Page 35 - Cork & Tee Sample Program Flipbook, 2018

Monastery was established in 1194 by
Carthusian monks who migrated from
France to spread Christianity in this
region of Spain. They introduced wine
grapes in these valleys, and the Prior
ruled the small region comprising seven
villages as a feudal lord until the mid-
nineteenth century (hence the name
Priorat). The vineyards flourished,
thanks to the area’s fertile volcanic soil
and dry summer climate. It was not until
the New Priorats, including Barbier and
Pastrana, arrived in the 1980s that the
region started focusing on quality wine production. With intense summer heat and little summer
rainfall, rocky soil that forces roots to grow deep in search of water and wide swings in daily
temperatures, the region possesses the ideal conditions for production of wines with formidable
quality. The New Priorats bet big that this neglected and remote region was destined for
stardom, and they were right. Today, the reds are among the most sophisticated and sought-after
wines in Spain, with price points that match this acclaim. Take a little break from the vineyards
and stop by a small village shop for an introduction to olive oil tasting with an olive grower and
artisanal oil maker. Catalonia is one of Spain’s top olive-oil producing regions.

Continue to the village of Gratallops for lunch at a small winery with its own restaurant. Clos
Figueras winery is owned by Bordeaux wine négocient, Christopher Cannan (there’s plenty of
French investment here). Frenchman René Barbier,
another New Priorat Pioneer, persuaded Cannen to
purchase this exceptional property in 1997. It
features 60- to 80-year-old Garnacha (Grenache) and
Cariñena (Carignan) vines, as well as new plantings
of Syrah, Touriga Nacional (from Portugal) and
Mourvèdre. Grenache, which flourishes in Provence
(think Chateauneuf-du-Pape), is the principal grape
of the Priorat. Enjoy paired wines with lunch.

After lunch, you might visit a newer winery that has risen to fame within Spain and
internationally. Ferrer Bobet is a winery founded by two friends—Sergi Ferrer.Salat and Raul
Bobet—who saw potential in the old vines found throughout the mountainous Priorat region.
Today, each Ferrer Bobet wine is made from individual parcels. The winery is a dramatic work
of modern architecture overlooking the hillside vineyards. Taste their wines in this stunning
setting before returning to Barcelona in the late afternoon. Please note that we predict today will

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