Priorat 101: Get to Know this Iconic Spanish Wine Region Ep. 33

Join sommelier Erin as she delves into the captivating world of Priorat, one of Spain's most prestigious wine regions. In this episode, you'll learn about the history, geography, and unique flavors of Priorat wines, including facts about the special Liquorella soil and the challenging conditions that result in bold, intense flavors. in the glass. Discover the primary grape varieties and the ageability of these exceptional wines, and get practical tips on serving them. Plus, Erin shares some delicious pairing ideas for both the red and white wines of Priorat and why this region should be on every wine lover's must-try list.

0:00 Priorat 101: Everything You Need to Know about this Iconic Spanish Wine Region
02:07 Where is Priorat, and why are its soils so special
04:53 History
06:51 What Can You Expect In the Glass
11:45 Aging Priorat Wines
14:59 Pairing Ideas
16:46 Recap

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Transcript

Erin: 0:00

If you love discovering wine gems, then today's episode is for you because I'm going to be diving into the captivating world of the wines of prereq. One of Spain's most prestigious wine regions known for big, bold reds and lesser known white pre-read offers wine lovers like you and I, a unique blend of history, geography, And flavor. So if you're ready to learn more about the Spanish wine gems, so that you feel confident the next time you head into the Spanish, Y now at your favorite wine store, let's get started and dive right into today's episode. Hi everyone. And welcome to the white top talk. I'm your host smelly. Aaron knows our and I am so happy that you're here with me today. If we haven't met before, it's lovely to have you here and we have welcome back now for those of you are new. You should know that I've been a professional smelly for over 20 years now. And it's my passion, my privilege to make learning about wine, not only fun and easy, but also practical. I want to make sure that you leave every single episode with some real life practical tips that you're able to use right away to help you find wines. Is that you're going to love and enjoy. And be able to share with family and friends. I want you to think of me as your very own practical, small a and on that note, today's episode is filled with practical tips because I'm going to be giving you the 4 1 1, if you will, the basic facts about what you need to know about the Spanish region of pre-read, so that you feel confident the next time you're in the wine store and you see wines from this area. For today's episode, I've put together the key facts that I think are really important for you to know about, including some super cool wonky information about the special soil, the size of the area, and why that's important. The types of grapes that are grown here, and a bit about white wines that are coming from this area. That can be a bit hard to find because they're small produce, but they are worth the search and of course, but should you be visiting Spain then? This is definitely an area that is a wine lover. You want to put on your must-do list. So let's start right at the beginning with a bit of geography. Now, prereq is a small, but prestigious wine region located in Catalonia, Northeastern Spain, it's rugged terrain is both beautiful and challenging with vineyards planted on steep terrorists slopes that require. Meticulous manual labor. This is an area that is not machine harvested. Everything needs to be done by hand. If you have seen pictures before of the dural valley, where we grow pork, where you have these terrorists slopes cut out of granite in that location. This is going to be kind of close to that. It's we have more jagged rocks and. Again, steep slopes and they're working in rock. Now, the regions distinctive black slate and court soil is known as liquor rela and this special soil gives wines a unique mineral character that sets them apart from other wines from Spain, let alone the rest of the world. Now the liquor, Ella soil plays a crucial part in the unique character of the wines. And it's important to know that it's primarily dark and brutal sleep. It's going to snap in your hands. If you pick up a piece and the soil is notable for its thin layers, which like I said, can easily be broken apart. It is a stinky, dark gray to black color. It's often described as flaky or sheet like in textures. And it definitely gives that ambiance of a dramatic appearance to the vineyards. Now in regards to drainage liquor rela soil provides excellent drainage, which is crucial in a region like pre-read that experiences limited rainfall, the soil's ability to drain quickly prevents water logging and encourages the roots of the vines to grow deep in the soil in search of more moisture. And heat retention, the dark color of liquor rela helps absorb the heat during the day and radiate it back up at the vines at night. This effect helps to ripe