If you’re stuck for a good wine and haven’t tried anything from La Mancha, you are missing some of the best wine in Spain. Wines from the La Mancha area, the largest wine region in the world, are superb. With red varieties like Petit Verdot, Monastrell, Pinot Noir and Mencia and white wines such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Verdejo and Torrontes, there’s something special for just about every wine lover here.
The La Mancha area of Spain is located on the Central Plateau of the Iberian Peninsula, and is made up of 182 principalities. It encompasses places like Cuenca, Toledo, Ciudad Real and Albacete. La Mancha is a Spanish Denominación de Origen (DO) for wines, and has more than 300 wineries registered with it.
Wine has been grown in the La Mancha area for hundreds of years, but first was given recognition in 1932. Among the hundreds of wineries in the area, there is Bodegas Feliciano Fernández Torres (BFuente del Águila, Bodegas), Alonso de Castilla S.L., Bodegas, Juan de la Barreda, C.B. , César José Velasco Almodóvar, Bodegas and La Candelaria, Bodega y Viñedos (Cooperativa) to name just a few.
You’ll find young wines, traditional wines, aged wines. Grapes for reservas, sparkling wines and grandes reservas are also grown in the region. In fact, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a wine the La Mancha wineries don’t grow and, as most are crafted and not mass-produced, you’ll be amazed at how affordable they still are.
Exports of La Mancha wines have also gone through the roof in the last few years, with the Chinese in particular loving to buy them.
If you’re stuck for holiday ideas, why not take a week’s vacation (or longer) to the La Mancha wine growing area and visit some of the local bodegas (wineries). Not only would you see some of Spain’s most beautiful countryside, but you’ll meet the wine growers, get to sample some incredible wines and, of course, can go home with a car full of Spain’s finest wines.
For more information on Spain’s fine La Mancha wines, check out the La Mancha wines website. Or watch this short video from YouTube — it will give you some basic information about La Mancha vineyards and the wines they produce before you start buying.