The Levantine autonomía of Valencia has perhaps in the past been more associate with its orange exports than its wine. But in the last few decades it has undergone a quiet metamorphosis from its traditional past of bulk wine production into a premium wine making region, shaped by a lot of international influence and expertise. This southern strip of land along the Mediterranean has a bright viticultural future.
DO Alicante occupies the southernmost portion of Valencia, where vineyards are planted on a continuation of the elevated tableland called the meseta. The northern section of DO is dedicated to production of sweet wines from Moscatel; in the southern portion of the DO, the red grape Monastrell reigns (the Spanish equivalent of Mourvèdre). This premium red grape variety offers structure, body, acidity and flavor and can producing amazing wines, especially when yields are kept low and due care is given in the vineyards.
To keep the grapes cooler in this strip of sunny land, the vines are bush-trained low to the ground, so that the leaf canopy protects not only the grapes themselves, but also shades the soil around the vine so no heat is reflected back onto the fruit. This insures a slower ripening process that leads to higher quality fruit.
This emerging wine region has established a solid reputation for quality reds at good values. Despite the southerly location, the wines manage to retain a lot of zest, or alicante (spiciness), for which the DO is so named.
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