The rebirth of the Escanyavella grape in Priorat

There existed many old grape varieties in Catalonia; many of them in much greater numbers before phylloxera. In the days that followed this catastrophic attack to European winemaking there was something of a viticultural reckoning and many were lost, or nearly lost. While a name such as “colló de gall” (rooster balls) that you can find up in Empordà is amusing, one of my favorites is the relatively rare white grape of Escanyavella or “old lady strangler”. Found on the slopes of Priorat, it’s generally mixed in with other grapes […]