Private wine tours Priorat – selection of organic vineyards

The Priorat wine region is a paradise for wine lovers searching for private wine tours of wineries and vineyards. Set in breathtaking countryside, the world class Priorat wineries are perched in the steep hills of southern Catalonia. With its roots in wine making going back to the Roman times, the story of viticulture in the Priorat is fascinating. After a hiatus, wine making took off in the medieval period, when much of the area was owned by the Carthusian monks from the Cartoixa d'Escaladei monastery, established in the 12th century.

From the 1970s the region underwent a wine renaissance, and many of the wines were quickly catapulted to amongst the world's most distinguished - and expensive - wines.  Along with Rioja, the Priorat is one of only two wine regions in Spain to hold the top-tier classification of DOCa (DOQ in Catalan). The principal grapes of the Priorat are Grenache and Carignan (garnacha and cariñena in Spanish, and garnatxa and carinyena in Catalan). The Priorat is one of very few world-class wine styles that are based on Grenache.

The reasons why the Priorat can make world class Grenache wines lie in the climate, soils, and location. Boasting a hot, dry climate, with nutrient-poor stony soils sheltered by mountains, the Priorat is well suited to low yield, high quality grapes. The Priorat wineries produce small vintages of high quality wines, and the wine region is a must visit for any foodies or wine lovers vacationing in Barcelona or Catalonia.

While the Priorat region is world famous for its red wines, the wineries also produce some outstanding whites and rosés that should not be missed during your wine tours.

For our Archaeology of Wine Priorat Tour and our Classic Priorat Wine Tour we have a number of organic, award winning wineries we visit, that are described below.

The wineries are all unique and appealing depending on the type of private wine tour you would like. The tour options include driving or walking through the vineyards, exploring the underground wine cellars, or a combination of these.

All of the tours, of course, include wine tastings. For those interested, technical tours on viticulture, oenology, technical tastings etc. are also available.

Even though every tour and winery is unique, the common thread is the pride and enthusiasm the wine producers have for their wines land, and their use of traditional techniques. All our short-listed favourites are family-run wineries, including those who pioneered the renaissance of Priorat wines in the 1980s.

Clos de l'Obac

Highlights

• Visit one of the original pioneer wineries of the Priorat's renaissance
• Visit the winery and have a private wine tasting in the charming tasting room
• Specialists in red, white, and sweet wines

Priorat wine pioneers Carles Pastrana and Mariona Jarque moved to the Priorat in the late 1970s, with their first vintage released in 1989. Their wine very quickly caught world wide attention and helped catapult the Priorat towards the top of the wine world.

Since then, Clos de l'Obac has continued to produce outstanding wines, and a visit to their winery - with many of the private tours and tastings led by the ever charming Carles himself - is a delicious treat. Their winery is situated in the quaint wine village of Gratallops, and literally next door to Rene Barbier’s Clos Mogador winery. The Clos de l'Obac private tour doesn't include a visit to their vineyards. For Carles, he prefers to emphasise the wine tasting itself, and the tastings will certainly blow you away when you sample their sublime range of reds, whites, and sweet wines.

More information on Clos de l'Obac can be found here.

Terroir al Límit

Highlights

• Enjoy a private tour of the winery in the historic wine village of Torroja de Priorat
• Have a wine tasting in the winery's historic mansion, and private lunch on the terrace overlooking the village and vineyards
• Specialists in red and white wines

The Terroir al Límit winery is a relative newcomer to Priorat, with their first vintage a little over 15 years ago. The winery is located in the centre of the Priorat, in the historic wine village of Torroja de Priorat. From there, the owner Dominik Huber has eschewed the region's style of powerful, oak-aged wines, opting to steer Priorat wines in a new direction.

Dominik emphasises the relationship between wine and food. Therefore, a visit to his winery includes a wine tasting and a private lunch in Cal Compte, the winery's enchanting 16th century mansion. Located in the heart of the medieval village, the mansion's terrace is a wonderful spot to enjoy the wine tasting and private lunch overlooking the hills covered in vineyards that surround Torroja de Priorat village.

More information on Terroir al Límit can be found here.

Mas Doix

Highlights

• Small, family run winery steeped in the historical heartland of the Priorat
• Enjoy a private tour of the family estate, including its winery and vineyards
• Sample their marvellous range of red wines

Mas Doix is a small, family-run estate, with their family history going back over 150 years in the region. The current iteration of the family winery began in 1998 when Josep Maria Doix teamed up with his cousins Ramon and Valentí LLagostera to produce wines under the name Mas Doix. Your private tour of the begins in the winery in the small village of Poboleda. From there you'll visit the hillside vineyards surrounding the village, and learn about the family's wine making collaboration and see its roots in the countryside. After the vineyards, you'll return once again to the winery for the tasting of Mas Doix's exciting range of Priorat wines.

More information about Mas Doix can be found here.

Clos Mogador

Highlights

• Visit one of the original pioneer wineries of the Priorat's renaissance
• Enjoy a private tour of the vineyards and wine tastings at the winery
• Specialists in red and white wines

René Barbier began making wine under the name Clos Mogador in the Priorat in 1979, and is one of the 'famous five' pioneers of the Priorat wine renaissance. Tracing his ancestors roots back in French wine making to the 13th century, René released his first Priorat vintage in 1989. This was the same year as his next door neighbours, Carles Pastrana and Mariona Jarque of Clos l'Obac.

Visiting the winery today, you pass up a dusty lane on the outskirts of the medieval wine village of Gratallops, and then enter the wonderful winery with its stunning views of Priorat vineyards and craggy hills. Along with a tasting at the winery, you'll be treated to a visit of their nearby vineyards where you'll learn how the ancient vines are cared for to produce the phenomenal Priorat grapes.

More information on Clos Mogador can be found here.

Mas Martinet

Highlights

• Visit one of the original pioneer wineries of the Priorat's renaissance
• Enjoy a private tour of the family estate, including a visit to the hilltop vineyards and a tasting in their charming modern winery
• Specialists in red and white wines

Tucked away in a steep valley by the banks of the Siurana River, the Mas Martinet winery has been producing outstanding wines in the Priorat since the 1980s. The winery is one of the 'famous five' pioneers of the Priorat wine renaissance. Today, however, it is run by Jose Luís Pérez Ovejero's daughter, Sara Pérez who has brought the winery into a new era of Priorat wines. A tour of the winery will bring you high into the hills to visit the vineyards, followed by a wine tasting in their charming modern winery in the valley below.

Mas Martinet website.