Ready for a little wine and tapas in Priorat?

The European road trip continues in the rustic, picturesque mountains of El Priorat, Spain. The uber rural destination is dense and spread out offering some great places for wine and tapas. Here, we did a little primary research (it’s a tough job, but you know)!

Bienvenido a Espana!

1. Calaix de Sastre in Falset:

We found our favorite wine and tapas in Priorat at Calaix on our last night. The bar is in Falset, a larger city of the region. The tapas are fantastic, the wine list is everything you want to try in Catalan, and the atmosphere rocks. We sat outside watching the world go by, sipping wine, and gnoshing on foods. As far as wine and tapas in Priotat go, this is one place not to miss. Menu: Wine and Tapas. Address: Placa de la Quartera, 39, Falset – WiFi.

2. Vinum in Porrera:

Located in the teeny tiny village of Porrera, the enoteca serves regional white and red wines, primarily bottles from producers in the village. It’s located in the main square next to a little canal. We tried a Grenache Gris (white), a Granache red, and a small plate of queso and two types of sausage. The Botifarra Blanca sausage rocks. A wine and tapas in Priorat must – it’s in the heart of a wine village that transports you back hundreds of years. What more do you need?
Menu: Wine and Tapas Only. Address: Pl. Catalunya, 1, Porrera.

3. El Moll in Cambrils:

In our quest for an oceanfront stop we ventured to Cambrils. Since it’s a tourist destination we kept our eyes peeled for a local watering hole. We found El Moll just off the waterfront, filled with locals watching soccer – ‘scuse me, football. It had a great wine list (three pages – local, regional, and all of Spain) and the portions were generous. We selected two mixed plates of seafood tapas and a carafe of house wine. For €36 we couldn’t have done better – the wine was €4 for a carafe. The amazing food left us fat and happy.
Menu: Wine and Tapas, Full Menu Address: Joan Sebastia Elcano 8, 43850, Cambrils.

4. Terrassa in Siurana:

With a few hours between tastings we headed to the hilltop village of Siurana where we found Terrassa. They offer simple wines and a handful of traditional Catalan tapas, like gambas (prawns) and bravas (cubed potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce). The draw of Terrassa is easily the view. It sits atop the hill, almost seemingly carved into the stone. The views are incredible. Worth a stop.
Address: You can’t miss it as you drive into Siurana. WiFi.

5. D-I-Y Wine and Tapas:

Make your own wine and tapas spread. For a brilliant Do-It-Yourself experience hit one of the region’s many Cooperativ’s or enotecas (see deets below), find a perch with a breathtaking view, add wine, and serve. We stopped at the Cooperativ in Cornudella de Monstant for a quick wine tasting and shopping. They offer regional wines, cheese, sausages, jams, olives, olive oils, biscuits, and a ton more. We got a little stash of goodies and did a tasting (no charge).

Armed with all we needed, we made our way up for a cliffside picnic. A cheaper, more relaxed way to go – I mean, the views here are no joke. Highly recommend D-I-Y’ing wine and tapas in Priorat.

Bonus: Enotecas in Priorat, Spain!

When in wine country every good wino needs quality enotecas. We found two in Falset – cause Girl’s Gotta Drink Espana wines at home in Piedmont!

Aguilo Vinateria, Miquel Barcelo, 11 Falset. The place has been open for 50 years (same two brothers are the owners, natch).

Great wines to buy and you will always find wines open to taste (compliments of the casa). We bought a quite a few bottles here. Most notably, Il Ragazzo’s new prize possession, a 1974 Scala Dei (apparently it’s considered the first ever bottled Priorat wine).

Vin I Olis del Priorat, Miquel Barcelo, 25 Falset. All of a block from Aguilo, this is another great enoteca with more than just wine. Find local cheeses, sausages, olive oils, and other regional specialties – like Granache beer (of course this Colorado girl and English boy are taking a bottle home)!

Salud! V-dawg OUT.

Song Pick! Never Been to Spain, Three Dog Night

Got some tips on wine and tapas in Priorat? Lemme know – we plan to go back.