There are basic responsibilities that growers must attend to in order to ensure sense of place in their wines. They must understand their land, respect it and cultivate it with consideration for sustainability. The better the growers know their vines, the more time spent with them, the more the wines will ultimately reveal. It is like any intimate relationship. Day in, day out, observing, understanding each other’s moods—over time the vines become family, an integral part of life.

Biodynamics, pruning, tilling of the soil, treatments and the disposition of the moon offer viticultural choices made with knowledge and observation. For some, the decisions are a matter of course because that is how it has been for generations. For others who have more ideals than experience in the vineyard, there is a lot to learn. Books tell only one side of the story. It takes insight to truly know what it takes for each vineyard to thrive.

Engaged in the work of the vineyard, listening to nature, warmed by the sun, lost in a metaphysical schism of time—this is when growers find themselves most at peace with nature. It may be hard work but there is a rhythm to this life, an intimate connection in which everyone and everything has its role and supports the other.

—Adapted from Ethos Priorat, a book by Elizabeth Hecker