Castilla la Mancha

The autonomous region of Castile-La Mancha is located in central Spain, between Madrid to the north and Andalusia to the south. The regional appellation Castilla la Mancha, already recognized in 1932, was awarded the title of designation of origin in 1973. It alone produces half of Spain's wines with a vineyard area of nearly 450,000 hectares, even though it has only eight local DOs.

Located on the Meseta Central (central plateau) of the Iberian Peninsula, the Castilla la Mancha wine appellation encompasses 182 municipalities spread across the four provinces of Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, and Toledo. It therefore does not cover the entire administrative region. The vines enjoy an extreme continental climate, with large temperature variations and variable rainfall, providing ideal conditions for optimal vine development. These characteristics produce magnificent results, thanks in particular to the work of Bodega Ercavio.

The white wines ofthe Castilla la Mancha appellation are made from Airén, Macabeu, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Red and rosé wines, on the other hand, are made from Tempranillo, Grenache, Moravia, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. Within Castilla la Mancha's significant production, a distinction must be made between young wines (jóvenes) and traditional wines (tradicionales), which can be of any of the three colors, and higher quality red wines such as Crianza (aged in barrels), Reserva (aged for at least 12 months in oak barrels and 24 months in bottles) and Gran Reserva (aged at least 24 months in oak barrels and 36 months in the bottle). The appellation also produces sparkling wines.