In the Priorat region (Tarragona) we can find two origin denominations, in which superb red wine is born as well as interesting white wine. They seek to have their cultural landscape of Mediterranean mountain agriculture recognized by The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Its landscape and its terrestrial strength are, simply, magnificent. Its Grenache and Carignane make you fall in love.
DO Priorat, the only origin denomination qualified in Catalonia, and according to the Regulatory Council is a “fidelity to the hardness of a land, the adaptation of the different varieties to this soil, and a production system that makes it a heroic viticulture”. DO Priorat is one of the two origin denominations in Spain, with La Rioja, another one. The area has more than 1.000 years of history. DO Priorat has only 60 years of history. It is a slate territory with incredible and complicated gradients. It stands out for its mineral qualities and its few grape production. The DO Qualified Priorat is conformed by twelve areas of wine production, all the towns in Priorat.
In 1932, the Wine Statute was approved thanks to the Republican government. The Priorat area was recognized as a wine-growing region to be protected. However, with the socio-political circumstances of the moment, it was not until years after the Civil War, in 1954, that the existence of the Denomination of Priorat origin was made official with regulations and an operational Regulatory Council. The surface of the vineyard has 5016.23 acres and there are 532 grape growers and 109 wineries. The production is about 5 million bottles (92.59% are the result of the red varieties). Around 52% of the bottles are exported.
DO Montsant has just turned two decades old. On November 5, 2001, the regulations for its creation were published with 28 attached wineries, slightly less than those that make up today (61 wineries). The Regulatory Council affirms that “throughout these two decades, the DO Montsant has managed to be a benchmark in the wine scene, both nationally and internationally.” Thus, it is currently possible to find their wines in more than 40 countries around the world. The figures don’t stop growing. They already export 45% of their 6.8 million bottles.
The president of the Regulatory Council, Pilar Just, affirms that “we have been born without any limitation”. She considers that it has been a becoming factor for the growth of DO. Moreover, it stands out for the dynamism of the area, the commitment for sustainability, and the search for a greater identity, with new zoning and segmentation. Pilar Just proclaims that “we also fight to become stronger in the Catalan market, because sustainability refers to proximity consumption as well”. Progress has been made really quickly. When DO Montsant was born, the average prices paid for the grapes ranged from 0.20 to 0.30 euros per kilo ($0.23 to $0.34). Nowadays, the prices are around 1 euro ($1.14). Despite this, the President of the Regulatory Council seeks to create strategies to further raise average prices. DO Montsant is the old Falset subzone of DO Tarragona and the last denomination created in Catalonia despite having centenary wineries. Its main market is Catalonia, where 68% of its total bottles are consumed. The USA, Germany, Canada, Sweden, Belgium, and Switzerland are, in this order, its main foreign markets. In Spain, excluding Catalonia, DO Montsant sells almost 2 million more bottles than in 2010. Even so, the DO wants to further raise the prestige and quality of its wines, as well as the prices, highlighting the various singularities of the wine. Which DO will stop being the little cheap brother of the Priorat? DO Montsant, for sure, it’s creating a solid path. It has 720 grape growers that work in 4447.89 acres of vineyards in different towns around, principally, Priorat region but also in Ribera d’Ebre region.
