Priorat Wine Cellars
Published August 29, 2014, updated September 10, 2023.
For those used to the open-door, drop-in policy of many cellars around the world, the Priorat way of doing things is very different. While most cellars are officially open for visits, they generally require appointments ahead of time. Although it takes more organizing, it means that you’re likely to be received by an attentive owner or enologist instead of someone who just clocks in and out. With over 60 cellars between DOQ Priorat and DO Montsant, it can be hard to choose which ones to visit, so here are some favorites.
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Celler Vall Llach
Catalan folk singer Lluis Llach and his childhood friend, Enric Costa, founded this winery, initially as a social project, in Porrera. Since then, this beautiful cellar has grown to produce some very classy wines. You need to book an appointment ahead of time. Visits include a tour of the cellar and various barrel tastings. Keep an eye out for their limited, top-of-the-line Mas de la Rosa that is epic, but comes with a hefty price tag at €300 a bottle. The tour lasts about two hours and is €25 per person.
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Cellers de Scala Dei
Situated just a kilometer from the monastery, Cellers de Scala Dei is open daily for both drop-in tastings and hourly visits to the cellar (though calling ahead to reserve a time is the safest bet). Enologist, Ricard, and tasting room managers, Ferran and Yuri, are passionate about wine and happy to tell you about the cellar’s history. You'll have opportunity to taste the excellent "Heretge" wine ("heretic" in English) which is 100% carinyena (carignan grapes) and goes for €70.00 a bottle. A simple tasting with four wines is €10, and the tour combined with a tasting is €25 per person.
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Clos Mogador
One of the classic wineries, Clos Mogador was started by René Barbier III and his wife, Isabelle Meyer, in the late 1970s and was a key player in the region’s wine-producing fame. Visits need to be scheduled in advance and include an extensive tour of their gorgeous terraced vineyards in Gratallops and a tasting of all their wines, including the top-end Clos Mogador. The tour lasts about three hours and is €35 per person.
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Ficaria Vins
The village of La Figuera is worth a trip in itself, but to make a day of it, a stop at Ficaria Vins is highly recommended. Jaume Roca and his wife, Montse Castro, started their cellar in 2002 and are making garantxa wines from only the vines within the village, showing how unique this higher-altitude, windswept region is. Advanced booking is required and note that they speak only Catalan and Spanish, so if you need the tour in English, let them know when making the arrangements. A visit to the bodega and tasting with three wines is €15; the tour with a tasting of four wines is €20 per person.
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Sangenís i Vaqué
In 1978 Pere Sangenís and Conxita Vaqué began planting vines in the Sangenís family properties surrounding Porrera. This family-run winery makes the more classic style of Priorat wines which are easily able to age for up to 20 years. Most of their wines are a blend of garnatxa (grenache) and carinyena grapes and are rather affordable, starting off at €11. But the Clos Monlleó Selecció Carinyena is 100% carinyena and is priced at €75. The tour and tasting, which includes their older wines, must be booked in advance. The tour lasts about two hours and is €10-€25 per person.