THE MAGIC HIDDEN CORNER OF CATALONIA

If you are looking for stunning countryside, dramatic hills, vineyards with fine wines, great cuisine and charming ancient villages but would rather do without the hordes of tourists that descend on areas like Tuscany or some of the French wine regions, then the Priorat region of Catalonia has what you are looking for, and much more.

The origins of winemaking in the region date back to the Romans, who founded Tarraco (today's Tarragona), an important trading city and provincial capital with a large population. Their slaves converted the hillsides into perfectly–arrange terraces for their vineyards. The high alcohol levels of the wines ensured their quality remained intact as over the long journeys they took in amphorae to Rome and the rest of the Roman Empire.

In the 12th century, the monks of the Carthusian Monastery of Scala Dei (originally called a priory, or priorat in Catalan, and founded in 1163) reintroduced the art of viticulture. Legend has it that the monastery was named after the “Ladder of God” (Scala Dei in Latin) seen by a shepherd in a vision on the site.

For centuries, the monks oversaw the vineyards and villages in this area, and the monastery grew in prestige and wealth (to the increasing resentment of local peasants who worked the land) before being disestablished by the Spanish state in 1835. By then, vines occupied every corner of the mountains and they continued to be cultivated in small plots by the villagers.

At the end of the 19th century, the phylloxera plague devastated the vineyards, which were replanted with almond, hazelnut and olive trees. The loss of nearly all the grape vines in the area led the impoverished locals to emigrate.

Replanting, with the goal of creating wines of the highest quality, only began in the 1950s. From 1985, the D.O.Q. (the local regulatory body), has concentrated on high–quality bottled wines.

Visit the Priorat Stefan Lismond, your guide, is export manager for several Catalan wineries and lives in the Priorat’s main village, Falset. Stefan will introduce you to the Priorat’s wines and cuisine and will guide you through the area’s small winding roads to carefully-chosen wineries and enchanting villages.

Programme for both tour options:
Both tours last a full day Meet in Falset. Wine tasting and an introduction to the Priorat. Tour of a winery and sightseeing in the area. Transport: Train from Barcelona to Falset or Tarragona. Pick-up service from Tarragona and transport available for up to 4 people (groups of more than 4 by special arrangement)
Accommodation:
We can help you find hotels and self-contained accommodation in the area.
*An Introduction to the Priorat Tour: (overview, history, wines and wineries) Price: €105 pp (including tasting and tour of winery) – min 2 people Not included in price: transport and lunch
*Priorat special: (top–quality wines and wineries) Price: €155 pp (including tasting and tour of winery) – min 2 people Not included in price: transport and lunch For more information, please contact us!