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Finca Valdemoya
Defensor
Wine Region Introduction
Castilla y León
Castilla y León is a Spanish geographical indication for Vino de la Tierra wines located in the autonomous region of Castile and León. Vino de la Tierra is one step below the mainstream Denominación de Origen indication on the Spanish wine quality ladder.
The area covered by this geographical indication comprises all the municipalities in Castile and León. It acquired its Vino de la Tierra status in 2005.
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12 LINAJES
Wine Region Introduction
D.O. Ribera del Duero
Location and History
The lands grouped under the Designation of Origin Ribera del Duero are located in the south-eastern part of the Castilla y León autonomous region across four provinces (Burgos, Segovia, Soria and Valladolid). Where the Duero river is the axis that joins more than 100 villages across a wine producing zone of 115 Kilometers long and 35 Kilometers wide.
The Ribera del Duero has quite long history, the first known reference of wine making in the region is a 2000 years old Roman mosaic. It is the biggest Bacchian allegorical Roman mosaic (at 66 square meters) in the entire Iberian Peninsula. The central character is the god Bacchus, who is holding Ariadne with his right hand and embracing Ampelos with his left arm.
The History of Ribera del Duero has run in parallel with the union of grapevine and wine, the varieties of the fruit stud its landscape, the background and the culture of the local people reflect its long tradition. Between the 10th and 11th century start the foundation of the most important population centers in the area like San Esteban de Gormaz (Soria, the birthplace of 12 Linajes), Roa and Aranda del Duero (Burgos) or Peñafiel (Valladolid). The ancient inhabitants of the region knew this inimitable land produces something unique, proof of that is the remainders of the wineries that date back from 13th century. By that time wine and vineyards became a fundamental part of the cultural and economic part of the Ribera, output began to increase, local trade grew and exports to other areas of Castilla began.
The Designation of Origin as we know it today came out of the initiative of a series of vine-growers and winemakers wanting to improve the vineyards and wine quality of Ribera del Duero. On 21 July 1982, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food awarded the Designation of Origin to Ribera del Duero and approved its first Regulations. Viñedos y Bodegas Gormaz was one of the first 12 wineries that formed part to receive official certification in the Denomination of Origin Ribera del Duero.
The art of winemaking in the Ribera del Duero
From the implementation of new growing practices, the introduction of modern technologies into winemaking, and the rigorous control processes applied by the Regulatory Council have made Ribera Del Duero a synonym of quality. Within these regulatory controls we can find that the maximum production per hectare is 7000 kilograms of grapes and cannot be more than 70 liters of must for each 100 kilograms of grape harvest. Some wine producers establish a lower limit to produce better quality for example Viñedos y Bodegas Gormaz which set the density between 2.500 and 3.000 Kilograms per hectare.
About the ageing and the elaboration process of wines under Ribera del Duero D.O we can distinguish four categories in which you will find Jovenes, Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva wines. It’s important to highlight that each wines of Ribera Del Duero have a trust seal that certify the elaboration process.
Viñedos y Bodegas Gormaz average age of the vineyards is 65 years and the100 hectares reserved for 12Linajes (20% of the total) are older than 80 which mean it is one of the longest standing vine surfaces in the country.
Growing Condition
The Duero valley's climate balances the continental influences of the plateau’s extreme cold winter with some Mediterranean characteristics: it is generally warm and dry, protected from cold winds and has moderate rainfall (400-600 mm average annual rain) hot, dry summers, long and hard winter. There are 75-90 days of rain per year, although evaporation may exceed rainfall in the summer, from mid-June to mid-September, when daytime temperatures average 25-32°C. However, summer temperatures drop considerably at night because the altitude, allowing the vines to cool and rest. Frost is a continual worry from late autumn to spring as temperatures very occasionally may drop as low as -20°C. Wind may threaten exposed vineyards.
The key factor in the quality of the vineyard's soil is the limestone and chalk content, which makes up 33% (9% active chalk) of the soil in the west and over 50% (18% active chalk) in the east.
