Valencia is a wine region that’s constantly topping up its suntan by the sea. The arid, sunny conditions are great for growing grapes, and fine weather combined with Valencia wine makes for an excellent holiday. So pack you bags. It’s time to tell your boss you’re coming down with the flu, and pay Valencia a visit.

 

A Typical Valencia Wine:

The region produces lots of gluggable, chuggable table wine. You’ll pour it out, and enjoy it with standard paella, or simply on its own as you gaze at the sea from your hotel window. It’s uncomplicated, get-what-you-pay-for wine.

However, the region’s quality has been rising in recent years. Instead of obscure local varieties, the area is making red wines from Tempranillo, and increasingly white wines use Macebo.

 

Some Rare Gems:

What’s more, the region is producing a few great bottles. You just need to know what to look for – so keep an eye out for Moscatel de Valencia. It’s a renowned sweet wine, and occasionally fortified like a sherry. Some growers are also experimenting with international varieties too. Using solid, noble grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay will help the region to move towards higher status, and Maduresa is an lip-smacking example of this style. It has excellent fruit flavours, with strong, jammy ripe notes thanks to the beating Mediterranean sun.

Also look out for the sub-area of Utiel-Requena. It’s leading the charge of quality Valencia winemakers, which means you should look for it on bottle labels.

 

What to Do When You Get Here:

Once you’ve located the wine bar nearest to your hotel, you may start thinking about other things to do in Valencia. Don’t worry – there should be opportunities to drink at these tourist hotspots too. Yet you may want to include some of these activities in with your trip to wine country:

 

  • Hit the Beach! There are no fewer than five beaches around Valencia. The main one, La Malvarrosa, is also pleasingly spacious, which will make it easy to find a nice spot for a picnic of red Valencia wine and paella. Here’s some other fantastic wine and food pairings for picnics.
  • Visit a Vineyard. There are plenty to choose from, and this wine tour company is even WSET certified. That means you won’t just be visiting some nice wine producers. You’ll also be learning something, and it’s much easier to understand a wine when you’ve stood on the soil in which it’s grown while experiencing the weather that made it. And what weather – with highs of 29°C.
  • Check Out Valencia’s Central Market. It’s often said that what grows together goes together, and this is your chance to stock up on the food that were made to match the local wine. Of course, at home your local delicatessen will charge the Earth to try this stuff. Here, you can pick up prize chorizo that would be a great match for a glass of Valencia red.
  • Try the Nightlife. Of course, you will have seen footage of young twenty-somethings getting completely wasted on cheap booze in Spain. Valencia is not that kind of place. Yet there is something for you if you want to venture out at night, and ‘Elite Cocktail Bar’ is the sort of sophisticated place to visit with some very yummy drinks.

 

[cta_generico id=2595]

Categories: Regions

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *