Pinell de Brai is a small town located in the Tierra Alta region of Tarragona. The Bodega Cooperativa del Pinell de Brai, also known as the Cathedral of Wine, is an oil mill and wine cellar located on the outskirts of the town. The Bodega Cooperativa de Pinell de Brai is a building that was declared a cultural asset of national interest, with the category of Historical Monument in 2002.
Modernist building from the 20th century
The Wine Cathedral of Pinell de Brai is a cooperative building in the Art Nouveau style from the early 20th century designed by Cèsar Martinell, a pupil of Antoní Gaudí. It has been recognised as an architectural jewel of modernist character included in the group of Wine Cathedrals of Catalonia.
The most striking feature of the winery on arrival is undoubtedly the glazed ceramic frieze on the façade designed by the painter Francesc Xavier Nogués.
Its construction:
The modernist winery of Pinell de Brai is a cooperative founded in Catalonia at the end of the 19th century. Its construction was commissioned to Cèsar Martinell in 1919, who used all the elements of traditional Catalan architecture, the modernist aesthetic, and enriched it with the technical innovations of his master Antoni Gaudí.
The light filtering through the windows, the floor plan reminiscent of a church and the feeling of spaciousness recreate the interior of a Gothic cathedral. But it also creates a functional space for wine production, the ventilation system through the large windows and the insulation of the wine-making containers in chambers.
Guided tour of the winery and wine tasting with tasting session
There are several options for this visit, which we will explain below. In our case we chose to take a guided tour of the building and then a wine tasting. We also stayed for lunch in the restaurant, in order to have the full experience and enjoy the company of our friends, who accompanied us on this occasion.
During the guided tour, a guide has been telling us all the history of this magnificent building, from its important façade, which impresses us with its large windows, glass windows and tiles that cover the façade with motifs related to the countryside, the vineyards, the harvesting and production of wine and oil.
The wine warehouse
We go to the semi-basements where the silos that store the wine are located, also an important part of the visit, because there is a lot of history in this place. It is an important step to know how wine is produced in Pinell de Brai.
In this part, the modernist architectural aspect of the building is mixed with the functional part of the wine storage, the silos.
After an extensive explanation of the grapes used for the wines and the fermentation processes necessary to obtain the final product, we come to the storage in barrels in the cellars of the building.
In a small, dark space there is a large number of barrels waiting to be bottled and made available to the public.
The tour ends in a large, cathedral-like hall, which is the photo we have used to start this post. A modern cathedral, spacious and with plenty of space and light.
Throughout the visit, the building surprises us with the arches of the windows or the columns that support the weight of the different levels, the spaciousness of the interior space, the light that enters through the large windows. In short, this is a Modernist-style building that will not leave you indifferent.
Tasting and degustation
The Modernista Celler winery was created by the brothers Joaquín and Fran López, both raised and trained in the hotel and catering world, who together with the oenologist José Valiente and the winemaker Josep Vicens make their wines from grapes extracted from estates located in Gandesa and Pinell de Bray. Most of these vineyards are old and the main red varieties are Grenache and Carignan.
The wine tasting with tasting of local sausages and cheeses is also done at the end of the visit, you can select different types of tasting (by variety of wines and whether or not to include the tasting of sausages). With this, I am giving you to understand that the price may vary from one option to another.
Visiting hours and entrance fees: Guided visits are on weekends with specific hours, you can also visit the cathedral of wine per visit without a guide. The information of the days and times available, as well as the price can be found at the following link: https://catedraldelvi.com/reserves/es/
In this link you can also decide whether to do the wine tasting, which also offers several options.
Pinell de Brai and its surroundings.
This village in the region of the Highlands currently has approximately a thousand inhabitants.
Its history is that of a town that has had to survive tough battles and wars, perhaps the most memorable episode being the battle of the Ebro. As in many towns in Spain, there were many victims due to political reasons, of soldiers who fought on both sides and due to illnesses.
The town centre of Pinell was hit by artillery fire and Franco's air force, resulting in the destruction of 72 houses in the village.
Due to the lack of work in this area, there are currently many residents who commute to work in the surrounding towns: Tortosa, Mora, Gandesa.
More information
We have completed this day by visiting Miravet Castle, which is located in Miravet.
