BUILT TO LAST: PRIMITIVE ARCHITECTURE IN THE VINEYARD

“Wine is only ever as good as its environment.”

“As I walk

into the dawn,

a steep path rises,

narrow, edged in stone,

a path toward hope.”

“All dry-stone constructions are a monument and tribute to human ingenuity and the effort to domesticate the earth. They represent a constant struggle to improve living conditions. They are a vestige of our ancestors' wisdom,” the photographer Josep Vallès Campanera writes in Poemas de piedra seca (Dry Stone Poems), published by Cossetània Edicions.

The primitive architecture in Catalonia's winegrowing landscape is rich and varied, both humble and impressive. Many of us are unaware of this heritage, which is why Vallès, an expert in the field, wanted to “recognize the effort, the silent and selfless activity, the solid foundations.” Along with Nati Soler and her poems, his work has contributed to “appreciating, protecting, recovering and communicating this immense legacy.”

Today, ten years after the book's publication, we are rediscovering the immediate natural surroundings of the vineyard, part of a shift toward greater authenticity in the wine world. The landscape imparts character and identity; it adds value to the wine, as well as being a symbol of economic and social vitality. The landscape is embellished by boundary walls, retaining walls, wells, shafts, trenches, troughs, wash houses, small reservoirs, baskets, cisterns, paths, ice houses, stone huts and benches that are a testament to the ancient architecture of our forebears. “Dry-stone constructions are a reflection of humanity's historical struggle to make the most of every resource nature has to offer,” writes Josep Vallès Campanera. They take us back to old ways of water storage, shelter for farmers and their tools (falcó sickles, baskets and carts for transporting the harvest, etc.), the creation of a biologically diverse ecosystem, the drawing of field boundaries, the terracing of hillsides to gain farmland...

Some of the original uses may have changed over time, but what endures is the pride with which these structures are displayed as symbols of a cherished heritage. They are renovated, restored, rebuilt. Winemakers, however, find it difficult to find craftspeople who can create these structures with the same skill as the original workers, who built them during the months when farm work was slow.

“The architecture in the vineyard is multifaceted, ranging from barracas, a type of small dry-stone building, to stone walls and paths... They are all part of a cultural system that influences the wine, which is an agricultural product unlike any other, because it embodies dreams and imagination,” states Dr. Miquel Vidal, who holds a master's degree in landscape architecture from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia and directs the Art and Landscape Congress, which will celebrate its fifth edition this June.

“The vinicultural landscape is a cultural asset, but some don't see it that way so we must provide tools to present it as an economic asset as well. We have to promote initiatives to this end while striking a balance between multiple interests and defending the identity of the vineyard with respect to other demands that arise in the region,” he explains in a conciliatory tone that acknowledges the need to respect the land while also allowing for progress. According to Vidal, landscape architects are concerned with the landscape as a whole. “We see wineries that are very well taken care of, but the areas around them are often neglected. Everything has to be kept in good condition. The product is only ever as good as its environment. The recession in recent years has been good for the landscape, but we have to be ready for when the construction fever sets in again,” he points out.

The five Miravinya viewpoints and the Carretera de la Vid wine route in the Penedès prove that there is a will to do so. It is important to show and convey the elements that give wine its identity, from the biodiversity of the Mediona and Bitlles river habitats, visible from the various viewpoints, to the historical and cultural content of Spain's first wine route. Traversing the Penedès from the interior to the coast, the route identifies the churches, chapels, castles and Modernista houses found along the way. ”The Penedès has an incredibly important heritage that we don't find in the New World, not in Chile nor Napa Valley, to give two examples. The layers and traces of history are so rich here. Every euro a wine producer spends on protecting the region is an investment that will see a return, even if it's not directly quantifiable,” Vidal insists. The director of the Art and Landscape Congress insists that the region must be sustainable and built on values: “the landscape's excellence is rooted in its sustainability.”

In the Pla de Bages region, thousands of dry-stone barracas are scattered amid the vineyards. Most of them are very well-preserved and one of them, Mas Arboset, is even used to ferment the grapes that grow around it, as was customary in the past. Given the ethnological value of these structures, the Generalitat (Catalonia's government) has begun the process of designating 13 of these dry-stone vatting systems in the valleys of Montcau as cultural assets of national interest. In Navàs, young winemakers combine enthusiasm with a desire to preserve the oral heritage inspired by the landscape. In naming their wines, some winemakers turn to rediscovered words included in the dissertation of linguist María Estruch Subirana. Biot: a small well, tank or pit usually carved into stone, which collects the must or wine when it comes out of the press or vat. Corsai: a small parcel of land that sits at the edge of a field or vineyard. Escandolles: crevices in the rock, which were traditionally used to plant vines. Piotxa: an iron tool with a wooden handle used to turn over soil and uproot or plant vines.

The landscape unites a variety of values that are natural, ecological, aesthetic, historical, social, symbolic and spiritual in nature. The celebration of craftsmanship we're witnessing in 21st-century winemaking is compatible with the environment. We're thrilled to see winemakers vinify grapes at over 1000 meters in stone winepresses built by Hospitaller monks in the 12th century; we're fascinated by the ancient Roman Via Avgvsta that cuts through the vineyards of the lower Penedès; and we love that an ancient dry-stone structure provides a natural shelter for a vinegar that ages in oak barrels with 20-year-old soleras.

“You don't sell wine; you sell experiences. The provenance of a wine represents an incalculable added value. The landscape confers identity and tells the story of how people used to live,” remarks Evarist March, a biologist and director of Naturalwalks. The study of the composition of the flora surrounding the vines is one of his tasks. A subject that we'll explore at another time.