A Cathedral of Wine: El Pinell de Brai

My rowing tour of Spain’s Ebro river had just arrived in the picturesque village of Miravet. And the cohort I was with had taken a few minutes to settle into the fantastical Palau de Miravet, the guest house that would be our amazing abode for the next two nights. But we had no time to waste. For we were expected for a winery tour in nearby El Pinell de Brai. So we quickly hopped in our vehicles and made our way there. Little did I realize that we would be visiting a veritable Cathedral of Wine.

A Modernista Wonder

But that became abundantly clear upon arriving at our destination. So much so that it left me speechless. For there before me stood an amazing Art Nouveau, better known in this region as Modernista, edifice. I would soon learn that the Catalan region of Spain has as many as forty of these temples to the grape. In fact, I had already had a glimpse of one during a brief visit to Gandesa a few days earlier. On this day though, I would be able to roam through the arched interiors of the El Pinell de Brai Cathedral of Wine to gain a greater appreciation of why they are so named.

Passing through one of its impressive stone doorways, beneath the wine bottle shaped windows, I certainly had the feeling of entering a place of worship. Stone spirals adorned the smaller of these door frames, acting as a Modernista signature. I would see more of these organic shapes on the fantastic Art Nouveau buildings of Barcelona, especially the amazing Hospital de Sant Pau.

And as I passed from the late day heat of the Spanish sun into the cool, twilight within, a spirit of awe filled me. For, between the giant, concrete wine vats, rose row upon row of beautifully curved, two-storey high, brick rafters. Their slender, characteristically Art Nouveau curves were worthy of any cathedral. And they carried the eye up to the crown of the ceiling that they supported above.

Historic Handwork

Back at ground level, several well-crafted artifacts spoke to the long history of Spanish wine making.

Stairway to Heaven

And then suddenly, upon looking upward again, I spotted the most delicate and whimsical floating stairway hanging from a wall as if placed there by the hand of God itself. This certainly was not something I expected to find in such an industrial setting.

I didn’t have the opportunity to climb this particular staircase, as much as I would have loved to. However, I did get to rise into the rafters on a different one. And the sights there were just as amazing. For here were row upon row of smaller parabolic arches that aligned to create the most wonderful tunnel. And where they intersected, the movement was so palpable that I could have sworn they were dancing a beautiful waltz.

Here too, the grandeur of the main supports revealed their full glory. For they reflected the wine bottle design of the illuminating windows. 

Room With A View

And the most wonderful sight – the view of the village rooftops through the grand, main windows, framed by those wonderful arched rafters. Like the wine cooperative in Gandesa, this Cathedral of Wine was also built in 1919 by architect Cèsar Martinell, a student of the great Antoni Gaudí, I discovered that by building with brick, he could easily calculate the required quantities, and therefore control the cost.

Back down at ground level, I entered the processing room where I was met with yet another unexpected sight. For the walls were decorated with bright green and white tiles, set in a zigzag pattern. I smiled when I saw them. I couldn’t help thinking of Charlie Brown

Tastes of Spain

Then it was on to join my rowing mates for a tasting of some of the wines produced here. And it was then that I discovered a new gastronomical treat. For I learned that the Spanish not only drizzle extra virgin olive oil on their baguette, they also sprinkle sea salt on it. And the taste is divine! And another wonderful surprise: you can purchase wine for two euros a litre!

Spanish Colour

As I waited for the remainder of our party to exit, I took a few minutes to further appreciate the ceramic frieze that so beautifully decorated the façade of the winery. Their colours perfectly matched the surrounding landscape. And the images they bore reflected both the labours and joys of wine. And, as an ode to this Cathedral of Wine, they also included several angelic figures. A fitting finish!

Catedral del Vi  Carrer del Pilonet 8, 43594 El Pinell de Brai, Tarragona, Spain