Priorat : Gran Clos Winery

" Vines, like people, often reach their peak in the face of adversity. "

Our adventure on Monday was one of the best experiences of my life.  

My parents, Jerry, Ellen, and I traveled to the Priorat wine region, near Tarragona, to tour the Gran Clos winery.  My dad distributes their wines in Texas, which allowed him to put this day trip together.  We took a train from Barcelona to meet Xavier, the general manager of the Gran Clous.  He picked us up in Tarragona and drove us to Priorat, about an hour away.

On the way to the winery, we stopped at their main estate.  Xavier explained the area to us and their meticulous growing and harvesting process.  Gran Clos' philosophy is centered around the idea of quality over quantity.  Each vine is carefully examined before harvested to achieve optimal ripeness. 

Following the estate, we drove to the main winery facility where we were shown the fermentation process by the winemaker himself.  

We tasted the wines at different stages of fermentation straight from the barrel.
The soil, the location of the vine on the land, and the type of barrel the wine is stored in has a mind blowing effect on the taste of the wine.
 It was really special to hear someone so passionate about the wine making process explain it all. 

After we tasted wine from about ten barrels, we had a great lunch with Xavier.
  The combination of the two events led to the most solid naps on the way back to Barcelona.

I am so thankful for the kind people at Gran Clos.  

They made us feel so welcome in their winery and in their city.  

This day was truly unforgettable.