February (much like January) may be that month when movie studios release their straight-to-streaming movies that may or may not star Steven Seagal. But, more important than obscuring horrid films (Downhill, Jan-Gel 2: The Beast Returns, Daredevil 2003), this is the amazing month of ‘love’ that’s no better adored cashed-in on than with Valentine’s Day. …

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For the fine makers of sparkling wines in Spain’s Catalunya region, the year started off on a ‘brown’ note as TV3, the main regional broadcaster, saw the New Year toasted in with… beer. (CAT) We at the CdC HQ are (very) alcohol agnostic and Estrella Damm is a fine lager, but, come on, the only thing less glamorous than watching NYE hosts chug a bottle o…

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We at CdC HQ would love to say that we’re blasting out this special “Holiday Edition”, but in reality, it’s more like the “Procrastinator’s Edition” so let’s get into it… right after this delicious cup of South Korean tea which is, well, “special tea” that a certain richest moron in the world might really enjoy.

Could it be that there just might be Yanke…

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If you’re as eagle-eyed as we at the CdC HQ think you are, then you’ll be noting the branding change for this fine publication. The reason? Well, much like Bari Weiss who managed to sell off her political vibe blog, The ‘Free’ Press for a slathering $150 million, we too have cashed the ass out to something with a different name. How much? Well, it certa…

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It had been a long week, but it was time to go home.

Being in the north of Istria, getting back to home meant crossing two international boundaries to go from Croatia, to Slovenia, and onwards to Italy where the cool confines of Vueling’s budget seating awaited at Marco Polo Airport.

The rump of Slovenia that reaches the Adriatic Sea forms what is only a …

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There are few more pressing issues at the moment than the pressure on the White House sommelier, Max Porswell, to finally release the Epstein Wine List.

Porswell has been putting up a brave front, trying to contend with the demands of the masses (including the CdC White House Press Detachment) by not commenting publicly. Enough has however been enough fo…

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I’d been in the center of Spain and now found myself staring down the barrel of Los Monegros in Aragón.

Every time I’m here, it’s the same feeling and I’m here often. Where this barren desert sits in the middle of the region is exactly where the officials decided to run the main highways across Spain as well as the highspeed train.

The region isn’t a huge…

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Did you ever wonder how to combine the arrogance of the sommelier craft with the moral superiority of natural wine? Oh? Not ever, even if you were dying from sobriety? Too bad because behold, it’s Gaggan II!

Their mandatory, unsubstitutable wine pairings are “a range” of non-interventionist wine types. In attempting to think about things, the head sommel…

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On 28 April, 2025, Spain and Portugal suffered a massive power outage that cut the electricity supply to the entirety of both countries. This, is most definitely how the day unfolded.

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We at the CdC bring you late-breaking news from 2018 in that, there appears to be excess stock of wine in Rioja and yes, wine tariffs in the United States could make this a great deal worse. Before you get your Gran Reservas in a bunch, do be aware that we’ll be following this story with the latest of outdated news once we receive an update on this stra…

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Well, things just keep being interesting, don’t they now?

That’s why it’s important to mention that just in time for the collapse of the Tequila market, Megan Thee Stallion is launching “her own” Tequila. We at the CdC are a hefty sack of sharp cookies so will also be launching our own signature Tequila called "Cul Shots" which will be made from only the…

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Via slow-breaking news in the world of “natural” wine, word comes down that benign RAW Wine fair autocrat, Isabelle Legeron has said that, “we really need to focus more heavily on delivering wines that are drinkable, well crafted, and balanced”.

Does this shocking revelation mean that countless people have long-been duped when they were buying that one-w…

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Christmas in Catalunya is perfectly normal.

Sure, they do the gift giving on January 6^th for Three Kings, but there’s still the Sweet Baby Jesus thing on the 25^th. It just happens that it’s then followed by Saint Stephen’s Day on the 26^th. While anyone British would recognize (recognise) this as Boxing Day, it’s also very much a Catalan thing that isn’t …

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As we roar into the holiday season, most publications are publishing their annual gift guides and we just want to emphasize that here at CdC HQ, we are completely not above this. Given our complete embrace of pandering, we encourage you to give the gift of humor to another or to yourself. We’re a member-supported publication and we should be clear in th…

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My Great Uncle George had Thanksgiving food and drink pairing down pat: “Everything tastes better with Budweiser”.

Straight shooting and always to the point, you’d never have known George was first generation Portuguese given his contentedness with America’s most generic of beers.

We are of course awash in choice these days and for those who like wine, Th…

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The CdC took some time off to get things a bit more lighthearted around here which meant having to rehire our Deep Humor Archivists to dig up the funnies. Thus we’ve learned that the largest Spanish tortilla in the world (ES) was made recently. Except! It’s not actually the largest as it has been fully and utterly invalidated due to its lack of onion. T…

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There are few Spanish train routes as striking as the ride from Barcelona to Tarragona.

The rails delicately perch along the edge of the sea as it follows the Mediterranean for most of the route and, even with the occasional, spicy surprise of very naked men strolling around the sands near Sitges (year round), it’s incredibly relaxing.

The relaxation is k…

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Hello and welcome to the beautiful fail season!

So, with the holidays coming, we all need to know if you like cheese? Like, really like cheese? Do you find it to be… an “addiction”? Well, we have bad news for you because if you’re addicted a) there is apparently a “cheese rehab” center out there but b) it costs $6,500 buckos a week to get that cheese mon…

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Everyone in the village knew when it was coming long before it arrived.

Sometimes I was just heading out the door with the dogs, when off in the distance WUMP, WUMP, WUMP would cut like a knife through the crisp morning air.

Other times, I was out in the vineyards, letting the dogs roam, discover whatever discarded bread there may be to liberate when down…

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In every Catalan village, the casal is always a four-walled testament to the religion of concrete-prone architecture that dominated Spanish construction in the later 20th century.

They’re always a far cry from the ajuntament or casa de vila which is usually housed in some historic building. And if not a pretty building, it’s a structure incredibly modern…

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