Menu Close

Vinos de Alicante

With a history dating back to 1510, when Ferdinand the Catholic banned the distribution in Alicante of wines from other lands, Alicante is the ‘most valued region of Spain’ according to the Peñin Guide 2015, with an average wine quality among the highest in Spain. Alicante is also the area with the highest organic production in the Valencian Community and its catalogue includes vegan, demeter, biodynamic, wines from specific areas and from Natural Parks.

The Regulatory Council of the Alicante PDO is one of the oldest institutions in Spain as the seed of the first designations of origin. As early as the 16th century, King Philip II granted special protection to the city of Alicante to protect the wine trade by virtue of its quality. The ‘Junta d’Inhibició del Ví Foraster d’Alacant’, as well as the guild of coopers or the documents kept in the Municipal Archives of the city testify that already then control activities and records were carried out very similar to those currently known as ‘traceability’ of the product.

 

The PDO Vinos de Alicante covers more than 40 wineries with a total of 10,000 hectares and more than 2,000 farmers dedicated to wine production. The production area is limited to the regions of Alacantí, Vinalopó Alto, Vinalopó Medio, Vinalopó Bajo, L'Alcoiá, El Comtat, La Marina Alta and La Marina Baja.

Thanks to the fertility of their soils and the nuances of their climate, the eight areas offer regional varietals whose quality is recognised and celebrated all over the world. In 2022, the Alicante PDO had 10,598 registered hectares, 45 wineries (39 of which bottled) and 2,298 winegrowers. In the 2021-2022 campaign, the production of Alicante wine of Alicante wine was 153,717 hectoliters (-6.9% compared to the previous year).

In terms of exports, 31,326 hectolitres were exported in 2022, 10.9% more than the previous year. The main destinations were Germany (23.7%), France (6.4%), Poland (6.6%) and the Netherlands (5.4%).

Alicante wine is a Monastrell red wine with intense colour, ripe fruit aromas and great structure. Today it is a modern, elegant wine, with a lot of expression of the chalky soil where it is settled and a great influence of the sea breezes that shape the wine-growing regions of the area. As for white wines, the Muscatel is the queen of Mediterranean expression due to its great maritime influence and its cultivation on terraces. The most unique and historic product is the #FondillónAlicante, an oenological jewel made from over-ripened Monastrell on the vine, which is aged without any additives, by natural yeast fermentation, for a minimum of 10 years. The result is a complex wine with a mahogany amber colour, a powerful nose of dried fruits and leather, and an intense flavour.
The soils of the Alicante PDO are sandy and sandy loam, with a grain size and texture that are particularly suitable for vine cultivation. As they are permeable and highly porous, they facilitate drainage, preventing water retention and the proliferation of phytopathogenic fungi. With organic matter and adequate fertilisation of the soil with iron salts, the soils of the Alicante PDO are optimal for vines, as concluded in the Alicante PDO Zoning Project Report published by the Miguel Hernández University of Elche.
The combination of very special soils, temperate climates and relative humidity make Alicante's landscape optimal for the development of vineyards. The historical circumstances attest to the good development of many hectares and the great wealth of varieties in all the regions, although with notable relevance of the huerta of the city of Alicante. The most widely planted and best conditioned varieties are Muscat of Alexandria, Monastrell and Garnacha, although the diversity of climates gives rise to many other varieties.
The Alicante PDO has an exceptional sponsor, the chef Quique Dacosta, who has delved into the roots of the territory to create, experience, feel and vindicate the origin of our wines. Since 2022, the travelling exhibition '3,000 years of Alicante Wine Culture' has travelled to different parts of Spain to raise awareness of the importance of the heritage of wines that make us enjoy and understand the light, the land and the sun of the province of Alicante.
 
See more figures
More information