Catacurian: Wine and Cuisine of the Priorat

Alicia was amazing. she made us feel as if we were members of her family. we made delicious food, drank glorious wine, laughed until our sides ached, talked endlessly, met lovely people, and on two wonderful nights danced for hours. it was an unforgettable experience in her stone inn that felt like home. Alicia is knowledgeable and talented and surrounds herself with terrific people. The International Kitchen staff was once again very helpful and provided all the information we could possibly want. Thank you. Stephen L., NY

I can only imagine that the reviews you receive for Catacurian are universally outstanding – my husband and I certainly found it to be so. Alicia & her assistant Eline were warm, gracious, informative, and fun. The accommodations were lovely & beyond comfortable. The whole experience was truly wonderful. I consider myself a pretty good cook, but I learned a lot, and learned there’s a lot more I can learn. I truly hope I have an opportunity to return! ... Thanks again for your assistance in making this a wonderful part of our Spanish vacation! Regards, Helen

FABULOUS! Alicia is wonderful - warm, upbeat, flexible & very knowledgeable - her "support staff" also very fun & helpful. All of the little tours were geat - I especially enjoyed getting to talk to the wine makers (and then seeing their wines at our local shop was even more of a treat!). I might have liked a little more detail in the recipe book she gave us (amounts &/or proportions especially for the recipes we did not actually get to make ourselves), but we felt like we learned alot & enjoyed alot (and ATE alot)! I will definitely recommend this to friends & try to return! Helen, CA

Visits to the wineries, with tours by owners/oenologists, rather than simply a paid guide, made this very special. Unless you're in the trade, you would not usually be offered the chance to taste from barrels/vats. Also, eating lunches out, in very well regarded local restaurants was an important part of the experience. The accomodations were excellent; it was like being a guest in Alicia's home. Elizabeth M., NY

It was just fantastic. Alicia loves her country and it shows constantly. We had the time of our lives. Would recommend you and her to anyone. Will likely contact you about something in Italy. Jim V., SC

I am hard pressed to make suggestions as how to improve this. Alica has spent a great deal of thime and thought into making this experience perfect. Her home is lovely and very comfortable, the tours were great, she is deeply ingrained in the community and you get the sense you are getting an "insider" tour. The food and wine were excellent and the cooking classes very clear and well thought out. Alica could not have been a more gracious host. I would only make one suggestion. Because the program normally begins a on a Thursday, It is very possible that you are losing visiters who cannot get to Spain until Saturday. Had we not inquired about schedule flexability we would not have booked. Tom & Rondi O., CT

The trip was magnificent! Alicia, the owner was competant, humorous, knowledgeble about cooking and the world. We had many interesting discussions about the world and events happening in the world. She was energetic and our cooking lessons were unhurried and completed with such ease. The home was beautiful and she made it seem as if it were our home. The help was respectful and also seemed to become a part of our "family." The tours and visits to the wine cellars were instructional and also fun. We danced, cooked, drank great wine, ate great food. Her dog Doobop was apart of the family also. A wonderful experience!! Deborah S., PA

My recent trip to the [Wine and Cuisine of the Priorat] program in El Masroig, Tarragona, Spain exceeded all expectations. The hostess and chef Alicia is knowledgable, an excellent teacher, hostess and chef. To her credit our stay seemed to feel as though we were visiting a dear friend. The accomodations were excellent and we were all surprised that in this remote area of Tarragona lovely wineries, villages and small cities thrive. Alicia seems to know everyone and because of the good feelings she generates, our small group were treated as friends too. The cooking classes were great fun and we learned a lot about Catalan cooking. I personally, have had two Catalan dinner parties in the two weeks that I am home! Natalie T., NY

Alicia and her assistant were absolutely fabulous hostesses around the clock. The residence and location were beautiful, the ambience was conducive to a great time, we ate extremely well with excellent ingredients all the time, and we learned and laughed a lot. I would recommend it to anyone. Ann F., NY

Alicia was fantastic. She treated us, truly, like family. The introductions to the owners of the vineyards where priceless. We are now applying the techniques we learned from her in our own restaurant; and will design on our Specials Menu, an Epicuran Week-end exclusively specializing in Spanish dishes, match with the wines from Priorat which we gloriously tasted with Alicia. Billy & Pam S.

