Some of the most important international sommeliers and wine experts will visit the Priorat Designation of Origin (DOQ) Priorat on 25th, 26th, and 27th May, 2015 to take part in Espai Priorat 2015 – Third International Exhibiton of DOQ Priorat Wines. This showcase of Priorat wines is aimed at a select group made up of around sixty international opinion leaders from outside of the European Union.

After two successful previous editions of Espai Priorat (2011 and 2013), this bi-annual event has become the principal event in promoting DOQ Priorat wines on an international level. The DOQ Priorat Regulatory Board, together with participating wineries and with the support of the European Union’s special internationalisation programme and with INCAVI (Catalan Autonomous Government), have decided to join forces once again in order to bring together more than 60 international experts from countries from outside the European Union to discover the wines, terroir, villages and wineries that make up the DOQ Priorat wine appellation.

New Developments

The main new development of Espai Priorat 2015 is the guest profile: these will be some of the most prestigious sommeliers of countries beyond the EU, such as Switzerland, Russia, Norway, USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, India and Australia.

Amongst participants of this event, there will be sommeliers and people responsible for purchasing wines from some of the most important hotel and restaurant chains of these countries. After having attended Espai Priorat 2015, these professionals will become ambassadors and will further their knowledge of DOQ Priorat wines and the area where they are made. 

Espai Priorat 2015 is also incorporating a newly created “Furthering DOQ Priorat Knowledge Session” which will consist in a talk during which experts of the DOQ Priorat along with prestigious international speakers will enter into a dialogue with guests on the values and characteristics of DOQ Priorat wines.

One of the most important developments of Espai Priorat will be the grand walkabout tasting where guests will be able to taste wines from the participating wineries. This walkabout event will be held once again in the former refectory of the Cartoixa d’Scala Dei (Scala Dei Carthusian Monastery), the historical heart of DOQ Priorat wines and a symbolic place where past meets present. This grand tasting will take up the morning of 26th May and will allow producers to explain in detail the characteristics of their wines and answer any questions from international guests during the tasting.

This Grand Tasting at the Cartoixa (monastery) will feature alongside one of the other great moments of Espai Priorat: the vineyard and winery visits. This again will be an opportunity for guests to get a feel for the terroir and natural environment where DOQ Priorat vines grow in this unique setting.

International Opinion Leaders

This May, a series of international opinion leaders will take home a piece of DOQ Priorat in the form of their personal experiences around this beautiful area. Amongst them will be mainly hotel sommeliers and wine professionals from other such high quality establishments, as well as Masters of Wine and Master Sommeliers and wine critics from various forms of written media.

“During this edition of the event, we are offering professionals the opportunity to get to know the area, together with the origins and the authors of our wines. These professionals work day in and day out with quality wines in their restaurants and hotels around the world. We are confident that they will be keen to immerse themselves over these three days in the terroir, wineries and villages which make up the DOQ Priorat.” commented DOQ Priorat chairman, Toni Alcover.

Espai Priorat is organised by the DOQ Priorat Regulatory Board and is aimed at promoting DOQ Priorat wines on an international level. The event is coordinated by the company of Pep Palau, Von Arend & Associats, who have been organising culinary events for many years and were also responsible for coordinating the 2013 edition.