Soils are complex. In the valley floor are alluvial with sand and clay. At the top of the valley sides, they are made up of limestone and chalk, toward the east, lower hillside are clay and marl, lower slopes are limestone, clay and marl. Facing upper hillside are limestone and marl. Toward west lower hillside have sand over clay, lower slopes are marl with some gypsum, and upper ones have marl and limestone. With this complexity of soils one of the keys of wines in the region is the variety of microclimates, orientation and types of soil. As explained in the book “12 Linajes A Historical Tribute” Viñedos y Bodegas Gormaz produces its wine from 520 hectares of vineyard they are divided in more than 1.000 small estates groups in approximately 70parajes (wine growing areas) located at an altitude between 845 and 960 meters. While the average altitude in the Duero areas is 700 to 800 hundred.
Bodegas Gormaz
Founded in 1972, Viñedos y Bodegas Gormaz is a winery with a long track record in the Ribera del Duero region, where it formed part of the first group of wine producers to receive official certification there. Our oldest vineyard, with vines of up to 80 years old (some of them over100), was planted on soils of an extremely marked marginal character that are either sandy with gravel or clay with limestone many of them over calcareous concretions and all of them with low yields. These “poor” soils cannot be used for crops other than vines, and it is thanks to these circumstances that today we can reap the benefits of a vineyard that guarantees the highest quality of grape from a vine that yields its best fruit under the harshest of conditions. The Winery currently has 520 hectares which are divided in more than 1.000 small estates grouped in approximately 70 "parajes" (wine growing areas), forming a great variety of microclimates, orientations and types of soil. It is one of the longest-lived areas of the country, with an average age of 65 years, with 70% of its vineyards over 80 years old. The winery manages the vineyard under long standing agreements with many of the region’s winegrowers, that enable us to play a hands-on role in the grape ripening and selection processes and thereby guarantee maximum quality year after year.
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Merayo
Castillo del Mar
Ponsferratus
Wine Region Introduction
D.O. Bierzo
History
Vineyard's growth
Already 2.000 years ago, “The Old” Plinio and Estrabón refers the existence of vineyards in Bierzo region, name originally derived from the pre-Roman city Bergidum. Furthermore, we know that the Romans drove extraordinarily farming in this land, introducing new crops such as wines and new techniques such as the Roman plow.
However, further expansion of vineyards in Bierzo, was linked to the development of medieval monasteries, especially Cistercian, because the wine was essential to the cult and also because it was considered basic for their diet.
Therefore not surprising that wine was for ten centuries a very prominent in the economic life of the region and get an increasingly important development as we drawn on through the medieval centuries, under the frequented pilgrim route in the search for the tomb of St. James.
The relevance of the wine market
After centuries of production and having achieved some popularity in markets of Galicia and Asturias, Bierzo wines suffered a terrible blow in the late nineteenth century, when phylloxera finished with wines, caused a severe economic crisis including the migration of large numbers of people.
The production was restored during the first half of the twentieth century, thanks to scions performed with American vines, and the wine regained the important role he played in the economy of the area.
In the 60's appear a new phenomenon: the cooperative movement, which would play since (and is currently playing) a very important role in the wine production.
Bierzo's quality wines was fully acknowledged in 1989 when the Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación granted “Designation of Origin to Bierzo” wines.
Growing Conditions
Bierzo County is located in the northwest of the province of León, in the Castilla y León region, and covers an area of 2954.28 km, which accounts for 18% of the provincial area. Geographically it borders the provinces of Orense, Lugo and Asturias and it is a main connection between Galicia, León and Asturias.
Bierzo's vineyards is characterized by fragmentation of parcels and smallholder plots, wines on slopes, from 450 to 800 meters whose are oriented to the four cardinal points.
Bierzo vineyard's soil established from Miocene materials coated by a layer of Quaternary. Texture is silt loam, moderately acidity, its pH is close to 5.5, with the absence of carbonates, typical of humid climates. The soils on slopes are made of a mixture of minerals, quartzite and slate.
The Bierzo is a very special and suitable microclimate for wine growing. The natural barrier of Sierra de los Ancares calm the force of the Atlantic storms and produces a continental climate with the influence of the Ocean. The annual rainfall is 721 mm and the average temperature of 12.3 ° C, recorded minimum temperatures of 3.6 ° C in the cold months and maximum of 23.6 ° C in the hottest months. The annual average isolation is estimated between 2,100 and 2,200 hours of sunshine.
