Wine styles of the Valencia region

One of the distinguishing features of the Valencia region as a wine-producing area is the extraordinary diversity of its wines. They range from Cavas and sparkling Moscatel, to light young red and white wines, full-bodied reds in various styles, and — perhaps the region’s crowning glory — magnificent sweet wines (white, red and ‘maderized’ Fondillón).

Some examples:

Sparkling Wine

Cavas
• Dominio de la Vega (its ‘Brut Reserva Especial’ voted best Spanish Cava at Madrid’s prestigious Enoforum in 2004 and 2006)
• Pago de Tharsys (its ‘Brut Nature’ voted best Spanish Cava at Enoforum 2005)
• Castell dels Sorells (the first Cava made in the Comunidad Valenciana, and the only one not to come from Requena)
  Torre Oria (nothing wrong with this good value Cava available virtually everywhere)

Sparkling Moscatel (naturally semi-sweet)
• Reymos (refreshing, different, amazing value at about 3.50 euros)

Dry White wines

Regional grapes
• Marina Alta (Moscatel)
• Casta Diva Cosecha Dorada (Moscatel)
• Murviedro white (Macabeo, Merseguera, Moscatel)
• Daniel Belda Verdil (Verdil)

International varietals
• Viña Lidón (Chardonnay)
• Daniel Belda Chardonnay (Barrel Fermented)
• El Miracle (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc)
• Florante (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and the local Tardana)

Rosé

• Murviedro (Bobal, Monastrell, Tempranillo)
• Viña Enterizo (Bobal — amazingly cheap, but don’t be put off by this)
• Hoya de Cadenas Rosado (Bobal)
• Daniel Belda (Merlot)

Red wines

Regional grapes (Bobal and Monastrell – also known as Mourvèdre – are the most notable regional red grapes). Here I list a few wines that use only these, leaving blends, beloved of the current generation of winemakers, for the next section.
• Rafael Cambra Uno (Monastrell)
• Hoya de Cadenas Viñas Viejas (Bobal)
• Corolilla Crianza (Bobal)
• Corolilla Reserva (Bobal)
• El Sequé (Monastrell)
• Santerra Monastrell (Monastrell)
• Casa Don Angel (Bobal)

National and International style (Syrah, also known as Shiraz, is particularly successful and widely used)
• Icono Syrah
• Enrique Mendoza Shiraz
• Enrique Mendoza Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva
• Emilio Clemente Crianza (Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon)
• Peñas Negras (Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot)
• Solo (Tempranillo, Syrah, Bobal)
• Ceremonia (Tempranillo, Syrah, Bobal)
• Vega Infante (Bobal, Tempranillo)
• DisTinto (Tempranillo, Syrah)
• Laderas de El Sequé (Monastrell, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon)
• Heretat de Taverners Crianza (Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Monastrell)
• Coto d’Arcis Gran Reserva (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo)

Heroic blending (four or more different grape varieties)
• Maduresa (Cabernet Sauvignon, Monastrell, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Mandó)
• Sanfir (Bobal, Tempranillo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha, Syrah)
• Les Alcusses (Monastrell, Tempranillo, Merlot, Syrah)
• Mestizaje (Bobal, Tempranillo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha, Syrah)
• Argument (Monastrell, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo)
• Las Ocho — ‘The Eight’ (Bobal, Monastrell, Garnacha, Tempranillo, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot)

Sweet Wines

Moscatel (also known as Mistela, Vino de Licor and Vino Dulce Natural — an ancient style of sweet wine made by adding grape spirit to stop the fermentation of the Moscatel grape must while there is residual sugar), delicious and generally great value.
• Casta Diva Cosecha Miel
• Casta Diva La Diva
• Dolce Vita
• Fusta Nova
• Estrella 10
• Moscatel Vittore
• Enrique Mendoza Moscatel de La Marina
• Mistelanova
• Moscatel Torrevellisca

Fondillón – A wine with 500 years of written history behind it, recently rescued from virtual extinction.
• Primitivo Quiles Fondillón Gran Reserva
• Salvador Poveda Fondillón 1980
• Fondillón Alone
• Casta Diva Fondillón 15 Años (by far the most expensive)

Sweet Monastrell
• Icono Monastrell Dulce
• Fondonet Monastrell Dulce

One-off
• Dolç de Mendoza (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir)

[Source: originally published on winesofvalencia.com, republished with permission of author]