Marco Abella winery is located in Porrera, within DOQ Priorat, and takes its name from a family documented in the village in old Catalan census records. When phylloxera destroyed the region's vineyards in the late 19th century, Ramón Marco Abella replanted the family's vines; generations later, his grandson David Marco and his wife, Olivia Bayés, left their jobs to build the current winery and start making wine.
The winery farms around 30 hectares of vineyard planted with native varieties — chiefly Garnacha and Carignan, traditionally said to have been introduced by Carthusian monks — following organic and biodynamic practices. The facility, located about 700 metres from the village, spans three floors, two of them semi-underground at more than 7 metres deep, taking advantage of the site's natural conditions.
Among the wines produced are the white Òlbia and reds such as Loidana, Mas Mallola, Clos Abella, Roca Roja, Roca Grisa and El Perer, all under DOQ Priorat. The winery offers visits and wine-tourism activities, along with direct sales from its premises.
Imatge: Alberto-g-rovi · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Sources: marcoabella.com · turismepriorat.org