Bodegas Merayo
The Merayo family have been growing grapes for generations in Bierzo and one look at Pedro's immaculate vineyards suggests he knows what he's doing.
The bulk of Pedro's 25 hectares of ancient vines were inherited from his father but Bodegas Merayo and the new winery (housed in a converted apple store) were established as recently as 2010. The combination of Pedro's meticulous viticulture and the wine making expertise of the young, dynamic Fermin Uria is already producing results.
The key to the Merayo wines are the ancient Mencia bushvines. Even the entry level wine is made from old vineyards. All vineyards are handpicked, gentle fruit handling in both the vineyard and winery, temperature controlled ferments and sensitive oak ageing in French and American oak are the hallmarks of the Merayo wines.
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Cerro Moreno
ALFAR
Wine Region Introduction
D.O.Ca Rioja
Location and History
The Spanish wine region “Denominación de Origen Calificada Rioja”, well known around the World as D.O.Ca Rioja, is located in the north part of Spain, it goes along the Ebro River for a distance of 100 km on both sides with approximately 63,593 hectares of vineyard divided in three provinces; La Rioja (43,885 ha), Navarra (6,774 ha) and Alava (12,934 ha). The region known as Rioja D.O.Ca is also separated in Rioja Baja, Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa, as you may see in the following map. Bodegas Valdelacierva is located at Rioja Alta on the western edge of the region and at higher elevations than the other areas, the Rioja Alta is known more for its "old world" style of wine.
The culture of the vine and the wine was a reality in the Rioja region over two thousand years ago, as witnessed by the numerous archaeological remains of wineries and cellars dating from the time of Roman domination. Viticulture has been present in the region for centuries with a considerable economic importance. The first official document makes reference to protect and ensure the quality of Rioja wines dates back from 1650. A significant milestone was the creation in 1787 of the Royal Board Growers, aimed to promoting the cultivation of the vine, contribute to improving the quality of wines and to facilitate trade within the northern markets.
Around the mid-nineteenth century began in Bordeaux developing a new kind of wine called "fines" these wines control the maceration with the skins, besides performing clarification and conservation in barrels of 225 liters. They were preserved for a long time and endured travel well. The application of these techniques and the improved communication drove Rioja region to expand very fast. However they consolidate as winemaking region with the defiloxera epidemic that affected French vineyards in the late nineteenth century. This epidemic made French vineyard look for new wine regions to supply their markets. La Rioja, which was not affected by the epidemic, would be a major provider expansion and modernization of the industry of wines, both by the opening of the French market, for the popularization of new winemaking techniques some of them brought by French winegrowers who sought new lands not affected by the epidemic.
In 1902 was issued a Royal Decree which defined the "origin" for application to the wines of Rioja and within 1925 is decreed the creation of the Control Board whose mission was to identify the area of Rioja, control the issuance of the "seal of guarantee" and recommend legal action be taken against infringers and counterfeiters of the name "Rioja". The legendary 1970 harvest would mean a revolution of production and marketing structures, leading Rioja wines to an unquestionable leadership among quality Spanish wines. Coinciding with the official recognition as Rioja Qualified Denomination of Origin in April 1991.
Winemaking in la Rioja
All aspects relating to the viticulture are covered by the Designation's Regulations or by standards issued by the Board on matters such as maximum production yield, which must meet a compulsory minimum per hectare of 6.500 kg with grapes for red varieties and 9.000 kg for white grape varieties. Only seven traditional varieties are authorized: Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, Mazuelo, Viura, Malvasía and Garnacha Blanca, therefore Alfar Vendimia seleccionada use 100% tempranillo.
The Control board, has the most rigorous quality control systems in which we can find blind tasting, bottling in the regions delimitated for the board. And the contribution of expert to evaluate the grape harvest.
The wines of Rioja Alta are characterized by their average degree, full body and acidity, being very suitable for barrel ageing to balance the sweetness of the grapes. La Rioja Alta is the most famous of the three areas due to the high quality, superior and elegant wine combines characteristics of the other two zones:
● Soils of the three types and varied microclimates.