in the grapes and contributes to the development of those rich concentrated flavors that we love and enjoy in the wines from prereq. Now it's important to note that these growing conditions are challenging to say the least and the vines are low yielding, meaning we're not getting huge amount of bunches off of these vines, but what we do get our grapes with a really concentrated flavors and robust structures. These characteristics are the hallmarks of pure wines and they are known for their intensity and age worthiness. These are definitely wines that you can collect and keep in your sellers. And my final say on the liquor ELA soil is that it is an integral part of the identity of pre-read it not only influences the physical landscape, but also the incredible flavors in the glass. It is definitely a unique. Characteristic of this special place. And the official climate classification of this area is Mediterranean with hot summers and low rainfall. Now in regards to history and wine production, Prereq can date back wine production in the area to the 12th century when Carthusian monks established vineyards in the area. And after a decline in the late 19th century, due to phylloxera and flocks or a few. I have listened to me before. That's that bug that basically eats buy-ins from the ground up and decimated Europe in the early 19th century. And the vineyards in this area did not escape it's decimation. But the region was real revitalized in the late 20th century. When we had a solution, when we how to deal with phylloxera, which was grafting vines, basically putting a root base in the soil that was immune to phylloxera and sticking the grape Friday on top of that root base. If you remember grade seven science, when you sort of glued plants together, if you will. So they joined and that's what we do with the grapevines. And it's called grafting. And so in the late 20th century, we had pioneering winemakers start to rebuild the area of pre-read. They saw the incredible soil and the climate and all that it could be. And so in the 1980s to the early 1990s, a new generation, including winemakers, like Renee Barbier and Alvero patio, started to. Bring international attention to pre-write by producing high quality wines. Now, today pre-read holds to prestigious D O Q status within the Spanish wine region. And this is the highest level within Spain's top raw wine regions on the label. So you will see the acronym D O Q, which also the area of real has as well. And this is basically an elevated tier of prestigious wines within Spain. So wines coming out. we'll all have the D O Q. Acronym on their label. Basically, it's a delimited space of quality. Now you must be wondering what can you expect in the glass if you haven't already had one and I should caveat this and let you know that premier at wines are in smaller quantities. The area of pre-read is not that big to put this into context. I do need to let you know that the winds of pre-read can be a bit of a. Of a search to find because the area does not produce mass qualities of wine. This is an area that every grape matters. It is steep. The soil can be challenging. The climate can be challenging. And so these are wines that you may find in the more collectible section of your favorite wine store. If they do have collectible wines, let's say in a special area, or they may be above sort of the average Tuesday night price point on the shelf as well. But this is a small area where these wines are produced. So for example, if you are Canadian like myself, the city of moose jaw in Saskatchewan is a pretty good comparison in regards to size moose jaw covers about. 18 square miles, or 46.8 square kilometers, which is similar to the total area of pre-read, including both its vineyards and surrounding terrain. Basically the area of pre-read is a very small city. It's concentrated, not all land within pre-read has vines planted on it. We have steep cliffs, obviously valleys and. All of that. So not all the space and prereq is underline. So in regards to how much wine can we produce out of here? It is much smaller than let's say the area of real hub in Spain we have. Approximately just under 5,000 acres planted as vineyards. And it's densely planted. So the region, is it very compact for the size? Now that you know, where it is, what the climate is like and the special soil, the gorilla, you may be wondering what makes pure so special and wide is in, in my opinion, Most collectors sellers. So the first thing to say is that pure at is primarily red, grape Fridays, and the two main grape Fridays are going to be Grenache. And Carignan both of these. You are also going to find in the south of France, so that whole Mediterranean basin, these grapes obviously shine in this climate. Now these grapes can be a single variety, but they are often blended with international varieties like Sarah Cabernet, Sauvignon, and Merlow pre-arrest reds are intense and full bodied with rich flavors of dark