It\u2019s hard to imagine a more inhospitable climate and a more remote, godforsaken locale than Spain\u2019s Priorat.\u00a0 Nothing but grapes could possibly thrive in such a rugged terrain scoured by gales and mistral like winds, a land set apart from life as most of us know it.\u00a0 Tiny towns, which cleave to\u00a0 Priorat\u2019s precipitous mountains and are inhabited by fewer than a hundred hardy souls, pay testimony to the area\u2019s isolation and add to the region\u2019s desolate feel.\u00a0 In Priorat, unlike Rioja, Ribera del Duero, and most other Spanish wine regions, there are no golden fields of waving grain or long undulating rows of vines stretching as far as the eye can see.\u00a0 So, what makes Priorat so appealing?\u00a0 It\u2019s the region\u2019s high mountain vineyards and dramatic scenery that make this inaccessible part of Catalonia hallowed ground.\u00a0 Nowhere else in Spain does old vine Garnacha and Cari\u00f1ena produce such dramatic wines \u2013 full-bodied beauties \u2013 that are often blended with hedonistic dollops of Syrah, Mourv\u00e8dre, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.\u00a0 What I find so appealing about Priorat are the many variations on the same theme, all with pure natural flavors, simple elegance, rusticity, and warmth.\u00a0 These are high alcohol wines with heart and soul and plenty of sensual appeal.\u00a0 Stay tuned!<\/p>\n
Don<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It\u2019s hard to imagine a more inhospitable climate and a more remote, godforsaken locale than Spain\u2019s Priorat.\u00a0 Nothing but grapes could possibly thrive in such a rugged terrain scoured by gales and mistral like winds, a land set apart from life as most of us know it.\u00a0 Tiny towns, which cleave to\u00a0 Priorat\u2019s precipitous mountains […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":""},"categories":[7,14],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n