● Very close to the River Ebro, benefiting from its properties and moisture
● The vineyards benefit from the altitude (up to a maximum of 700 meters)
Growing Conditions
Rioja is a privileged region for growing grapes and making top-quality wines, with a unique personality and an exceptional aptitude for ageing. The local terrain perfectly delimits the region and sets it apart from surrounding territories. One hundred kilometres separate Haro, the westernmost town, from Alfaro, the easternmost. The valley has a maximum width of about 40 kilometres, covered in vineyards which occupy successive terraces to an altitude of about 700 metres above sea level. With few amendments in the last thirty years, the DO's Regulations list 144 municipalities (118 in La Rioja, 18 in Alava and 8 in Navarra) which hold "the lands that the Control Board considers suitable for producing grapes of the necessary quality."Bodegas Valdelacierva with their 80 hectares are divided in small plots with vines of 25-40 years old from clay loam soils and sandy loam soils and others from over 40 years old in alluvial soils for the most characteristic wines. The whole area benefits from the confluence of two distinctly opposed climates -Atlantic and Mediterranean which provide mild temperatures and an annual rainfall of slightly above 400 l/m2 -ideal conditions for growing grapes. The Regulations recognize the existence of three sub-areas with distinct viniculture characteristics. In Rioja Alavesa there is a significant influence of the Atlantic climate and the soils are chalky-clay situated in terraces and small plots. In Rioja Alta the climate is also mainly Atlantic, while the soils are chalky-clay, ferrous-clay or alluvial. Rioja Baja has a drier, warmer climate, thanks to the Mediterranean influence and the soils are alluvial and ferrous-clay.
The characteristic soils of Rioja are also the most suitable for quality viticulture, as they have a balanced structure (sand, silt, clay), are slightly alkaline, have poor organic content and moderate water availability in the summer. The wine region has many different soils -chalky-clay, ferrous-clay and alluvial being the main ones and microclimates -depending on vineyard orientation, protection against wind, etc.- that provide the wines with unique traits. This, together with the use of different grape varieties and growing practices, allows local winemakers to make a wide range of wines with a different personality, although always within the framework of a perfectly-recognizable common identity.
Bodegas Valdelacierva
Founded in 1988, Bodegas Valdelacierva, is located in the heart of Rioja Alta in the town of Navarrete, a very important settlement on the "Camino de Santiago". Its 80 Hectares of vineyards are divided in small plots with vines of 25-40 years old from clay loam soils and sandy loam soils and others from over 40 years old in alluvial soils for the most characteristic wines. Its process of grape´s selection, winemaking and aging are extremely careful and selective depending on the suitability of each type of wine. Innovation is one of the defining characteristics of this winery, which is constantly updating its technology and the stock of barrels to obtain wines adapted to consumer’s taste. Wines full of vigor and freshness and refined “coupages” between fruit and wood, combining elegant “classic riojas” with other of more modern conception.
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Wine Region Introduction
D.O. Rueda
History
The Denomination of Origin Rueda was approved by the Ministry of Agriculture on January 12, 1980; it was the first Denomination of Origin to be approved in the Region of Castilla y León, after years of hard work in order to earn acknowledgement and protection for its autochthonous grape variety: the Verdejo.
The Denomination of Origin Rueda possesses exceptional natural resources for the production of top-quality wines. Specialized in making internationally renowned white wines. Also, from the 5 of August of 2008 the red wines and rosé are protected by the Denomination of Origin Rueda.
The production area included in the Denomination of Origin Rueda is located in the Region of Castilla y León and consists of 74 towns and villages, 53 of which are located south of the province of Valladolid, 17 to the west of Segovia and 4 north of Ávila.
The different grape varieties grown here are irregularly scattered over the several municipal districts comprising Rueda Appellation of Origin. However, it is the area found within the boundaries of La Seca, Rueda and Serrada where vineyards are in a higher proportion and greater intensity.