fruits, minerals. And Herb's. These are not red wines for people just starting to think they like red wines. These are big, intense, layered red wines that evolve over time. Like I mentioned before, these are excellent wines to age and track the development of, and the influence of that LA Carella soil definitely impacts a distinctive minerality making these wines truly unique. So people will say that they smell Flint or rocks. Stone. If you've striked two rocks together to get a spark that's that smell that you can smell when the stones are matched together. Um, you can definitely cut that off of wines for prereq, but these are wines that you definitely want to make the center of attention. If you're using them in a meal, you want to be able to sip and savor them and really give your nose and your palate time to fully embrace and get to know the wines as you're enjoying one in the glass. Now, those are the red ones, but let's talk a little bit about the less common, but certainly worth exploring white wines from the area. These can be harder to find, and you may have a better chance. Should you be visiting the area, which I would highly recommend it is beautiful, but the white grapes. Our smaller produced, but they are very, very special. And the primary white grapes include. Grenache block macadamia and Zumiez, you may know, Pedro examine is from Sherry, where we make a very sweet Sherry that we call PX, Sherry. That is delicious and classically served. Over vanilla ice cream, but PX, Sherry is almost like Sultana raisins in a glass. It is incredible, but these are wines that again. That can be aged. And these grapes from this area produce wines that are rich and a full bodied profile. They have good acidity and mineral notes. They reflect the region soil. They are complex. You can expect to find flavors of a citrus stone fruits like peach apricots, subtle floral notes, and herbal undertones. The time the grass. You're going to have some lemon and. Lemon orange peel. These can be very layered. With honey notes coming through as well as they age. Now that's a great segue into let's talk about the ageability of prayer at wine. So one of the most remarkable aspect of the wines of pre-read is their ageability. Now for reds, the robust tannins high acidity, the concentrated fruit flavors in the reds provide the structure that's necessary for long-term aging, often 10 to 20 years, or even more. And as they age, these wines develop earthier, tertiary, aromas, and flavors such as leather, tobacco earth tones. Well, the tannin softened and integrate fully. Remember these wines are deep, dark red slink of those great Fridays that the wines are made from. You have Sariah, you have Cabernet, Murlow grin Nash. Kerrigan, all of these can be almost opaque, almost black in the glass. And so even as they age, these are going to be big, dark reds in the glass and as they develop in time in the bottle with 10, 20 years underneath, you are going to get more of those earthy notes. Those savory notes start to come through and they are delicious. Now, if you are drinking them younger, I would highly recommend. These are wines that you are going to want to consider decanting and you may be decanting both for sediment, so they may not be filtered wine styles. Winemakers may choose. Two. leave some sediment in the wine. So you're going to be filtering out those sediments. Again, they're not going to hurt you, but not everybody likes to feel texture and a glass of wine they're enjoying, but also you're going to want to erase these wines. You're just going to want some oxygen to help them relax a little bit. So I would highly recommend doing a little bit of research. If you have a bottle of pre-read look up until you see somebody's notes or recommendation about decanting the wine that you're looking. To enjoy because generally in my opinion, these wines really shine with a little bit of extra care and some decanting before you serve them. Now in regards to a couple of wines that you may find that are available. And in your favorite wine store, one being closed. this is by one of the original founding fathers of the wines. As we know them today, Renee back here, and this is a powerful and elegant blend of Grenache carrying in Surat and Cabernet Sauvignon, and it is known for complex flavors and long aging potential. This is definitely closed. The muck door is definitely a collector's bottle. And then we have Alvero Palacios. Amata. this is a cult wine crafted primarily of old vine grin Nash, and it offers rich flavors of Blackberry, earthy notes and silky tannins. Generally this wine again, you're going to probably see it behind glass at your favorite wine store. It may be on some fine restaurant dining list, and you may see it used as part of a winemaker's dinner. And if you get a chance to try these wines, I would highly recommend having a go at these because They are definitely wines much like a great kiss that you're going to remember