Rafael Cambra Casalabor · 2024

Wine was brought to Valencia by the Phoenicians and soon made the region one of the most prestigious producers in the Mediterranean. This quality continued over the centuries until 1932, when the region obtained its own Denomination of Origin, recognising the Valencia DO as one of the most historically important in Spain. Currently, the DO covers 13,000 hectares of vineyards and has around 50 bottling bodegas. Its lands are divided into four sub-zones: Alto Turia, with vineyards between 700 and 1,100 metres planted with the native Merseguera and Macabeo; Valentino, in the centre of the DO; Moscatel, with a sunny climate that allows the production of the historic sweet wines; and Clariano, in the south, a sub-zone of great red wines. The DO Valencia enjoys an enormous wealth of grape varieties, both native and foreign: grapes such as Merseguera, Bobal, Monastrell and Garnacha Tintorera coexist in harmony with cabernet sauvignon and pinot noir. In general, the DO wines are balanced, expressive and complex, with a clear Mediterranean character and the freshness of the altitude.