Page 208 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Spain

206  EASTERN SP AIN

Wines of Eastern Spain

Spain’s eastern seaboard offers a wide spread of wines
of different styles. Catalonia deserves pride of place, and
here the most important region is Penedès, home of cava
(traditional-method sparkling wine) and some high-quality
still wine. In Aragón, Cariñena reds can be good, and
Somontano, in the Pyrenees, has fine, international-style
varietals. Valencia and Murcia pro vide large quantities of Jaca
easy-drinking reds, whites and rosados (rosés). Most notable N240
N260 Capmany
N260
among these are the rosés of Utiel-Requena, the Valencian Cabernet Sauvignon vines La Seu Peralada
Moscatels and the strong, full-bodied reds made in Jumilla. de Urgell Figueres
N260
Huesca
Barbastro Girona
CATALONIA Vic
Borja A23 Monzón N240
Manresa AP7
AP68
A2
Zaragoza Sant Sadurní A54
A2 ARAGÓN Lleida Barberà de d'Anoia Alella
AP2 la Conca Barcelona
N234
N232
Calatayud A23 Montblanc Vilafranca del Penedès
Cariñena Ebro Valls Sitges
Gandesa Tarragona
Alcañiz
Calamocha
N211
Somontano has had
remarkable success Montalbán Tortosa
due to the cultivation N420 AP7
of international grape N234 N232
varieties such as
Chardonnay and Teruel Benicarló
Pinot Noir.
N330 A23
Monastery of Poblet and Las Murallas vineyards in Catalonia 0 kilometres 100 Guadalavar Benicàssim
0 miles 50 Castellón de
la Plana
Key Facts about Wines of Eastern Spain Chelva Sagunto
Catalonia has Parellada, Macabeo and Xarel·lo Utiel Lliria
Location and Climate (the trio most commonly used for cava), Chiva Valencia
The climate of Eastern Spain varies while in Valencia, Merseguera and Moscatel Requena A3
mainly with altitude – low-lying predominate. In the regions fur thest to the
parts are hot and dry; it also gets PAÍS
hotter the further south you go. The wine regions southeast, Airén and Pedro Ximénez are some- VALENCIANO
times found. French grape varieties, such as
of Catalonia have a Mediterranean climate along the Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and A7 AP7
coast, which becomes drier further inland. The mid- Sauvignon Blanc, flourish in the regions of Gandia
dle Penedès is a favoured location with a range of Penedès, Costers del Segre and Somontano. Ontinyent
climates which suits many grape varieties. Jalón Xábia
Somontano has a cooler, altitude-tempered Good Producers Yecla A31 AP7
climate. Valencia and Murcia can be, in contrast, Somontano: Viñas del Vero, Viñedos Villena
unrelentingly hot. Jumilla Benidorm
del Altoaragón. Alella: Marqués de
Alella, Parxet. Penedès: Codorníu, Elda
Grape Varieties Conde de Caralt, Freixenet, Juvé y A30 Alicante
The most common native red Camps, Masía Bach, Mont-Marçal, A7 Elche
grape varieties planted in much René Barbier, Miguel Torres. Costers del Segre:
of Eastern Spain are Garnacha, Castell del Remei, Raimat. Priorat: Cellers Scala Murcia
Tempranillo – which is called Ull Dei, Masía Barril. Valencia: Vicente Gandia. Utiel- Torreviaja
de Llebre in Catalonia – Monastrell MURCIA
and Cariñena. Bobal makes both reds and, to a Requena: C. Augusto Egli. Alicante: Gutiérrez
de la Vega. Jumilla: Asensio Carcelén (Sol y
greater extent, rosés in Utiel-Requena. For whites, AP7
Luna), Bodegas Vitivino. Cartagena
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