Ethos Priorat is a detailed resource about the nature, spirit and wine of the DOQ Priorat, a tiny wine region in the mountains southwest of Barcelona. It was written, photographed and designed by Elizabeth Hecker. Over a span of 15 years, she spent time in the cellars and vineyards of each of the twelve viticultural areas of the region. Those experiences, the spirit of the people and memories shared by the elders inspired every part of the book. She consulted with experts in regional history, geology, viticulture and winemaking to provide information to support the Priorat’s powerfully evocative impressions. The story flows through the pages, illustrated with full-color photography, to bring readers inside the life of a Priorat wine.
Chapter One, Nature, presents an in-depth look at the terroir of the Priorat, including climate, soil, biodiversity and the rhythm of life through the seasons. Chapter Two, Spirit, recounts history from the time of the Carthusian monks, who occupied the region from the 12th century through the revival that brought the region to the world stage in the year 2000. Over time the people have experienced both significant prosperity and great strife to form an enduring culture as pragmatic as it is able to dream. The final chapter, Wine, celebrates the acclaim the Priorat enjoys today. It takes readers on a sensory journey from the vineyards to the cellars as the fruit transforms into a wine.
Highly respected wine writer, Andrew Jefford, wrote this in his foreword for the book: “There is wine [in the Priorat], but more than wine too: there is a spirit, an energy, a determination to interact with a place without despoiling it. This is the ‘ethos’ without which grandeur can never endure.” Tamlyn Currin of JancisRobinson.com wrote: “Ethos Priorat is, quite frankly, a work of art. Hecker’s years of experience culminate in a book that you want to breathe in, slowly, meditatively, deeply. Her immersion in Priorat saturates every page. It’s a paean to a region without obeisance or cliché. It’s a prayer. It’s timeless.”
Miquel Torres wrote: “Ethos Priorat is a sincere and passionate tribute to this small Catalan wine region, untouched by the passage of time. Elizabeth unveils the secrets of Priorat with such sensitivity and richness of detail, both visually and in writing, that makes this an indispensable book for those who, like me, have been enchanted by the beauty of Priorat or anyone with an interest in wine. This is the story of Priorat told from the inside, by someone who lives here and has fully experienced it, observing nature, meeting the locals, and savouring the wines. Elizabeth’s book shows the life within the wine of Priorat, a region unlike any other in the world, where harmony and nature reign. And this is something that we, as winegrowers, treasure and will continue to preserve and enhance.”
Álvaro Palacios wrote: “The ancient Greeks used the word "ethos" to refer to the special link that people established with a place, which was expressed through their character and way of behaving. We are thrilled that Elizabeth wanted to reflect this thought-provoking concept in our land of Priorat. It is a corner of the world where you can still sense the heartbeat of the ancestral link between people and the vineyards, between the villages and the vine-covered slopes that surround them. It is a book that invites us to feel, to understand and to love...”
In the Priorat, if you listen… the wine is talking. Elizabeth’s hope is that the depth of the story of the Priorat will inspire curiosity about the origins of every wine we drink and remind us how important it is to take care of nature so nature can take care of us.
Available at academie du vin library