La Mancha

La Mancha is a Spanish Denominación de Origen (DO) for wines, with over 190,000 ha planted to vines, and is the largest continuous vine-growing area in the world. The first written documentation on viticulture in the region dates from the 12th century, though it is generally believed that vines were introduced by the ancient Romans as in other regions of the Iberian Peninsula. Wine production took off in the 1940s due to the setting up of numerous cooperatives in the region. Viticulture is the economic mainstay of many of the municipalities that form part of the DO. The climate is continental (long, hot summers and cold winters) and ranges from extremes of -15°C in winter to 45°C in summer. Due to the high altitude, central location, drought is common in La Mancha; annual rainfall is 300 to 400 mm. However, the vines are exposed to about 3,000 hours of sunlight per year. The soil structure is similar across the large area and is formed of sandy clay which is poor in organic material and rich in lime and chalk. The land rises constantly from north to south, from 480 m above sea level in the north to 700 m above sea level in the south.

The following are the authorised grape varieties:

Red: Cencibel (also known as Tempranillo), Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah

White: Airén, Macabeo (also known as Viura), Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc

Valdepeñas is a Spanish Denominación de Origen (DO) for wines located in the province of Ciudad Real in the south of La Mancha. It is almost surrounded by La Mancha but is an independent DO due to its long history of producing a distinct style of light rosé wine known as clarete which is made by mixing white and red grape musts together. 2016´s harvest was 55.9 million kilos of red grapes and 43.2 million kilos of white grapes. Valdepeñas is located between the south of Spain, the Mediterranean regions to the east, Extremadura to the west and central plains to the north. To the south of the DO is the Sierra Morena which creates a natural border with Andalusia, and to the east and west there are mountains reaching a height of 1000 m. The climate is extreme continental (very hot summers and cold winters) and can be classified as semi-arid. Temperatures can reach 40°C in summer and drop to -10°C in winter. Droughts in summer are frequent, as are frosts in winter. Rainfall is sparse and generally falls in spring and autumn often in the form of violent storms. The risk of hailstones and strong winds is significant in spring. The DO is located on a plateau surrounded by hills and whose soil is limestone with good moisture retaining properties. The topsoil is not deep and quite pebbly which often forms hard crusty layers which must be broken to help the roots penetrate. The soil is poor in organic matter.

The authorised white varieties are:

White – Airén, Macabeo, Chardonnay, Verdejo, Sauvignon Blanc and Moscatel (Muscat)

Red – Tempranillo (called Cencibel), Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah.

The Airén variety was extensively planted alter the phylloxera plague of 1911 due to its good resistance to high temperatures and poor soils of the region. As a result of this Airén makes up 65% of all vines planted in the area, although in recent years this percentage has been steadily declining. Other varieties, such as Macabeo, are also being used for white wines. Tempranillo is the traditional variety used for red wines, although recently international varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Garnacha, are being used more. The vines are often planted in squares or rectangles to allow machines easy access to the vineyard. Most wines produced fall into the following four categories: young whites, young rosés, young reds, all made for consumption within one year. Some Crianzas, Reservas and Gran reserves are also produced.