northeastern Spain surrounding Barcelona. Catalonia produces over 140 million bottles of wine and 240 million bottles of Cava. Wine has been produced in Catalonia for over 2,500 years. Rome was particularly fond of many wines from t...