Trek & Wine in Priorat
Walk among vineyards guided by a local in the unknown and unspoiled landscape of the Priorat wine region. Enjoy an easy half-day walk and savour the Priorat world-famo...
When to visit Priorat: harvest, en primeur and the calendar that shapes a cellar visit.
Spring
- Budburst on the terraces, March to April (March): Garnacha and Carinena break bud in late March across the lower-altitude terraces of Gratallops and Bellmunt. Higher-altitude plots in Porrera and la Morera de Montsant follow in April. What to taste: ['Camins del Priorat village blends', 'Giné Giné Garnacha-Carinena']
- Fira del Vi de Falset, May (May): The Fira del Vi de Falset, held annually around the first weekend of May, is the region's main public wine event. Around 60 producers from DOQ Priorat and DO Montsant pour their wines across the fairground in Falset. What to taste: ['DOQ Priorat Garnacha-Carinena blends', 'DO Montsant value alternatives']
Summer
- Canopy management and green harvest, June (June): June is the last window before Priorat's intense summer heat arrives. Growers complete leaf removal to expose grapes to air circulation, and many estates carry out a green harvest, dropping surplus bunches to concentrate flavour in the fruit that remains. This is a demanding month in the vineyard. Tasting room visits remain pleasant in the early morning hours before afternoon temperatures climb above 35 degrees Celsius. What to taste: ['white Garnacha Blanca', 'Clos Erasmus vertical tastings by appointment']
- Summer heat stress and cellar retreat, July to August (July): July and August bring extreme heat to Priorat, regularly exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in the valley floors around Gratallops and Bellmunt. Vines shut down photosynthesis during peak heat. What to taste: ['chilled white Priorat from Garnacha Blanca', 'rosé from Garnacha']
Autumn
- Vi Novell new wine release, autumn (November): November sees the release of vi novell, new wine from the just-completed harvest, at cooperatives and some estate producers. The Catalan equivalent of Beaujolais Nouveau, vi novell is a carbonic-maceration or minimal-intervention wine bottled weeks after picking. The Falset-Marca cooperative and Vinicola del Priorat release their vi novell for local consumption and wine bar listings in Falset. The celebration is low-key and local rather than commercial. What to taste: ['vi novell Garnacha', 'Onix Classic Vinicola del Priorat']
- Library release and back-vintage tastings, October to November (October): October and November are when several Priorat producers release back-vintage library bottles and hold allocation tastings for mailing list customers and trade buyers. What to taste: ['Clos Mogador aged library vintages', 'Mas Martinet Cami Pessebre back vintages']
Winter
- Winter dormancy and pruning, January (January): January is pruning season across the licorella terraces. With vines dormant and the schist hillsides bare, growers cut back each plant by hand on slopes too steep for mechanisation. What to taste: ['aged Garnacha Vi de Vila', 'vi ranci Solera']
- Cellar bottling and blending decisions, February (February): February is when many producers complete barrel-to-barrel racking and begin blending decisions for the wine from the previous autumn harvest. What to taste: ['Clos Priorat from barrel', 'Carinena-dominant blends from new oak']
- Festes de Sant Antoni Abat, 17 January (January): Sant Antoni Abat, the patron saint of animals and rural communities, is celebrated on 17 January across Priorat villages with blessings of animals, traditional dances, and communal meals accompanied by local wine. What to taste: ['local cooperative Garnacha', 'vi ranci traditional']
Year round
- Garnacha harvest opens, early to mid September: Priorat's harvest typically begins with the earlier-ripening varieties in Bellmunt and Gratallops in early to mid September. Syrah and Merlot come first, followed by Garnacha across the lower-altitude terraces.
- Festa de la Verema a l'Antiga, second Saturday September: The village of Poboleda hosts the Festa de la Verema a l'Antiga each second Saturday of September, recreating traditional harvest techniques.
- Carinena and late-ripening harvest, late September to October: Carinena is the last major variety to ripen in Priorat, often not picked until early October in higher-altitude plots around Porrera and la Morera de Montsant.
Book wine experiences in Priorat
Priorat Tour to 3 Small Wineries with Pickup Near Your Hotel
Welcome to a unique experience in the heart of Priorat, a region with some of Spain's most outstanding red wines. The only one classified under the DOC label near Barcelona.
private tasting wines&food priorat with hotel pickup
Walk among the vineyards, breathe fresh air, taste our wines and enjoy a breakfast or snack in the middle of an exceptional landscape.
Wine tastings and winery visits in Priorat (5) · Wine tours and day trips in Priorat (8)
Seasonal in Priorat, FAQ
When is the best time to visit Priorat for wine?
Peak wine-travel season in Priorat is spring through autumn, with harvest the standout window.
Do I need an appointment to taste at Priorat estates?
classified-growth and grand-cru estates require booking days to weeks ahead; smaller family domaines often take walk-ins midweek.
What hours do Priorat cellars and tasting rooms keep?
most estates open 10:00 to 17:00 by appointment, often closed Sunday and Monday.
How does tipping work at Priorat tastings?
tipping is not expected at tastings; buying a bottle from the cellar door is the customary thank-you.
What is the one wine to try in Priorat?
Ask the next local you meet what they would order. Priorat rewards trust.