Priorat in the UK

Appearing in La Vanguardia on May 31 was an article by Sara Sans on the efforts of D.O.Ca. (demoninación de origin calificada) Priorat to promote their wines in the UK market.

According to the piece, of the 1,315 million liters of wine consumed annually in Britain, Priorat supplies a mere 19,000 liters, and this volume is actually down by 18% from the year 2000.

At least part of the problem lies in the pricing. According to Ian Ronald, Purchasing Director for John Armit Wines, Priorat has great potential, but other areas are producing interesting wines at more competitive prices.

Last week at the London Wine Trade Fair, the D.O.Ca. Priorat celebrated its 50th year of promoting its wines in Britain. To help promote the region, the official agency of the Catalan Government for Agriculture, Farming and Fishing held a tasting of some 20 of the leading Priorat winemakers including Alvaro Palacios, Bodegas Pasanau, Celler Vall Llach, Rene Barbier's Clos Mogador, and others.