Valencia (DO)

Valencia is a Spanish Denominación de Origen (DO) (Denominació d'Origen in Valencian) for wines located in the province of Valencia (Valencian Community) and is divided into two separate zones and four sub-zones each one of which produces a different type of wine.

Grape growing and wine production has been present in this area for thousands of years as attested by several archaeological finds, including Neolithic tombs containing remains of grapes.

The wine from Sagunto was mentioned in texts by Juvenal and Marcial in the 2nd century BC. In the 13th century the valencian citizen Arnau de Vilanova wrote one of the first treatises on Spanish wine.

The Valentino sub-zone, located to the northwest, is the largest one and its vineyards slope gently upwards from the coastal plain towards the interior of the province. This sub-zone is in turn divided in three geographically distinct areas:

The Alto Turia sub-zone is located to the west of Valentino at a height of between 700 m and 1,100 m above sea level and is characterised by its sandy soils.

The Moscatel sub-zone is located at the western boundary of the city of Valencia and the vineyards rise from sea level to an altitude of 100 m.

The Clariano sub-zone is to the south, further away from the other three sub-zones and close to the towns of Játiva and Gandía. It is geographically divided into two different areas:

In general, the subsoils vary from fluvial type at low altitudes, to lime bearing at the higher altitudes, and sandy type at the intermediate altitudes. They are generally soils from the Miocene and the Quaternary period, very permeable and therefore do not give rise to drainage problems.

The coastal vineyards have a Mediterranean climate but the majority which are further inland have a mild continental climate (long, hot dry summers and cold winters). Temperatures can vary up to 30°C on a daily basis. Maximum temperature in summer can reach over 40°C and in winter drop to -5°C.

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Wikipedia