Growing Condition
The D.O. Rueda stands 700 to 800 metres above sea-level, and consists of flat highlands, with very long, cold winters, short springs with late frosts, and dry, hot summers, only altered by untimely storms. This factor forces the vines to search for their water resources deep underground, much more so than in other European regions.
Plants flower late, with pruning taking place as late as March, sometimes even April. Rain is scarce, with minimum levels of 300 litres and maximum levels of 500 litres per year.
In the past, a ditch used to be dug around the vines at the end of winter, to collect the spring rain. Early in the summer, a “shelter” was built by throwing the earth around the vines again and often half burying it to preserve it from summer evaporation. Today, farming improvements and the installation of dripping devices take care of these tasks, which otherwise could not be carried out.
The difference between day and night temperatures is key to the balance the grape must have between the sugar provided by the sun and the acidity it does not lose during the cooler nights.
Sun exposure reaches 2,600 hours a year, which has a positive impact on wine quality, helping the grape to increase the production of important components such as poly phenols, which are a key factor to determine wine color, aromatic richness and wine flavor.
In terms of latitude, the Rueda region is located within the Mediterranean area. Its altitude, however, corresponds to that of a continental region
The D.O. Rueda is located in the central area of the depression formed by the river Duero, on a smooth plateau blown by Atlantic winds. The area has alluvial and flood terraces on the banks of the river Duero and its tributaries, the rivers Trabancos, Zapardiel and Adaja. Dark grey-brown soils, rich in calcium and magnesium, stony but easy to farm, with good ventilation and draining, and limestone outcrops on the hilltops. Permeable and healthy, their texture varies from sandy-loamy to loamy.
The pH level of the soil is between 7 and 8. On the surface, this geological substratum has gradually evolved into dark grey-brown soils on autochthonous stony deposits, which, in turn, have led to the typical “gravelly” soils present in the best vineyards in the D.O. Rueda.
Bodegas Garci Grande
Founded in 1989, Bodegas Garci Grande Winery is built on top of old wine cellars dating back to the fourteenth century. Surrounded by its 120 hectares of vineyards, the winery set itself up proud as a faithful example of the good wines from the Appellation of Rueda and enthusiast advocate for the values of the "terroir". The height of its vineyards, between 700 and 800 m, continental climate and the composition of their soils rich in calcium and magnesium, stony and well aired and drained, are the primary basis on which the wines from this winery are based. Marked by the typicity of the Appellation to which it belongs.
Bodegas Garci Grande develops these concepts from its own identity without giving up key aspects in the resulting quality of its wines as harvesting at night, accurate pressing control systems and the stirring processes together with its own lees at the end of fermentation, which helps to achieve smoothness and persistence that distinguish the wines from Bodegas Garci Grande.
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Via Cantineo
Wine Region Introduction
D.O. La Mancha
The Spanish Denominación de Origen (DO) of La Mancha with over 190,000 ha of vines, is the largest continuous vine-growing area in the world. It is located in central Spain in the autonomous region of Castile-La Mancha. The DO, which was formally created in 1976 and hast 22,000 grape-growers and over 300 wineries (bodegas) registered.
History
The documented origins of vineyards in La Mancha date from XII-XIII after La Reconquista, though it is generally believed that vines were introduced by the ancient Romans.The cultivation of vineyards in La Mancha had important growth in 1940, due to the setting up of numerous cooperatives in the region.
The wine culture has always been a tradition for the people of these lands as reflected in Miguel de Cervantes´ masterpiece “Don Quixote” which makes several references to wine in La Mancha.
Growing Conditions
La Mancha is a vast expanse of land that has a flat terrain, without great heights and with red Miocene sediments of limestone structure. Continental climate, with temperatures ranging from -15 º to 45 º.
Dryness is one of its most distinct characteristics, since its micro-climate prevents the entry of moist winds, presenting a low rainfall (300 to 400 mm per year), 3,000 hours of sunshine a yearallow grapes to ripen faster with higher sugar levels and lower acidity.
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Altolandon
Wine Region Introduction
D.O. Manchuela
History
In the early official division of Appellations of Origin Wines of Spain in 1966, and it included this area as distinguished from its neighbours, but have been needed nearly forty years to be transferred from paper to reality.
