The Priorat Ethos

Reflection No.EP17

Wine is life in the Priorat. It represents history and a heritage that has defined the rhythm of their days for generations. The people are part of the terroir. They take care of nature so it can take care of them. Their spirit is an expression of valor, tenacity and strength of character. Life here is pragmatic, yet this is also a land of dreams and the people have the patience to achieve them. There is no sense of urgency because for them, time is a continuum. It can be better or worse but always keeps going, on and on.

Prioratans were growing grapes even before the Carthusian monks arrived in the 12th century. The vines and the people who care for them share a story of survival: travesties of the Civil War, ravages of phylloxera, toiling in mines to earn enough money to feed their families and replant their vines. Season to season, their joys and sorrows have been absorbed by the earth to join in the voice of Priorat wines.

Some say the Prioratans are closed, like the mountains that surround them. It is not that they are unfriendly or disinterested. Perhaps they feel strangers cannot understand what they have seen. But when you sit with them and show sincere interest, they are more than happy to share all they know about the land, the vines and the wines of the region. Some stories are their own; others are generations old and something between philosophy and folklore. But if you ask if they have enjoyed their life, they will respond with consternation. As I was told, “What? It was my life. Catalans cannot think in abstracts. Life just is and you make the best of it. But I did enjoy planting and pruning.”

Even today, with paved roads making travel easier, the Priorat remains a world of its own. The power and structure of the wines reflect the spirit of the land, of its ethos, and it is enduring. The old-timers do not have anything to say about the future, only that the Priorat is sempre, always.

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