Celler Cooperatiu de Cornudella: A Montsant Wine Tasting Experience

Travel through the idyllic Catalonia countryside and taste the flavours of world-famous Montsant & Priorat wines at the Celler Cooperatiu de Cornudella.

It's barely 10am, but the steadily rising sun already casts its warm glow in the Catalonian mountains.

Thankfully, a gentle breeze flows through the vineyards, cooling the leafy, vine-filled fields as we make our way along the rocky path. This unique setting, high in the mountains above Costa Daurada’s beach towns, is the perfect backdrop for a memorable Montsant wine-tasting experience.

We’re part of a small group on a vineyard tour led by Paul from Celler Cooperatiu de Cornudella. As we walk he explains that few tourists from the resort towns make it this far. Yet the scenery here, high up in the mountains, is undeniably wonderful.

Montsant vineyards

Our day starts in capital city Tarragona but a short drive into the Montsant hills reveals a dramatic topography of jagged peaks and sweeping valleys, often interspersed with forested cliffs, olive groves, and almonds trees.

These mountains are also home to Montsant’s high altitude vineyards, famous for their unique terraces perched somewhat precariously on steep slopes.

Between the vineyards, these hills hide a scattering of postcard-perfect medieval villages, historic wonders, and wonderfully authentic restaurants; perfect travellers seeking a rural adventure away from the tourist traps of the coast.

It is a truly breathtaking landscape.

As Paul explains, the mountains that soar over the Costa Daurada have produced wine since the days of the Roman Empire. These days, the popularity of independent makers and the acclaimed Montsant DO designation has ensured that wine tourism in Montsant is ever-growing.

When it comes to flavour, Montsant wines, made mainly from Grenache, are exceptional, aromatic, and perfectly balanced.

And the passion and hard work of Paul and his fellow farmers in Montsant is clear in their final product; high-quality red wines and dangerously drinkable vermut, the perfect companions to authentic Catalan flavours or, indeed, afternoons spent in nearby coastal town cafes.

For me, a devoted Rioja drinker, it’s an eye-opener.

It may be because the UK imports almost exclusively Rioja that my entire knowledge of Spanish wine (until this point) boils down to one region. Or it’s because I have such happy, if hazy, memories of an exceptional wine tasting in the La Rioja bodegas.

Either way, after this trip, safe to say I’m a Montsant convert.

Celler Cooperatiu de Cornudella

The best of Montsant, and neighbouring Priorat wines, are found in the Celler Cooperatiu de Cornudella; an organisation dedicated to viniculture and the production of excellent wine.

The cellar brings together more than 80 farmers from the Montsant and Priorat regions, showcasing the native grape varieties of the area, such as Grenache and Carignan.

For an experience amongst the mountains, a tour of Montsant’s unique mountain vineyards is the perfect complement to a Costa Daurada trip and a must for travellers seeking a wine escape. Learn, tour, and taste, local wines in the Gaudi-inspired century-old building.

Prices from €12 (wine tasting) and €80 (vineyard tours) and the best experiences are to be had with Siurana Tours.

Discover Celler Cooperatiu de Cornudella

This experience was kindly gifted as part of a press trip with the Costa Daurada Tourism Board, however, all opinions are very much my own.