Recently, in 1997, a group of winemakers of the region who have made significant investments in technology and winemaking improvement, and whose wines are welcomed to the geographical indication of Regional Wine, initiated by the impulse Development Center Rural La Manchuela the creation of the Association Pro-Wine Manchuela.
This association was born in order to carry out the necessary administrative procedures to dust the name, convinced that their production is able to give luster, that Manchuela deserves an important place in the complex and competitive market for quality wines.
Consolidation takes only time last July 28, 2000, when enrolling in the Official Journal of Castilla - La Mancha. But the debut took place in 2001, with honors, in Madrid, in the halls of the Hotel Villa Magna, where they attended a sample of its wines many wineries and integrated into the PDO cooperatives to share party and tasting with representatives of the municipalities of the viticultural area, Chambers of Commerce, hoteliers, restaurateurs, selected trade and specialized media.
Manchuela is now the seventh O.D. Manchego autonomy and occupies payments located between the Júcar and Cabriel, southeast of the province of Cuenca and northeast of Albacete.
The cultivation of wine has been part of our common stock from time immemorial, passed down from father to son as a priceless treasure. From traditional domestic cave or jaraiz, primitive winery, until today, where they are used in the preparation of their wines the most advanced manufacturing techniques and quality control.
vDesignation of Origin's mission is to ensure the quality of the wines of the same to continue to make history and make their people feel even more attached to their land and proud of their wines.
Growing Conditions
Manchuela DO covers a large area of central east Spain in Cuenca and Albacete province, and it is bordered on three sides by other DOs: La Mancha to the west, Utiel-Requena and Almansa to the east, and Jumilla to the south. The soil here is clay over limestone and the average altitude of the vineyards is 600-700 metres (1,968-2,296 feet). Two large reservoirs to the north of the growing area – the Embalses de Alarcón and Contreras – allow plentiful irrigation.
Although Manchuela has a continental climate, the altitude and fresh humid winds which blow in from the Mediterranean at night slow development. Summer temperatures, then, are surprisingly low – with a high of 25°C/79°F. Winter temperatures rarely drop to freezing.
Bodegas Altolandon
Located in Landete, Cuenca, in between 3 provinces: Valencia, Cuenca and Teruel, up to 1080 meters altitude. The vineyard has a total of 70 hectares and in the middle of them, the winery.
Altolandon philosophy is to grow high quality grapes, and so high quality wines. Taking care of everything related to the grapes, from the vineyard, with organic farming, selecting the varieties and the type of clones for each one, paying special attention to the type of soil where every vine is planted....
This particular location was selected for the project because the climate and the soil were optimal for the vineyards. Soil, climate and altitude are 3 important things to get special and healthy grapes.
Highland vineyards give to the wines unique characteristics who make the wines specials, terroir wines, wines with own personality.
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Casa Benasal
Wine Region Introduction
D.O. Valencia
History
Established in 1957, the Wine Regulatory Council of Protected Designation of Origin Valencia's main objective is to guarantee the origin and quality of wines that protects, controlling their production, promoting and disseminating knowledge and quality and also defending, the interests of the more than 80 companies and almost 12,000 wine growers it represents.
Winemaking in the northern part of Valencia region - spelled València in the local language, - is dominated by old growing areas around Valencia, Spain's third largest city. Their reds, rosés and whites include famed dessert wines from a variety of grapes grown in four distinct subzones. Each has its own wine-making traditions.
Thanks to centuries of export through the city's port, production here is more strongly focused on markets outside Spain than those at home, which has worked as an impetus to keep quality high throughout the 20th century. A formalized arrangement allows Valencia DO bodegas to buy in wine from neighboring Utiel-Requena, as needed for each vintage, and permits laboratory methods allowing the wines to be tracked in the bottle.
The denomination of origin protected Valencia is an open, dynamic, appellation with a great vocation and exporting tradition. Its wines are currently present in nearly 100 countries around the world, with a turnover of marketing over 46 million of bottles, of which a total of 30 million are destined for export.
