Although the title is a semi hyperbole, that is actually exactly what we did. As we have mentioned a few times, we have been going to these "meet ups" all around Barcelona. This Saturday, we went on by far the coolest yet.
On Saturday morning, we woke up at 7:00 in the morning which is basically unheard of in Barcelona; everyone sleeps in, and the sun is non-existent. We got on the metro and arrived on a dark city corner with about 15 people hanging out around a bus. (I feel like I'm giving you too much information and I am not going to have enough energy to write about the fun stuff, oh well, noah will be proud of all this detail. Anyways...) I ask in Spanish if they are here for the meet up, the woman confirms and she so generously informs me there is a bar open around the corner that sell espresso (thank god). Fast forward about an hour and we are on a giant (very comfortable) bus, zig-zagging up the side of a mountain about to arrive at the most beautiful vineyard I have ever seen. We all file off the bus and nobody cares where they are supposed to be, because all we want to do is look around. (Have a peek)
So the place is called Celler Joan Ametller located at La Morera de Montsant in the north of the Priorat. Okay let me break that down: La Morera de Montsant are those big mountains you see in the back, and Priorat is the county the mountains are located in. Priorat is well known for their tiny grapes that produce really strong wine. Cool with me.
The grapes are really dark in color, very small, and concentrated with lots of sugar. Basically they are really sweet and delicious and I could eat a million. Picture time?
After we arrive and accept how beautiful everything is and also accept that paying attention to anyone anything has to say is going to be impossible because all you want to do is explore and take pictures and really just sit there and take it all in, we go on a tour of the vines, get a quick lesson in geography and breached on their farming techniques. Which I find all very fascinating and would really like to take some time to learn more. We also got to have a little fun and pick our own grapes.
Now that we are well versed in field work, we walk back up to the beautiful spanish country style home that houses the wine making equipment and a small store where they sell their wine, and they have set up a large breakfast spread for us. There were spanish omelettes, petite muffins, cheese, meat, deserts, fruit, various breads, juices, coffee and of course red, white and rosé wine. After we eat we tour the equipment inside and learn about the fermentation process. While we are at breakfast we think, well this is a wine tasting we should really drink as much wine as we can, however what we didn't realize was there is an actual wine tasting approaching. Meaning 3 more glasses of wicked strong wine! (Sorry wicked was appropriate there) of course I'm stoked, I can listen to this handsome spanish man talk about wine all day, I'm pretty sure that is a dream come true. However, at this point we are thinking, hold on we are hiking 12 km after this... Um hell no. Oh but we will, and I will fall, but that is to come my loves, that is all to come.
I know this is all just a recount of what I did, maybe it's a little dry, but I didn't want to miss a beat, I really wish I could have described it in a way that would take you there with me but I really don't think I can. Let me try.
The sun is warm, but the air is cool, perfect for a light sweatshirt. As we approach the winery, we see the jagged clifs of the mountains, like natural stadium seating each tier layered with vines. It is stunning, the sun is shining in all the right places, making it hard to see but not hard enough to stop you from trying until you succeed in taking it all in. Your first reaction is to just sit and try and experience it with all of your senses. The smell of the grapes fermenting. The sight of perfect lines of grape vines behind the most beautiful honey colored stucco house with exposed brick detailed windows and giant wooden doors. The feeling of the pebbles rolling beneath your feet, and the still cool air resting on your skin coexisting with the sun beating on your neck. The silent sounds of solitude, only interrupted by the others slowly approaching. And not long after, the taste of sweet grapes, freshly squeezed juice, and then the finished product of wine. What a perfect feeling.
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