It may also be the only place with a bank and grocery store in the area. Close to the train station (Marça – Falset) and home to numerous restaurants and hotels, it makes for a convenient base for your trip. Falsetįalset serves as one of the gateways into the Priorat. In town, you can easily walk to other wineries to sample their wines and enjoy the incredible landscapes that unfold before you. They’re also producing two other lines and doing some very interesting experimentations. Venture a bit farther north and you can visit the historical Cal Compote to sleep, eat and drink their biodynamic Terroir Al Limit wines, helmed by Dominik Huber. Once you’ve picked your favorite you can pick up a well-priced bottle or two to go. I was able to taste many small production bottles and learn a ton from the friendly owner. If you are short on time and want to taste a wide array of producers, I recommend stopping by Vinitería bonVlue wine shop in downtown Gratallops. While not typically open to the public, Alvaro Palacios is another pioneer producing top wines, including his famed L’Ermita Grenache. They are one of the rare single varietal Carignan producers amongst many other top whites and reds. Quality not quantity is a major theme in Priorat, which can be seen while touring Devinissi’s old vineyards of sparsely planted vines and enormous plant biodiversity.Īnother in town cellar to visit would be organically certified Cellar Ripoll Sans. They also make 600 bottles of a delicious white from Pedro Ximenez and White Grenache grapes. Their range of very small production old vine Grenache, Carignan and red blends with Cabernet and Syrah represent a spectrum of what this ancient region can offer. They are most renowned for their Grenache and Carignan.Ī boutique cellar also worth visiting is that of Devinissi. The intense stress and co-mingling of vines amongst olive trees, fruit trees and aromatic herbs creates true terroir. The finesse and character of their wines is uncanny. I was fortunate to taste with Rene IV at Clos Mogador and highly recommend booking a visit to tour their cellar and vineyards. Many top wineries are based here as well as restaurants and wine shops. You can stay in town or right outside at nearby hotels. The present day success and defining characteristics like single vineyard winemaking and DOQ (Denomination of Quality) status trace back to the grit and determination of these ambitious winemakers.Ī beautiful and historic town, Gratallops is the perfect base for tasting and enjoying the Priorat. Accolades followed soon thereafter and a renewed interest and respect for the Priorat was born. Ten years later in 1989, they made their first vintage of Clos Mogador which was released in 1991. Barbier carefully cultivated Grenache and Carignan along with Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, slowly expanding landholdings when possible. Despite valiant efforts, this remote area fell victim to continued wars, fraud and depopulation.įinally in 1979, hailing from a long lineage of French winemakers, René Barbier and friends arrived in Gratallops via Rioja, to replant and re-envision the fate of Priorat wine. Many efforts were made to save the once highly revered wine region including new regulations, the rise and fall of cooperatives and an official Priorat Denomination of Origin. Highs and lows continued thanks to both civil and foreign wars, phylloxera and nagging issues of quality. Unfortunately, this lucrative foreign demand didn’t last forever. The U.K., France and the Netherlands were the primary recipients, especially as France was upended by phylloxera. Natural Wine Importers & Distributorsĭuring the 18th century, the Priorat exported large quantities of wine and schnapps, the latter drunk alone and also added to bulk wine to preserve it. Where To Buy Natural Wine Online In The US, UK & Europe.Border Wine Festival 2019 – Friuli, Italy.Top Natural Wine Events In Italy 2021-2022.Bologna’s 5 Best Restaurants for Traditional Food.Traverse the Storied Wine Region of Priorat, Spain.How to Explore the Wine Region of Moravia, Czech Republic.A Wine Lover’s Travel Guide to Galicia, Spain.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |