Most people interested in Spanish wine will have heard of Tempranillo, Garnacha and Monastrell. Tortosí, Bonicaire, Arcos and Forcallà might be a different matter.
Last month I wrote about the revival of Giró in Alicante. It got me thinking about some of the other old local grapes I’ve come across on our travels, particularly just a little further inland in Valencia.
D.O. Valencia covers a surprisingly varied landscape and is divided into different subzones. Clariano, in the south of Valencia province, reaches down towards the border with Alicante and is only around an hours drive inland from Alicante city. Here vineyards can be found at considerable altitude and some almost-forgotten local grape varieties are being rediscovered.
A couple of years ago we visited Toni Beneito at his winery near Bocairent. His project particularly appealed to us because at its heart is the recovery of two old Valencian varieties, Tortosí and Bonicaire. His winery at Finca El Cabeço dates back to 1880, but Toni has breathed new life into it, working with varieties that came close to disappearing.
I’ve tasted both his white Tortosí and red Bonicaire and, for me, they’re proof that these grapes deserve to be taken seriously. Toni is making very good wine from them.
Another producer who has caught our attention is Javi Revert, based at La Font de la Figuera, also in Clariano.
Javi grew up in the village and local varieties are central to his project. He works with grapes including Arcos, Forcallà and Bonicaire, alongside more familiar varieties such as Monastrell and Garnacha. He is restoring old mountain vineyards and has also replanted traditional varieties on steep parcels that had been abandoned decades ago because they were difficult to work and produced low yields.
What I like about both projects is that these grapes aren’t being treated as museum pieces. Toni and Javi believe they can make good wine from them today and, in doing so, give them a future.
For me, that’s one of the pleasures of discovering Spanish wine. Look beyond the familiar names and you find local grapes that tell us something about the places they come from.
Here on the Costa Blanca, some of those discoveries are remarkably close to home.
If you have any wine-related questions or would like to get in touch, you can email me at tony.senseexperiences@yahoo.com.
Until next month, cheers, Tony Higgins.