Growing Conditions
The DO vineyards are all in Valencia province but, unlike its famed market-gardens (huerta), they sit well outside the city, to the north-west and south. Most are at least 30 km inland and often pocketed in valleys. In general, subsoils vary from lowland alluvial to highland limestone, through clay in the middle reaches. Topsoils vary from decomposed limestone in the western lowlands to sandy soil in the highlands.
There are four subzones. Northeast of the city is Valentino, the largest growing area, which rises steeply from the coastal plain towards the interior. This area subdivides again into three geographically distinct areas: Cheste and Marquesado, at an altitude of 175-180 metres, with brown or reddish-brown limestone soils; Campos de Liria at 260 metres, where the soils are mainly similar to those of the lower slopes; and Serrania, at 550 metres, with brown limestone over consolidated subsoils.
The second subzone, west of Valentino, is Alto Turia, at 625 metres, with sandier soil. The third subzone, encroaching on the western city limits, is Moscatel, which rises from sea level to just 100 meters above it.
Finally, Clariano lies apart from the other three subzones to the south of Valencia city, close to Játiva (also called Xátiva) and Gandia. In the eastern part are soils similar to those of Valentino at an altitude of 350 meters. The Valle de Albadia has a higher proportion of clay under its brown limestone topsoil.
Valencia's coastal vineyards have a clearly Mediterranean climate, but the majority of the vines grow in the continental climate inland where temperatures can drop close to freezing point on some summer nights. A temperature swing of 30ºC within 24 hours is not unusual in the ripening season. Some upland areas are classified as arid and semi-arid. Hail is occasional all over the region and high winds have been known to damage the vines in Cheste.
Pago Casa Gran
“Casa Gran” is the name given to an estate which has been owned for many years by the Laso family. It is located near the town of Moixent, in the hills to the south-west of the city of Valencia (called "valencian tuscany" for the landscape), with an exceptional climate and terroir for making high quality wines. The estate was given a new lease of life in 2006 with the building of a brand new winery designed to work by gravity. Organic methods have been applied in the vineyards since 2005, so the 2008 vintage will be the first which may be certified as ‘organic’. Also Pago Casa Gran follow the most important guidelines in biodiversity terms by Delinat Institute (Switzerland), based on "soil alive" and "biodiversity". The estate has 100 hectares divided in two types of soil, sandy soil and white clay soil. The main varieties are Grenache Tintorera (local variety), Monastrell, Syrah, Moscatel and Gewurztraminer.
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NDQ
Wine Region Introduction
D.O. Jumilla
History
The Designation of Origin Jumilla has carried on an important wine tradition for centuries. Vines were grown in this area as early as the Hispanic Romanization. However, it was in the middle of the 19th century that the phylloxera plague hit in Europe, mainly in France. This gave the wine industry in Jumilla a spectacular boost of increased vine growing and a significant rise in must exports to the neighboring country, which enriched the local agricultural sector.
Over the years, Jumilla has become one of the oldest Designations of Origin in Spain , regulated since 1966. The Oenological Research Center has been in operation since the beginning of the 20 th century (today it is the Regional Farming Laboratory and Experimental Winery), and it currently cooperates with the Control Board.
Location
The Designation of Origin Jumilla is located in the Southeast of Spain, a transition area between the Mediterranean Levante coast and the Castilla La Mancha plateau and an area characterized by wide valleys and plains and surrounded by mountains. Its production is covered by two wide areas: the town of Jumilla, in the province of Murcia, in which the Control Board has its headquarters, and the towns and villages of Montealegre del Castillo, Fuenteálamo, Ontur, Hellín, Albatana and Tobarra in the province of Albacete. There are currently over 30,000 hectares of vineyards registered.
Growing Conditions
The character of the wines from Jumilla making them stand out among products from other areas is due to what is known as “terruño”, a magical combination of grape variety, composition of soil, the orientation and pruning of vines and the climate.
