K & L's Travel Blog

We had made reservations some months back to visit one of the better-known wineries in the region, Scala Dei. The wines of Scala Dei officially started with the Carthusian monks in the 1100’s, though it was rough stuff to be mixed with water and mass-produced. The modern winery was founded in 1974 when it began making the wine we know today.

The tour was the best we’d had thus far. Natalie led us around the production and storage areas of their massive cellar and explained the processes and the unique soil and climate of the area: slate soil and a dry, cold climate effectively toughen the plants, and the mature vines reach many meters into the soil. 

I was impressed with their constant innovation and experimentation as well as the contrast between the different harvests: 2022 was underwhelming due to heat and drought, whereas 2021 was a bumper crop. The storage area for barrels shows the scars of a Civil War ammunition explosion on the massive roof (above).

A tasting followed that included a white, rosé and two reds that demonstrated the difference in those vines closer to the clay soil of the escarpment and those in other areas grown in slate. I am not usually a fan of Rosé, but this was amazing. Sadly, it’s not available for general sale. We did end up buying one of their nicer reds which we are saving for a lamb dinner.

We were surprised to find tour buses at the monastery. We thought we were the only visitors in the region, but there were about hundred or so tourists there. The ruins were much more extensive than I’d realized, and I hadn’t expected the renovation work that was in progress. They had restored some cells to give us a sense of the monk’s everyday life: cloistered, i.e. no talking. Kitty was impressed with that as well as that they each had a small garden in which to grow flowers. I liked the desks with a view. 

I wanted to hike a bit in the national park above the monastery, but since I’m recovering from a knee injury and Kitty is suffering from sciatica, we weren’t sure we could manage. A guide reassured us that the entire thing could be done easily in an hour. She pointed out the steep trails to avoid, and said we should head for La Pietat. 

The entire region of Catalunya has been in the grips of an extended drought, so the dirt track we followed was hard, dry and slippery with pebbles. We followed a sign that led us off the main road onto a secondary trail to the Pietat. The first bit was OK, but soon it deteriorated into a very narrow path with a sheer cliff on one side and sheer drop on the other. We crept along, and made it about half-way when a steep dip demanded a scramble over rocks. Discretion won over valor and we relented, creeping our way back to terra firma. It was such a stunning and unusual place I was glad we had managed to get in some hiking without any bodily harm.

Our drive to Scala Dei had been easy, but our next location, Siurana, was grueling. The final ascent to the hill town was a single lane with steep hairpin turns that demanded first gear to navigate. Kitty did an admirable job, but we were shaken by the time we approached Siurana only to find a man collecting cash—3 Euros–at the parking area. We had no cash (having used I-phone for everything thus far), and feared we’d be turned back after the harrowing hour-long drive. As it ended up, he was from California, and advised us to go to the local restaurant and get the euros there. We were famished after our hike and it was after 4:00, so the restaurant’s kitchen was closed. Luckily, we were able to get some soup and salad and the €3.00, so we were once again restored.

The medieval town was stunning (though I’m not sure Kitty would say it was worth it). Our drive back was epic as it was mostly in the dark. We were sustained by an extended sunset that lasted the entire drive. 

I absolutely recommend this area, but would warn folks to expect longer times for drives than what Google Maps estimates: their 25 mins. was our hour. I’d also recommend avoiding driving at night. It took us three times to find the turn to our hotel off the main road, a dark moment on many levels! Things were pitch black in the town and at our hotel, but we made our way to our room and slept soundly through the night.