Discovering Priorat: wine tourism and heroic viticulture
We traveled to one of the most beautiful regions of Catalonia, sea and mountains , of nature and wine. More than 80 kilometers of paradisiacal beaches, the Gold Coast It can boast of having an almost privileged climate, with an almost unreal blue sky during the day and dotted with stars at nightfall.
A LAND WHERE YOU HAVE EVERYTHING
We have landed in one of the jewels of our tourism, a destination where we can find options for all tastes. On the Costa Daurada, ** Tarragona ** has an archaeological site declared a World Heritage Site since 2000 and which attracts thousands of tourists every year Lovers of history and the ancient world.
because the Tarraco city It was one of the most important cities in Roman Hispania back in the 1st century BC. C. and enjoying its monumental wealth is a real privilege.
In addition, we are in land that is coast, mountain, valley and river. The Priorat rises dotted with a range of film landscapes, outlined by vineyards, olive trees and almond trees that rise above a dark licorella floor.
This part of Catalonia is one of the favorites for lovers of trekking, as the mountain routes make up itineraries that connect with fabulous monasteries such as that of Santa Maria de Poblet , also a World Heritage Site and an icon of the Cistercian Order.
To speak of the Costa Daurada is to speak of calçots with romesco, from lost villages and, of course, wine.
with seven Denominations of Origin , the wine tourism It is one of its strong dishes. Wine, here, plays in the first division, since we are in the territory of Penedés, Cava and one of the wonders of our wine scene: the Priorat.
Monastery of Santa Maria de Poblet
THE PRIORAT: A DESTINATION WHERE TIME STANDS STILL
One of the sensations that runs through the body when arriving in the Priorat region is that time has stopped at some point. This region was taken over by the saracens until the 12th century, when the **Church of Santa María de Siurana (1154)** was built, one of the few examples of the Romanesque that exist in Catalonia and whose state of conservation is impeccable.
Siurana, cobbled streets and stone houses that have seen centuries pass, is a destination highly praised by lovers of mountaineering and climbing and has a refuge with priceless views.
From the year 1194 dates the Charterhouse of Escaladei , which is considered the first charterhouse built in our country, located in the Montsant mulberry in the town that bears the same name. In fact, the Priorat region owes its name to this charterhouse and the inhabitants of the Morera de Montsant they continue to make the same wine that the monks made a thousand years ago.
In that same century the magnificent Poblet Monastery, a spectacular cistercian abbey which was the pantheon of the crown of Aragon until its extinction and which has also been part of the Priorat World Heritage Site since 1991. The Gothic style cloister is spectacular.
In Priorat we can also find wonders of the cave art as the treasure of the town of Capçanes . A total of 19 deposits in which some 150 human and animal figures are represented that are between 3,000 and 10,000 years old. They were discovered in 2006 and can be visited for just over two years, making the region a very attractive destination for lovers of history and paleontology.
The surroundings of Margalef, a delight for climbers
MONTSANT AND THE DRY STONE PASSAGES
The Montsant mountain range is another of the many attractions of Priorat. It was declared a Natural Park in 2002 and has 11 itineraries for hiking , all of them perfectly signposted and with their respective recreational areas.
The sport in contact with nature It is essential in this area, and more so for lovers of ornithology, since we are at home peregrine falcon, eagle owl and Bonelli's eagle.
The Margalef route It is well known to lovers of climbing due to the numerous routes that exist in the surroundings of the town for the practice of this sport.
Another essential adventure in Priorat is the Dry Stone Route. This type of construction abounds in the region and forms part of the identity card of the region. A very interesting route is the one that starts from the area of the Taules , dotted with this type of construction that belonged to former peasants. From corrals to old barracks, the dry stone shows us part of the humble origin of these lands that lived in the countryside.
Landscape near Capçanes
WINE TOURISM AND HEROIC VITICULTURE
Priorat smells of grapes and fields and has been spreading that aroma for centuries. The tradition of wine in this region dates back more than a thousand years, when the Carthusian monks made their own wine. Since then, Priorat wines have always been occupying highly distinguished positions in the national and international scene.
The orography of Priorat is very rugged and the cultivation of vines is quite complicated. In fact, some vines are located on slopes so dizzying that his vintage becomes quite a feat (that is why it is included within the call heroic viticulture next to vineyards as spectacular as those of the Ribeira Sacra or those of Cangas), and visiting them is something you have to do at least once in your life. Up to 700 meters high reach these vineyards.
On the other hand, there are two factors that make Priorat wines so delicious. On the one hand the characteristic climate of this area , which gives the vine a unique strength, allowing it to adapt to the ground. And on the other hand, soil , which has a unique feature, is largely composed of licorella , a kind of slate that helps absorb and store water. In this way, it favors the growth of the vine and allows the cultivation of a grape of the highest quality.
The Priorat is very prepared for the traveler who loves wine. Many of the wineries that make up this heroic viticulture can be visited and all the mysteries of this peculiar art can be discovered while one of its precious wines is tasted.
Touring the vineyards is not all: the smell of the barrel and the history of a family can be discovered in wineries such as ** Clos Mogador ,** and try a bread made with wine accompanied by organic oil, for example.
The climate of this area gives the vine a unique strength
In Escaladei you can visit the winery Cellers Scala Dei , which is more than a century old, a tribute to the region's savoir faire in terms of wines.
Just 15 kilometers from the monastery, in the same area where the Carthusian monks cultivated their vines, is **the perfect accommodation, Terra Dominicata** _(Road T-702 Km 13) _, a luxury hotel to immerse yourself in silence and disconnect between the most spectacular landscapes of the Montsant Natural Park. As well as a bar and swimming pool, the hotel houses the Alma Mater restaurant, a gastronomic temple focused on the impressive product of proximity and with an impressive wine list that has more than 250 references.
A must-see is also the ** Celler de Capçanes ,** one of the very few wineries in our country that produces kosher wine and that has become a world reference, placing its wines among the best in the world. The entire production process is supervised by a rabbi; Enjoying these wines is very special, as kosher wine has not been made on the Iberian Peninsula since the expulsion of the Jews in the 15th century.
DID YOU KNOW...?
The name of the Charterhouse of Escaladei It is due, according to legend, to a shepherd who saw in a dream how some angels ascended to heaven through a ladder between some pine trees. The monks of that time considered it a divine sign and built the monastery there. Scala Dei In Latin it means "Stairway to God".
The remains of Siurana castle They are located on top of a rock from which it is said that Abdelazia, the Moorish queen who lived there, swore to die rather than surrender to the Christians. Finding herself cornered, she comments that she jumped into the void to fulfill her oath.
In the Decanter World Wine Awards , a prestigious wine competition organized by the magazine decanter, the best wines in the world are selected. Les Ones Samsó de Bodegas y Viñedos Cal Grau were protagonists among the 50 best this year 2019 . In 2015, Clos Cypres 2013 from the Costers del Priorat winery was considered the third best wine in the world by this same magazine.
The Civil War left traces in Priorat due to its proximity to the Battle of the Ebro . One of them is the Cave of Santa Lucía in Bisbal de Falset. This served as a hospital for the Republican side and, in addition to beds, housed some operating rooms. They say that the water from its source helps to cure eye problems.
El Priorat has a wine cathedral that you must visit . We talk about the Falset Marca Cooperative, work of César Martinell (disciple of Gaudí) from 1919. The Cornudella de Montsant It is another wine cathedral that is well worth a visit given its proximity.
One of the reasons why the town of Porrera is a very curious destination to visit is because of the large number of sundials that can be found among its streets.
The vermouth that is made in Priorat is indescribable. Better go and try.
Talking about Priorat is talking about wine