Valdepeñas (DO)

Valdepeñas ( German Valley of Stones ) is approximately 30,000 hectares of land and 500,000 hl annual production, the largest wine region in Spain. It is in the southern part of La Mancha, adjacent to Andalusia.

The ancient Romans used the area with rolling hills to the vineyards.

But not until the mid-13th century, after the reconquest from the Moors hands emerged from several villages in the Valle de las Peñas (Valley of Stones ) is a wine region. Due to their great military successes against the Moors, the Calatravaorden received large parts of the territory and promoted it. For example, the Calatrava brought from Burgundy, the Cencibeltraube (also known as Tempranillo ).

After 1561 the Moors were expelled from Iberia, which was close to the capital Madrid and Valdepeñas was strategically and economically significant. More than this were the royal court, but the reds important.

Even before the construction of the railway in 1861 was the royal road from Cordoba to Granada a good source of income for the region.

The vineyards are situated on south-facing slopes and at an altitude of about 700 meters and well protected by mountain ranges from the winds. The deep chalk sub- soil holds water well back, this factor is important in a tending to the drought-stricken region. The predominant varieties are Tempranillo, Garnacha and Cabernet Sauvignon ( red wine ) and Airen and Macabeo ( white wine).

It became famous for Clarete red wine ( white wine mixed with one-fifth ), the mid-19th century has been exported to South America.