The ruins of Cartoixa d'Escaladei, the 1163 Carthusian monastery that gave Priorat its name, host an annual heritage day each spring that includes guided tours of the monastery ruins, demonstrations of traditional winemaking, and tastings of Garnacha from the surrounding Escaladei Vi de Vila zone. The monastery ruins are a protected heritage site and the event draws visitors interested in the origin story of the region.
Tip: The Cartoixa ruins are signposted from the village of Escaladei, about 3km down a narrow road from La Morera de Montsant. The site can be visited independently year-round.
The Consell Regulador de la DOQ Priorat organises an annual trade tasting each spring, presenting the full range of DOQ Priorat producers to importers, sommeliers; journalists.
Tip: Trade attendance requires advance accreditation through the Consell Regulador. Contact doqpriorat.org well ahead of the event date.
The Fira del Vi de Falset is the main annual wine event for the DOQ Priorat and DO Montsant designations, held each year around the first weekend of May in Falset.
Tip: Advance tickets sell out. Buy on firadelvi.org before arriving. The professional Monday session at the castle requires trade credentials.
Held each second Saturday of September in the village of Poboleda, this harvest festival recreates traditional pre-mechanisation grape picking and pressing.
Tip: Arrive early to secure a spot in the harvesting demonstration. The village fills by mid-morning. Parking is on the approach road from Cornudella.
The feast of Sant Antoni Abat, patron saint of rural communities and animals, is observed on 17 January across Priorat villages including Poboleda, Torroja del Priorat; la Vilella Alta.
Tip: Sant Antoni is a community festival, not a tourist event. Visitors who arrive respectfully and participate in communal meals will find it the most authentic glimpse of rural Priorat culture.
Annual open-cellar weekend across the twelve Vi de Vila villages, with guided tastings and vineyard walks at estates normally closed to walk-in visitors, coordinated by Priorat Enoturisme.
Tip: A single ticket covers all participating estates. Route planning is essential given the distances and driving times between villages on mountain roads.
Each November, Falset and surrounding villages celebrate the release of vi novell, the new wine from the just-completed harvest. The Catalan equivalent of a new-wine celebration, vi novell is poured at cooperative cellars and the wine bars of the Carrer de la Bassa in Falset for a limited window. Cooperatives including Falset-Marca and Vinicola del Priorat open their doors to receive the new harvest.
Tip: Vi novell is available for only a few weeks after the harvest. The cooperatives in Falset are the best source.