The climate of the area is continental, influenced by its proximity to the Mediterranean on the east side and La Mancha plateau on the west side. It is a sunny and dry climate, with some 3,000 hours of sun a year and scant rains – some 300 liters per square meter a year; these rains are very irregular and occasionally can become torrential downpours. The average annual temperature is 16º, with cold winters that reach temperatures below zero and hot summer of temperatures exceeding 40º. The frost period usually takes place between the months of November and March. The designation of origin Jumilla is located in the Southeast of Spain, and it covers a wide district in the North of the region of Murcia and part of the Southeast of the province of Albacete. It is a rough region where the vineyards spread across a table-land surrounded by mountains.
The soils of the designation are brown, brown-lime and lime and generally have a large capacity for water and medium permeability. This permits the vineyards to subsist under lengthy drought conditions, making the most of the available water. These are soils with very little organic matter – its structure doesn't allow the propagation of phylloxera. The soil has a high pH and low salinity and an ungrafted and sand-ungrafted texture that gives it good aeration. The vineyards are located on an area between 400 and 800 meters above sea level.
Crapula Wines
The Crapula wines project was born in 2008, to produce and sell excellent, chiefly jumilla wines, certain of their quality and commercial potential.
Selected old vines of Monastrell, with an average of 50 years, large-sized, and naturally self-regulating. Trying to minimize intervention in the field and although not an organic wine can describe it as a natural wine that enhances the ¨terruño¨ at its best.
Our brands from this region
EROA
Wine Region Introduction
Comunitat Valenciana
Valencia's association with wine and the wine trade dates back to Neolithic times. Valencia's climate varies from place to place, thanks to its location on the Mediterranean Sea and the varying altitudes within the region.
Our brands from this region
Primeros Pasos
Wine Region Introduction
D.O. Alicante
In the last ten years, D.O. Alicante has been winning respect for its new light, fresh wines and interesting varietal reds produced by pioneering bodegas.
Alongside the new red wines emerging here, Alicante’s classic dessert wine, Fondillon, has been exported for centuries and is enjoying a renaissance. This traditional wine is made from grapes allowed to over ripen on the vine; it has a high alcohol content and turns from red to amber with ageing.
History
D.O. Alicante, like another nearby Valencian wine terroir Utiel-Requena, spent decades largely supplying the bulk market, which still represents much of its output. However, it has a much longer history of winemaking, with a golden age from the 16th-17th centuries. In 1510, royal privilege prohibited the import of wines into Alicante as long as the region produced its own. By then it was already known in northern Europe, where it was imported by English, Swedish and Flemish merchants to add body and color to other wines.
Monovar (called Monóver in Valencian) in the south of the growing area, has been internationally famous for its sweet Fondillon wines since the time of Philip II. Louis XIV's favorite food during the last months of his life was, according to Saint Simon, sponge cake dipped in Fondillon.
Growing Conditions
D.O. Alicante covers the southernmost of Valencia region's three provinces and is divided into two subzones. One of them, La Marina, on the northern part of the coastline, specializes in sweet Moscatel wines. The second, Vinalopó further south, spreads around and back from Alicante to Castilla-La Mancha and Murcia (600 hectares of vines also spills over the boundary). In this, the largest zone, the vineyards slope up to altitudes of 400 meters (over 1,300 feet) as the land rises to the central meseta's foothills. The soils are mainly degraded limestone over limestone bedrock, with some areas of alluvial clay left by the rivers flowing towards Alicante's coast.
vThere are marked differences in the climate of the two subzones. The coastal vineyards of La Marina enjoy a Mediterranean climate. Those of the Vinalopó valley behind Alicante become more continental as one moves further inland. There is some humidity in the northern subzone, but it is generally a dry area with long areas of sunshine.
Bodegas Vinessens, excitement, innovation and hard work
Vinessens is a small family-run winery that strives to offer customers something more than just a quality wine. They pay close attention to their ancient vines, some of which are over 100 years old. A young and highly trained family doing what they love the most with great passion. These factors guarantee that the wines they bring to the market are based on three fundamental pillars: excitement, innovation and hard work.
Vinessens wines are ‘Vinos de Autor’ (Author Wines). Wines that reflect the personality and the personality of their land. They are the true reflection of what has become known as a ‘Garage winery’, a new style of winery with new exciting and cutting edge interpretations of winemaking. With limited production and original, exclusive packaging they offer something out of the ordinary in their wines as well as remaining exceptional value.