Priorat; and monks created wine.

I have been in Priorat for three days now, and the place do not cease to impress me. It must be a clear case of overdose. 

I should have guessed of the singularity of the place, where the Benedictine decided to stablish in the peace and quiet of this, gifted by nature, land.

Priorat and Montsant is the place where wine, olive oil and prayer come together, in such a way that one does not know when one stops and the next starts. 

The few wines of the Priorat DOQ, Montsant DO and Conca de Barbera DO I have had the fortune to try are of excellent quality, being those of Priorat, outstanding.

In the region, the schist and slate soils, together with the altitude and the protection of the Serra de Montsant (a mountain chain), its proximity to the Mediterranean, make of the Priorat a unique terroir.

Priorat soils

Terraced vineyards of Priorat

Once again the magnificence of the region and its wines make you believe you are in heaven.

Priorat is known for its full bodied, high alcohol reds. Forty percent of the grape variety in Priorat is Garnacha, a spicy, red berry, soft on the palate and high in sugar, producing wines high in alcohol with soft velvety tannins. Very thorough winemakers produce wines made with love and care, achieving of this region cuvées some of the best.

I am afraid I am not making justice to the wines of the region. The only way to know what I am talking about, is to actually try them, and if that can be done in situ, even better! No one could ever be deceived by the beauty of the region, the magnificence of the Cistercian monasteries and the quality of its wines. 

A WINE TIP: for those of you fans of the Chateauneuf-du-Pape wines, the Priorat wines will definitely please the most demanding palates.

A WINE RECOMMENDATION: Scala Dei Cartoixa 2007.

Tomorrow I will try to visit a winery producing kosher wines (it just sounds interesting to me) before  directing my steps to another wonderful Spanish wine region: Ribera de Duero.

Salud!