Spanish Wine Tasting: Priorat vs. Montsant

Nestled in the south of Catalonia, Priorat and Montsant are two very old vineyards that were in perdition at the beginning of the 1990's. Then, thanks to the impulse of a few winegrowers, these terroirs will be reborn and experience a meteoric rise to worldwide recognition. At Alfavin.ch, a wine store specialized in Italian and Spanish wines for 30 years, Spain and in particular Priorat and Montsant, have a special place and a visceral attachment... Whether you are a connoisseur, an amateur or even a novice, if you want to know more... Follow the guide!

Discovery of Spanish wines in our wine library in Lonay

A bit of history... Alfavin.ch, beyond being a store of Italian and Spanish wines, is above all the fruit of meetings between passionate winegrowers and the Loparco family, Italian and Spanish by origin, established in Switzerland for a long time. Because of its attachment to its roots, Alfavin.ch has been a representative of Spanish vineyards here in French-speaking Switzerland for over 30 years.
To the north, René Barbier and his mythical Clos Mogador in the Priorat. René Barbier is an outstanding winemaker of this terroir and was the spearhead of the revival of this appellation. With a few friends, they decided to revive an abandoned vineyard. By chance, he met Giorgio Loparco, founder of Alfavin.ch, who was the first to import it into Switzerland. Come and discover the admirable work of his son René Barbier junior and his wife Sara Perez through the vintages Dido, Venus, and many others. In the Ribera del Duero region, you will find internationally renowned wineries such as Vega Sicilia, Dominio de Pingus and Bodegas Alion. On the Rioja side, you can find the Macan wines of Bodegas Benjamin de Rothschild & Vega Sicilia. Further south on the Mediterranean, find wines from lesser known wine regions such as Yecla, Alicante and Jumilla.

How does the Spanish wine tasting go?

At Alfavin.ch the tasting is above all centered on sharing and the desire to discover new wines. In general, a tasting in our store in Lonay is based on 3 axes:
Theory
The practice
The exchange

On the theory side, we transmit our knowledge about the vineyard, the intrinsic data of a terroir, how the wines are produced by the winemakers. We also give you the basics of tasting (visual, olfactory and gustatory) in order to be able to apprehend the wine in the best possible way.
In practice, and because our desire is to approach wine in a relaxed way, we orient our tasters on sensory workshops in order to understand the organoleptic sensations and in a second time (the most important one by the way) we go on to taste the wines.
Finally, the exchange is not a simple word but rather a vision of what we wish to transmit to our participants. A discussion, a wine tasting or a moment of conviviality, acquire their richness thanks to this exchange, cement of a successful tasting.
If Spain used to suffer from an image of powerful and heavy wines, this time is now over. More and more winemakers are opting for vinifications that give the wines more fruit, finesse and freshness. As with many tastings, we start with the white wines and continue with the reds. Beyond the color, the style of each wine defines the order of tasting; the soft and fresh wines to start, those with more amplitude and roundness to follow and finally the more tannic and powerful to finish.

Who should attend the Priorat - Montsant Spanish wine tasting?

Wine is above all a story of sharing and emotion. It is a fantastic drink in the sense that it is accessible to everyone, men and women, young and old, and for all pockets, and above all it is an excellent social vector that creates links between people. Participating in a tasting like the Priorat vs. Montsant is to take an oenological tour through a rich vineyard and understand as the tasting goes on how the wines are made and why they taste the way they do. This gustatory journey between Priorat and Montsant highlights two styles of wines, two different soils but in any case united by the common passion of winemakers who are committed to promoting their region and the wines it can offer. Piorat vs. Montsant is a way to discover your own desires.
Want to taste a bottle of these two beautiful regions of Catalonia? Discover our Priorat and Montsant wines on our website Alfavin.ch

And if you want to learn more about Spain's wines, read our different articles on our blog:

Which Spanish wine for which dish? Alfavin.ch gives you its ideas!
Top 10 best Spanish wines
All about Spanish wines
How to choose a Spanish wine ? Alfavin.ch advises you!