The Cultural Association Santa Teca and the Tarragona City Council will celebrate the tenth edition of L'Embutada on 7 and 8 November in the Plaza del Rey. The festival, dedicated to the first wine of the season, will see 26 local wineries participating, with events running from 3 to 6 November leading up to the main festivities.
L'Embutada aims to revive a historical tradition that was once celebrated by winemakers, castellers (human tower builders), and fishermen in the Part Alta district of Tarragona. The name of the festival derives from the 'embudo', a unique funnel used to drink and share the first wine of the harvest. The event seeks to keep this custom alive while highlighting the richness, diversity, and dynamism of small local wineries and producers.
Montse Adan, the councillor for Tourism, Economic Promotion, and Commerce at the Tarragona City Council, stated, "We always support proposals that unite culture and gastronomy. We believe that L'Embutada is an excellent way to promote quality tourism and experiences, which have proven to be very successful."
Berna Rios, a member of the Santa Teca association, explained that this edition aims to showcase Tarragona's unique celebration, where attendees can taste the season's first wines from a handcrafted tin funnel made by the last tinsmith in Catalonia. Last year, a documentary was produced with funding from the Catalonia Capital of Gastronomy initiative, which will premiere this year. Rios emphasised, "L'Embutada is not just a wine-drinking festival; it highlights the historical significance of viticulture in Tarragona and the surrounding area, which has been an economic driver and a part of our cultural heritage."
The week of L'Embutada
Building on the success of previous editions, Santa Teca has organised a series of cultural activities leading up to the festival. On 3 November, the documentary L'Embutada will premiere at the Antiga Audiència, followed by a screening of L'incroyable trésor de Michel Chasseuil in collaboration with the MOST Festival. On 4 November, a guided tasting session titled 'Autarquía vinícola' will be led by winemaker Toni Sànchez. The following day, Pau Sabaté and Montse Serra will present a recital entitled 'Ahora bebe y enamórate' with wine pairings. On 6 November, Jordi Bertran from the URV will conduct an English-language guided tour of the ancient wineries in Part Alta, with all activities featuring wine pairings.
The main festivities will occur on 7 and 8 November, showcasing the new wines from participating wineries, along with a gastronomic offering from local establishments such as El Llagut, El Cortijo, Forn Jordi Andreu, Rafa Gelatti, and Olo Cafè. Attendees will also have the chance to see traditional crafts, including the making and sale of funnels by tinsmith Xavier Roura from Llauneria Roura.
The Saturday programme includes a concert by La Cosina, a DJ session by Alexandre Bona Nit and Guillem de la Vall, the traditional L'Embutada raffle, and a performance by Joan Colomo and Radiofórmula. On Sunday, there will be a ceramics workshop with the Club de Fangs and a concert by Pizina Privada. Throughout the weekend, there will also be parades and historical tours of Part Alta, featuring wine tastings to explore the city's vinicultural heritage.
Participating wineries
L'Embutada will feature 26 local wineries, including Celler 9+, Sanromà, Ficaria Vins, Mas del Botó, Nini, Niu Celler, Mas de la Sabatera, Josep Foraster, Oidà Celler, Un Sol Cel, L'Apotecari, Solà d'Ares - Dues Voltes, Constel·lats, Tanca els Ulls, Terra del Cister, Entrevinyes, Celler Frisach, Gemma Miró, La Llena, Vins Desantesos, La Tribu del Millonari, Celler Escoda Sanahuja, Celler Bàrbara Forés, Celler Mendall, Celler Tuets, and Larural.
With ten editions under its belt, L'Embutada reinforces Santa Teca's commitment to reviving traditions and promoting the wine and gastronomy of southern Catalonia, advocating for products with identity, local projects, sustainable production, and responsible consumption.
