Almansa

The D.O.Almansa spans over 8 municipalities with a total surface of 7,118 registered hectares of vineyards.

Grapes

Wines from the Denomination of Origin Almansa can be made with local, national and international grapes. The most commonly used red grapes for the elaboration of quality wines from the DO Almansa are Garnacha Tintorera, Monastrell, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Syrah, Merlot, Grenache, Petit Verdot and Pinot Noir. The most commonly used white grapes for the production of quality wines from DO Almansa are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Verdejo and Moscatel de Grano Menudo. We are especially proud of the wines of the most unique and special variety of our area, the local variety Garnacha Tintorera. The Garnacha Tintorera, unlike any other variety of red grapes, has red coloured pulp instead of white pulp, due to a high level of polyphenols. Formerly this grape variety was used to add colour to the wines, but in recent years it is used to make unique wines of high quality as single variety wines.

Climate

The climate of Almansa is somewhat less extreme than in La Mancha, but the summers are also very hot, with temperatures easily reaching 40 degrees C. The climate is continental and the soils are of low fertility with average annual rainfall below 350mm. The low precipitation, the soil permeability and the low production permit us to obtain wines with lots of flavour and colour intensity. The soil is rich in limestone and poor in organic matter, alternating areas of land with stones and little substrate with more sandy and deep areas. The altitude of the area ranges between 700 and 1,000 meters above the sea level. Most of the vineyards are on flat, extended ground, although sometimes you can see vineyards on the slopes of the nearby mountains.

Grape production area

The geographical area covered by the Denomination of Origin Almansa is a plateau that touches the borders in the east, across the so-called Almansa corridor, to the old Kingdom of Valencia. This area has marked the transition from the lands of Levant to the province of Castile for centuries.The main difference between the territory of the Denomination of Origin Almansa and the área of Levante, is the great difference in altitude, reaching from 400 meters above sea level in the town of Fuente La Higuera, up to 700 meters above sea level in Almansa. The wine production area of the D.O. Almansa includes lands and plots located in eight municipalities, with more than 7,000 acres of vineyards.

Specificity and historical notes

Viticulture around Almansa has developed continuously since the sixteenth century. This wine region, located about 700 m above sea level, is the easternmost of Castilla-La Mancha. D.O. Almansa, was founded in 1966. At that time there were quite a number of wineries that for various reasons were disappearing, leaving the wine growing area in the hands of a few wineries and cooperatives. During the recent years many new vineyards and wineries have been established, creating a resurgence of high quality wines from this privileged area. Currently wines are made with varieties of national and indigenous grapes being bottled and exported to more than 20 countries, all the way to Japan and the United States.