Priorat
 

I have grown to love Priorat wines and really want to visit when the world is in a better place. I noticed there are a number of charming villages in the region. At first glance, Porrera looks like a nice place to stay a good jumping off place for the rest of the region. Any thoughts? Thanks so much!

Love the wine, I might base in Tarragona but local is good too
You will have seen https://www.turismepriorat.org/en/allotjaments

I live in Bilbao but went all the way to Tarragona to buy my car, as I found a better offer. And I took the chance to get acquainted by the Priorat area. Two towns impressed me (not the wines, though, living so close to Rioja wine region): Falset and Siurana. Beautiful, much unspoilt by massive tourism, not far from the sea and the beaches, and close to Tarragona, a beautiful city with a fantastic old town and Roman remains (the amphiteatre is spectacular). More info in https://www.turismepriorat.org/en/re...llages/siurana.

Priorat
 

We spent 6 days in Gratallops in the fall of 2015. Our group of eight booked a 6 day experience with Catacurian, which is unfortunately not doing the cooking/wine tasting experiences any longer. Loved the region and the town was quiet, but good.

Interested to know if the OP has any winery recommendations?

My parents are wine lovers, and want to surprise them with a trip to Priorat. I know Alvaro Palacios. And that's it!

I found this tour where you can choose the wineries to visit: https://www.barcelonainsideandout.co...rat-wine-tour/

To make the most of Priorat, can you recommend others wineries to visit? I can choose just two or upgrade the tour to include a few more.

Thanks!

Priorat is one of the "in vogue" wine regions, with wines from the area winning international awards left and right. Álvaro Palacios is probably the most well-known winery, but there are many others. Here are a few ideas: https://viajes.nationalgeographic.co...-priorat_18516 and also https://tacadevi.com/en/the-6-best-w...riorat-region/. If you want a complete list, check out: https://www.turismepriorat.org/en/wine-holidays-priorat.

I've really liked Cal Pla!

Enric, if you have time, I am just curious about the regions that are "in vogue" currently. In Spain and elsewhere. Galicia?

I am afraid I can only be of help in matters related to Catalonia -my turf-, and not for everything. For other areas, I am not so much in the loop and I would not venture to give "advice".

Priorat is in vogue due to its unique terroir with "llicorella" soil, which produces bold, complex wines, particularly from garnatxa and carinyena grapes. High-quality production, limited supply, and its prestigious DOQ status add to its allure. The region's revitalization in the 1980s by pioneering winemakers, such as René Barbier and Álvaro Palacios, brought global attention.

Other wine regions worth exploring -within Catalonia- are:

• Montsant: Surrounding Priorat, Montsant offers wines with similar depth but at more affordable prices.
• Penedès: Famous for Cava, Catalonia’s response to Champagne, and a wide range of still wines, including whites from xarel·lo grape and reds from tempranillo and cabernet sauvignon. It is at the forefront of the organic and biodynamic wine movement.
• Empordà: Located to the north, in Costa Brava, Empordà is becoming known for its high-quality red and white wines, focusing on garnatxa and syrah grapes. Its coastal influence gives the wines a distinct character.
• Terra Alta: Known for its excellent white garnatxa (grenache blanc), this region is gaining recognition for both its white and red wines, with increasing attention from international wine enthusiasts.

umtox and joshuajames8805
We've done wine touring in the DOQ Priorat, not as a day trip from Barcelona....too far, a 2-hour drive, but as a 4-night stay.

I agree with mikelg that the most atmospheric towns are Gratallops, Falset (which would also serve as a convenient base and is larger, the "capital" of the Priorat) and tiny Siurana, which is highly photogenic surrounded by majestic mountain scenery, but it doesn't serve well as a base for wine touring due to its relative remoteness.
Roman Tarragona does not make a good base either (but it's a great city to visit), as one needs to be closer as driving to these wineries, some quite remote, down narrow, serpentine roads, takes time.... not to mention the length of the average visit.

It's a shame that Catacurian no longer offers its excellent wine tours and cooking classes.

Of the twelve villages in the Priorat, we did visit Porrera but didn't find lodging that we thought would be particularly memorable at the time, but now it has several rental and B&B options, like the Cal Porrerà.
We stayed in Gratallops at the very colorful Cal Llop in a suite w/terrace and enjoyed excellent evening meals. Cristina was a lovely, charming and helpful hostess.
If I wanted to or could pull out all the stops, I'd splurge for the Relais & Châteaux Gran Hotel Mas d'en Bruno but I'd just be tempted to stay put and soak in the luxury.

Wineries visited:
In Falset, Capafons-Ossó (highly recommended!) and the very contemporary celler, Ferrer Bobet
In Escaladei the Cellers Scala Dei plus the priory ruins
In Gratallops, Clos Mogador and Clos Figueras (the latter now has rooms) plus Buil & Giné on the highway
In Bellmunt, the family-owned Mas d'en Gil, where we spent 4.5 hours tasting and chatting with the owners, who came to pick us up in their 4x4 because we never, every would have reached it, found it on our own down narrow, pothole filled country roads, a delightfully bumpy ride!

Dining:
Our most memorable meal was taken at El Celller de l'Aspic in Falset (a Michelin Bib Gourmand for value and Repsol "solete"). Yet to try: Brots in Poboleda and Brichs in Falset.

ekscrunchy
The wine region in "vogue" for us, at least, practicing heroic viticulture like the Ribeira Sacra, is El Bierzo in the León province. Its white wines of the godello grape we prefer to albariños, The predominant red grape grown here, the mencía. Labels such as La Muria by Castro Ventosa (mencía), Sonrisa by Dominio de Tares, Ultreia by Raúl Pérez, the "flying winemaker" (both godellos) You were close to that area when you stayed in Astorga in the Maragatería.

Thanks all - finally going to do this and going in February, 2025 (guess will not be so busy then). Will be basing in Tarragona for business reasons, which also seems to work out well for Priorat forays