Cataluña wines

Some wine regions are easier to describe than others. If they have a tight stylistic range, it can be quite straightforward. But those that are defined by diversity and a broad offering are trickier to pin down. Cataluña, in the far northeast corner of Spain, is firmly in the second camp. It excels at both local and international varieties; it makes excellent red, white and rosé; it produces some of the country’s best still and sparkling wines.

Summary: Cataluña is one of Spain’s most historically-rich and progressive wine regions. But how well do you know the wines of Cataluña outside of Priorat or Cava? From the majestic Pyrenees mountains to the sun-drenched coastlines of the Mediterranean, the 12 Catalan wine regions serve to highlight the tremendous diversity of the region.   Join Rick Fisher and Ferran Centelles as they introduce Cataluña’s wine regions and highlight what makes these

Ferran Adrià’s legendary restaurant El Bulli defined modernist cuisine. The restaurant had an undeniable influence on haute cuisine trends both in Spain and across the globe. For 13 years, its wine programme was led by sommelier Ferran Centelles. Ferran continues to work with Adrià at the elBullifoundation, a creativity centre of culinary and wine-focused scholarship that was created in 2011 after the restaurant’s closure.  

Prioratans have a saying: Si ets calatà, de les pedres treuràs pa. Pero si ets a Priorati, treuràs vi. It means “The Catalan people make bread from stones, but the Prioratans make wine.” Their llicorella rock soils provide the kind of struggle that produces some of the most sought-after wines in the world. Enclosed within the Montsant Mountains, two hours from Barcelona, the Priorat is a tiny wine region whose fame is overshadowed only by the powerful beauty of its landscape.