them for a while. Once you have them, they are worth the weight and worth the search. Now you might be wondering once you have wines from Pria rat, what are you going to pair with them? What are some great pairings and this again, big, bold, intense red. So for the reds, think bold and Hardy in regards to dishes. Grilled meats like lamb chops, would that earthiness beef steaks, pork ribs, portabella mushrooms, and roasted vegetables. If you're looking for more, vegetarian dishes. Eggplant is a great choice, peppers, zucchini. These can compliment the earthy and mineral quantities, Hardy, stews, anything that's been cooked slowly together with those great savory flavors that come through and some spicy notes. Delicious in regards to cheese, hard cheeses like classic manchego from Spain or parmigiano Reggiano. Beautiful you're looking for these delicious hard teases with pre-reads tannic structure. And complex flavor. It is a pairing to die for. And of course, if you're a dark chocolate fan, these wines with their intense tannins and flavors are delicious with the bitterness of dark chocolate. If you are lucky enough to find a white wine from the region, then here, you're looking at seafood dishes like grilled prawns or fish with Mediterranean herb. So the Herb's Provence, for example, and also do roast Portree dishes. Creamy past is I'm on the fence on that one. I really like to serve them more with an olive oil based pasta. But when olive oil is themed sauce, but you could definitely do a light creamy style, pasta, cheeses, like goat, cheese, and age manchego. And you're looking for those high acidity cheeses. When going with the white wines, there's not a lot creamy about these wines. So they do have a incredible acidity. So you can play around a little bit with the pairings. So there you have I hope now you have a better understanding about where pre-write is the one cells that come out of it. The grape Friday is the grow their what makes it unique and special a bit about the history. But also that prereq wines offer a truly unique experience for wine lovers like you and I, and they're distinctive flavors, amazing ageability and the rich history and unique geography of the area, make them so interesting to study and enjoy the fruits of the labor if you will, in the glass. So whether you are savoring, a robust read or exploring one of their rare whites, there is something for everyone to enjoy. So I hundred percent encourage you to seek. Seek out these wines and maybe even plan a visit of course, for this beautiful area to experience it's magic firsthand. Now, like I said before, these wines are not going to be sort of Tuesday friendly, great gem in regards to pricing, though, for what they are. The price point will be a little bit higher, let's say than your favorite Tuesday read. But these are wines that you can collect that are sought after that only a small amount of wine is produced in this area. And if they are worth the search, if you will to have them, and they're definitely something special, but if you are serving one again, I would highly recommend that you Google that wine and see if anybody has any serving tips. Because somewhere on the planet, somebody has been trying that wine lately. And they're going to tell you some tips on how long they did candidate for if they need to, to, to can't it for sediment. But these are amazing lines. And if you can't tell, I am definitely a fan and I love these wines. So I hope that you have the opportunity to try them, that you have some to choose. From your favorite store. And if you do have a favorite one or you've been to a wine dinner, or any experience with the wines prereq, I would love to hear from you. So as always, please reach out. If you have any questions or comments about today's episode, you can reach me@helloatwinegrillacademy.com. I'd love to hear from you and help you with any of your questions. And of course, if you are new here, welcome, it's lovely to have you here. Please be sure to like, and follow along new episodes are gonna come out every Tuesday. And you're going to find links in the show notes below to all of the freebies that I have happening during the summer on the website, depending on when you're listening to those, we'll be changing out in the fall, as well as the link to my signature pellet personality quiz. If you haven't yet discovered what your pallet personality is. You can also come say hi on Instagram or Tik TOK, where you're going to find me at wine girl academy. And as a bit of a teaser for next week, be sure to tune in because we're going to go to New Zealand where I'm going to take you to Hawke's bay and talk about how these vineyards in Hawkes bay or on a special type of soil that actually came out of the ocean during an earthquake. So if you love big red wines, you're going to want to know about the history of Hawke's bay in New Zealand. On that note, I want to wish you all a wonderful week tears to you. Bye now.