Discover Valencian wines: history, varieties and a new wine-making boost

The D.O. Valencia Wine Night was held just a couple of days ago, and true to this year’s slogan for the event, “Small decisions can change everything”, since thanks to those decisions many families are able to carry on living from farming their families’ lands and to carry on providing the tastes of our land and its history.

Because small decisions can change everything, such as choosing the right bottle of wine. 

The Region of Valencia, traditionally associated with the sun, market gardening and the Mediterranean, is going through an exciting period insofar as its wines are concerned. Although Valencian wines were better known for their quantity rather than their quality in the past, the area is fast becoming one of the most interesting regions for wine lovers looking for authenticity, territory and a balance between modernity and tradition. 

That means making decisions to preserve old vineyards, committing to local varieties, investing in new technologies, cooperating and hard work - a lot of hard work.

Mediterranean character 

The Mediterranean climate gives Valencian wines a very distinct hallmark. The influence of the sea, the strong light, warm soils and constant breezes lead to wines with vivacious personalities: reminiscent of ripe fruit with a high natural acidity and balance.

They are agreeable, expressive, versatile wines, perfect for enjoying either with traditional cuisine or more adventurous contemporary dishes.

That character is particularly noticeable in native varieties which have adapted to the environment over the centuries, affording good-natured, territorial wines.

Recovering old vines adapted to local conditions, committing to local varieties does not only confer identity and quality to the wines, but they are also factors that revitalise the region, bringing socio-economic value to an area and giving a new lease of life to the small villages in rural areas.

A trip around the wine-producing areas in the Region of Valencia

The Region of Valencia is home to three main Designations of Origin:

• D.O.P. Valencia: The most wide-ranging and diverse. Its sub-regions (Alto Turia, Valentino, Clariano, Moscatel) have an array of micro-climates that are ideal for producing fresh whites, Mediterranean reds and Moscatel sweet wines. 

It is in this area that the Merseguera variety is playing a starring role, enjoying a second life after being abandoned for a long time. It is used to make white wines of extraordinary quality. Wineries such as Flor de Ahilas, Murviedro, Baldovar and producers such as Andres Vergara bring us high quality signature wines.

Moscatel is the queen variety of all the Mediterranean, and in Valencia it is considered one of the marvels for the famous Mistela and liqueur wines made from those grapes.

The area of Alforins is one of the leading areas in recovering native red varieties, such as Arcos, Bonicaire, Mandó and Forcallá thereby positioning its wines among wine lovers who are looking for differentiation, elegance and quality. Wineries such as Celler del Roure, Rafael Cambra, Ca Leandro, Javi Revert, Bodegas Los Frailes and Fil.loxera y Cía have already become benchmarks.

• D.O.P. Utiel-Requena: The land of Bobal grapes, a native variety that, under the caring hands of experts, has moved on from producing quantity wines to producing elegant, full-bodied quality wines with strong personalities. Toni Sarrión started off with that arduous task with the wines made at Finca Mustiguillo, and many more have followed in his footsteps, such as Bruno Murciano, Pago de Tharsys. They all make white, rosé and red wines with well-defined personalities, without forgetting the sparkling wines that have enjoyed enormous success, such as Hispano Suizas and Dominio de la Vega.
• D.O.P. Alicante: With a much more arid climate and limey soils, this region is closely linked to the Monastrell and Moscatel grape varieties. However, other varieties are also emerging from the region, such as Giró and Trepadell. Curri Vinos y Uvas, Pepe Mendoza Casa Agrícola, Gutierrez de la Vega, Celler les Freses, Oscar Mestre, Manu Guardiola and Aida y Lluís are just some of the leading producers making straightforward wines with a definite Mediterranean character.

Monastrell grapes, grown on unirrigated land, old vineyards with the vines pruned in gobelet fashion is apparently the way to produce some fine quality wines.

Moscatel is the basis for the world-famous sweet wine known as Mistela, but also others such as sparkling wines and film of yeast ageing.

History and future of Valencian wine

Wine has been part of the Valencian landscape ever since Roman times. It was mostly produced in bulk in the 20th century, but over the last two decades the trend has been to move more towards quality and identity.

The future lies in a compromise between the land, sustainability and research into local varieties, and the wish to connect with consumers looking for wines with soul. Consum supermarkets are committed to this path, and therefore they offer us wines produced through this revolution that reach our tables every day.

We believe therefore, that drinking Valencian wine is tantamount to discovering a land whose personality is expressed through each glass of wine.