"Thank you Alicia, Noelle, and everyone who is making Catacurian such a fantastic experience. The food, wine, and excursions taught me much about El Priorat and Catalonia. I can't wait to share my pictures and recipes with family and friends. Thank you all. I will carry a little of the Priorat with me for the rest of my life. It is a special place and I will cherish my memories of my time here. Thanks again." Cheryl Heaney, Santa Rosa, CA

You are creating a Catalan experience that goes beyond culinary vacations. You have exposed us to a food, a land, a people, a culture that is exceptional. Thank you for the experience, thank you for the friendship. We hope to return and continue on this wonderful journey. We wish you both the best of luck so that more people can experience this and your dream can be fulfilled. Harry and Mary Precheur, Naples, FL

Catacurian is a beautiful place, upholding a fine tradition. The food was lovely, the restaurants we visited superb. I enjoyed the wines and of course the people. Maria Tierno Manhassett, NY

My favorite part of this experience has been meeting and getting to know Alicia and Noelle. I thoroughly enjoyed the cooking and the restaurants. The last night was an exquisite experience I will not soon forget-a walk under the millions of stars. Fondly, Dee Perrelli

Alicia and Noelle made my 40th birthday experience an incredible and memorable one. My culinary vacation started as a birthday surprise from my husband. It turned out to be a lot more than that. Not only am I taking back a million pictures to share with friends and family, but I've learned a whole new way to cook and have fun while doing it. To top it all, I've learned invaluable lessons about the wines and olive oils from El Priorat and visited amazing places that I didn't even know existed. Alicia was a wonderful tour guide and excellent chef. She taught me a lot about the tastes and techniques of Catalan cuisine and about the sights and stories behind the wonderful people of the area. Noelle was the perfect compliment to Catacurian. With her pleasant and easy going attitude, she was an absolute pleasure to be around with. Even Neus went out of her way to make sure that my room was perfect. The accommodations are 5-star, but at the same time warm and cozy. I felt welcome from day one. I highly recommend Catacurian and look forward to repeating the experience with my husband. I wish Alicia and Jonathan a very prosperous future with Catacurian. Their hard work didn't go unnoticed with every detail and I'm sure their education will pay off two-fold. Visca El Priorat! Maria Davis Coral Springs, Fl

"Alicia and Jonathan, all I can say is that we have had the most romantic vacation ever with you at Catacurian. The hospitality, the insight into Catalan cooking, the gorgeous food (especially that unbelievable rabbit paella.), the views from the bedroom over the countryside, those beds (hard to get out of in the morning), the fabulous wine tasting, the walks in the mountains picking fresh rosemary for dinner, the visit to the monastery at Scala Dei, lunch at that trendy restaurant in Falset, the pretty villages like Porrera, and above all the cozy evenings at Catacurian just chatting and sipping wine.... We left the Priorat so relaxed, so recharged. You have something really special there in Mas Roig, and such a unique heritage of your family villa and cellar. We wish you much, much success and plan to tell all of our friends about you. Too bad we didn't know about you when we planned our honeymoon! Hasta la proxima!" - Desmond and Gen McCarthy, Dublin, Ireland (or Madrid, Spain, no se que prefieres)

Alicia and Noelle. Many thanks for a brilliant course, tours, food, wine, knowledge, hospitality, fun, well everything. Look forward to making it back asap. Please don't change a thing. Anyone who has done the course and read these words will understand how lucky they are. Hope to see you in Australia some time. Simon Oss Rye, VIC, Australia

To all who have come to visit and learn: Alicia and Noelle will provide you with an experiance beyond your expectations. This is a great team! Our family will always remember with the warmest of thoughts this great visit to Catacurian. We saw sights we didn't think we'd see, we tasted wines we didn't know existed, we ate and prepared food that had the freshest ingredients with the most impressive flavors. Most of all...our Arizona family had a spectacular time. You will not be sorry you came here. Sandy and Rich Nikolaev Kim Nikolaev-Bolinger and Tom Bollinger Becky and Cort Nikolaev Scottsdale, Az

Estimadas Alicia and Noelle, When I first looked for El masroig on the map, I couldn't find it. Now I will always have El Masroig(Priorat, Montsant) in my heart. How wonderful an experience, the foods, the wines, and soul of you and of Catalunya. I hope to come again and of course you are welcome in Chicago (Glenview) anytime. Con muchos abrazos y cariño, Laurel Soler, USA

" Good food...good wine...good hosts=great times. Thanks to all the Catacurian crew for an unforgettable Christmas /New Year (2003-2004) experience. It was far...far beyond our expectations. Perfect blend of touring...cooking...eating... leisure time for these fantastic 10 days. Many thanks for sharing this time with us." Larry Barthold & Carol Fleming, Bow, WA

" Alicia, Noelle, and all of the Catacurian team. I had no idea what Catacurian would really be like, but my experience these past few days has totally exceeded all of my expectations. Thanks for everything and congratulations on your fabulous ideas and kitchen!" Sarah Andrews, Barcelona, Spain

"Jonathan and Alicia have succeeded in providing the best culinary vacations imaginable! Their warm and gracious hospitality, well-rounded itinerary and inviting accommodations serve as, and are, the best promotion for El Priorat that any chamber of commerce could ask for. We will encourage many more to follow our footsteps to El Masroig and plan to return in the not too distant future. Muy bueno!" Paul and Ellen Seymour, Palmyra, PA