Last month we began our journey through the wine regions of eastern Spain close to home, with D.O. Bullas. This month we head north along the Mediterranean to D.O. Alicante – a wine region many of our readers will have virtually on their doorstep.
Earlier this year, we unexpectedly bumped into the same Alicante winery twice on our wine travels.
The first occasion was in Madrid in May at Tim Atkin Master of Wine’s Best of Spain 2026, an event bringing together some of Spain’s most highly rated wines. Among just four producers representing the wider Levante region was Pepe Mendoza – Casa Agrícola.
We had also encountered Casa Agrícola much closer to home at Winecanting, the annual celebration organised by Vinos Alicante DOP at Alicante’s port, bringing together wineries from across the province.
So perhaps Casa Agrícola was trying to tell us something!
Based at Finca Abargues in Llíber, in the beautiful Marina Alta, Pepe Mendoza’s philosophy is one that particularly appeals to us. After more than 25 years working with the soils, grape varieties and climate of Alicante – as well as travelling to places including Chile, New Zealand and Argentina in search of knowledge – Pepe increasingly came to realise that what he was looking for was already back home in Alicante.
Old vineyards, traditional Mediterranean grape varieties, dry farming and respect for the landscape are now at the heart of Casa Agrícola. Its 12 hectares of Giró and Moscatel Romano were planted between 1920 and 1970 and are organically cultivated without irrigation on traditional terraces bordered by centuries-old dry-stone walls.
And this brings us to one of the things we love most about discovering different Spanish wine regions: indigenous grape varieties. In this case, Giró.
It is hardly a household name, even among regular wine drinkers, but Giró is an important part of the historic viticultural landscape of the Marina Alta.
One of the most interesting wines is Giró de Abargues, a 100% Giró that allows this local red grape to take centre stage. Pepe has gone even further with Fierroca, also 100% Giró, produced from three small terraces in the highest part of Finca Abargues.
This is precisely what makes exploring Spanish wine so exciting. Of course we all know Tempranillo, Garnacha and Monastrell, but scratch beneath the surface and you discover grapes, vineyards and traditions that belong to very particular corners of Spain.
D.O. Alicante has plenty more for us to explore – from its famous Moscatel and Monastrell to the historic sweet Fondillón – but Giró and Pepe Mendoza’s Casa Agrícola seem a very good place to start.
And if you live on the Costa Blanca, this particular wine adventure really isn’t very far away.
If you have any wine-related questions or would like to get in touch, you can email me at tony.senseexperiences@yahoo.com.
Photo: Tony and Teresa Higgins with Master of Wine Tim Atkin at his Best of Spain 2026 event in Madrid, where Pepe Mendoza – Casa Agrícola was one of the featured producers.