The hidden Priorat wines of Catalunia

For most holiday makers who visit the Costa Daurada in the summer to bask on the endless beaches of Salou, Cambrils and La Pineda what most attracts them once they are bored of the sun are trips to explore the wonders of Gaudi in Barcelona or a Visit to Puertaventura Spains Largest theme park to enjoy the thrills.

The hard sale of the tour reps even drags thousands of tourists each year up to tax free Andorra, 6 hour round trip to buy cheap goods. But little do these people know that on there doorstep less then 40kms away is one of the most spectacular wine regions in Spain. The small but mighty region known as the Priorat.

With unforgiving terrain of volcanic origin which as you would wonder how on earth the area could produce a wine which the Spanish government have issued a DOCa the`Denominaciòn de Origen Calificada´ highest denominacion given to a spanish wines matched only by regions like Rioja.
This sort after wine which has had even had reviews in the LA times, doesn't come cheap, bottles range from 10€ up into the hundreds but its distinctive taste & aroma makes it a worthy buy as a treat.

But what makes this wine so special,firstly its the terrain the 50cm topsoil made up of black slate and small particles of mica reflect the suns rays and retains heat, this forces the roots of the vines deeper in search of water, nutrition and minerals. This also means that during the stormy period and rains which are common to the area the vines are anchored very nicely to the ground.

All this produces a smaller yield but a stronger grape. The main varieties being Garnacha and Syrah all strong reds but there is also a small quantity of whites produced in this area.

The population of Priorat is small with less than 10,000. A quarter of which live in Its capital Falset, where you can find Priorat wines served along side meaty dishes in some of the best restaurants the area has to offer. But a real gem if you are looking for something a bit more off the beaten track is a place called Porrera. As you drive towards Falset along the N 420 on the left hand side 10km before Falset there is a turning for the TP – 7401 follow this winding beautiful road for about 7km and you end up in the village of Porrera as you turn right and in to its square its amazing to think that the place has a population of nearly 500 people making it the 4th largest village in the Priorat area.

Your not unlikely to see tractor loads of small grapes being tipped out into huge vats in one of the 2 wine makers based on the square, but if you are out of season your more likely to be confronted by a few old men playing dominoes and a stray dog. In the corner there is a bar which is the secret to tasting maybe not the best wine but probably the most authentic in Porrera, they serve for 80c a glass young wine from a glass pitcher from the previous harvest which leaves nothing to the imagination. Smooth but harsh.

Fruity but bitter it changes with every sip. Asking the 80 year old barmaid if she could tell me how strong it was she shrugged her shoulders and said `strong´. After a couple a walk around the stone clad village is advisable. If you really want to treat yourself then visit the restaurant `lo teatret´ the only one in the village and boasts a menu full of meat and fish Catalan delights. Don't expect to spoken to in English though as even castellano is a rarity in these parts. Here they speak Catalan.

Before you leave visit the vinoteca which has local wines at half the price you would find them in a restaurant and according to the owner most of them are sold on private orders only so you are never going to see them in any supermarket. They also sell the super strong young wine served in the bar at 15€ for 5 liters in plastic tubs, not something you could take home on the plane but certainly would liven up an evening sat on the balcony. This young wine is often mixed half and half with coke and drank through a straw by local youths, this is called Kalimotxo.
The is also famous for its production of arbequina olives smaller then the average olive they are produced for eating or made into a superb paté which compliments the wine.

So next time you tuck into a Mc Donalds while walking along the promenade in Salou think that for the same price you could be enjoy cheese, pate and wine in one of the undiscovered areas of Spain.