Meet the faces behind the wine

The origin of Santa Catalina del Mañán, popularly known in its beginnings as Bodega del Mañán, dates back to 1962 with the founding of a large winery in the plain of Mañán, Monóvar.

The history of the winery is the result of the initiative of some thirty farmers with their own wineries, who come together to solve a logistical problem regarding the transport of wine, creating the great Mañán winery, with better facilities, logistical conditions and location. Years of hard work in close collaboration with its members have led Bodega Santa Catalina to differentiate itself by its proximity and simplicity, demonstrating great professionalism, in a clear commitment to the promotion and culture of wine in Alicante.

Being an example of this desire to promote and publicize the richness of the long wine-growing tradition of its area, taking an active part as one of the Alicante wineries that participate in the Alicante Wine Route, with Monóvar being a founding partner.

Our Test

We were able to speak with José Antonio Valera from the winery and we were lucky that he wanted to answer our questionnaire to get to know him and his work better.
Go for it!

1. What do you like the most about everyday life in your winery?

Pass the orders and see how the winery evolves favorably.

2. Guilty pleasure - a wine that you always have on hand (from another winery)

White tablecloth Sauvignon Blanc.

3. If your winery were representative of a party, what holiday would it be?

San Juan.

4. If you could choose any famous / historical person to represent the winery, which one would you choose?

Juan Sebastián el Cano.

5. If you could have one super power, what would it be?

The power to generate resources so that the most disadvantaged peoples can generate their own food.

6. In which non-winemaking publication (magazine / blog) would you like to be published?

Hello.

7. Bonus track - What's the craziest thing you've done for work / wine?

Leaving an important position in a multinational company to come to this exciting and enriching winery project. Caterina.

Meet the faces behind the wine

The origin of Santa Catalina del Mañán, popularly known in its beginnings as Bodega del Mañán, dates back to 1962 with the founding of a large winery in the plain of Mañán, Monóvar.

The history of the winery is the result of the initiative of some thirty farmers with their own wineries, who come together to solve a logistical problem regarding the transport of wine, creating the great Mañán winery, with better facilities, logistical conditions and location. Years of hard work in close collaboration with its members have led Bodega Santa Catalina to differentiate itself by its proximity and simplicity, demonstrating great professionalism, in a clear commitment to the promotion and culture of wine in Alicante.

Being an example of this desire to promote and publicize the richness of the long wine-growing tradition of its area, taking an active part as one of the Alicante wineries that participate in the Alicante Wine Route, with Monóvar being a founding partner.

Our Test

We were able to speak with José Antonio Valera from the winery and we were lucky that he wanted to answer our questionnaire to get to know him and his work better.
Go for it!

1. What do you like the most about everyday life in your winery?

Pass the orders and see how the winery evolves favorably.

2. Guilty pleasure - a wine that you always have on hand (from another winery)

White tablecloth Sauvignon Blanc.

3. If your winery were representative of a party, what holiday would it be?

San Juan.

4. If you could choose any famous / historical person to represent the winery, which one would you choose?

Juan Sebastián el Cano.

5. If you could have one super power, what would it be?

The power to generate resources so that the most disadvantaged peoples can generate their own food.

6. In which non-winemaking publication (magazine / blog) would you like to be published?

Hello.

7. Bonus track - What's the craziest thing you've done for work / wine?

Leaving an important position in a multinational company to come to this exciting and enriching winery project. Caterina.

The wine

Young wine of an intense greenish yellow color, with an intense and persistent aroma, of citrus and tropical fruits and white flowers. In the mouth it is slightly acidic, sparkling, very easy to drink for new consumers. It is made from a blend of Moscatel (60%) and Macabeo (40%). It is an ideal wine to taste only very cold and accompany Tapas or, as indicated by its bottle with cooked seafood, or, if you feel adventurous, desserts and sweets.

Wine Personality Test

We have asked José Antonio Valera his vision of wine and he has answered the personality questionnaire, in which the wine is portrayed to perfection:

1. If wine were a famous / fictional character, what would it be? Why?

Actress Gal Gagot, for her beauty, finesse and elegance.

2. What if it were an animal? Why?

Iberian lynx. Its aesthetic beauty.

3. The reason for the label and the name.

It goes very well with our gastronomy. The motifs of the sea, Mediterranean, freshness, subtlety.

4. Your match. What would be your perfect companion?

Good shrimp for me.

5. Is it more beach or more mountain? Why?

Without a doubt, cool beach goes in very well and almost everyone likes it.

Match your moment

As for its pairing, this white fits perfectly with seafood, fish, desserts and sweets. We recommend it with something classic, but super tasty:

Mussels with marinara sauce:

Ingredients:

Mussels, 2 kg
Garlic, 2 cloves
Onions, 2
Tomato sauce, 2 tablespoons
Paprika de la Vera sweet, 1 tablespoon
Wheat flour, 2 tablespoons
White wine, 200 ml
Mussels cooking water, 200 ml (or fish broth)
Salt to taste
Extra virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons
Parsley, 3 or 4 sprigs

Preparation

1. Clean the mussels

The mussels can bring remains of rope, algae and various adhering shells, so the first thing we must do is clean them well.

To do this, we put them in the clean sink, we scratch the shell and rinse them well under the stream of cold water. If any of them have a broken shell or are open, we throw them away.

2. Cook the mussels and remove the shells

We put a pot to heat, preferably an iron pot, and when it is so hot that we see that it begins to smoke. At that time, we add the mussels and cover the pot. The humidity of the mussels will generate steam and with it they will cook.

We let them cook for a couple of minutes until they open and, when they do, we take them out of the pot and reserve the mussels on one side and, on the other, the broth that will remain in the pot, which is nothing more than the water that they have released the mussels. Pure taste of the sea.

3. Prepare the marinara sauce for mussels

In a pan or low casserole - it looks great in a clay pot - we heat the extra virgin olive oil in which we will start by sautéing the peeled and finely chopped garlic cloves until they start to dance and give off all their aromas.

Next we add the finely chopped onions and let them fry until golden brown.

When the onion is golden, add the chopped parsley and the flour, which we will cook for a couple of minutes so that it loses the raw flavor.

Add the white wine and boil until the alcohol evaporates.

We add the broth that we had reserved for the mussels and, if the quantity of the latter is not enough, we can add a little water or fish broth.

We also add the tomato sauce and mix everything well.

Add the paprika and cook over medium low heat for about five minutes, stirring from time to time so that our marine sauce for mussels does not stick to the bottom.

Finally, we add the mussels that we have reserved and cook for a couple of minutes to warm up.

4. Serve

Before serving our mussels in seafood sauce, we let them rest for a few minutes in the casserole so that the flavors settle well. We can present them at the table in the casserole itself as a starter so that each one can be served to taste or we can plate them accompanied by a portion of white rice or cooked potatoes to have a unique dish that is simple and delicious.