White Rhone Blends Viura Spain La Mancha

Viognier, an exotic, elusive varietal, originally comes from the Northern Rhone Valley of France, and has captured the fascination of the U.S. wine-drinking public. At its finest, it is full-bodied and nearly golden in color, with a haunting bouquet of peaches, apricots and pears, and a floral quality like no other wine in the world. Many vintners are trying their hand at this varietal, spreading from its American beginnings in Napa Valley and Santa Barbara County to wineries as far away as Virginia. Marsanne and Rousanne, two other important varieties from the Rhone Valley are making waves in the U.S., particularly on the Central Coast of California.

Ever since the Phoenicians and Romans brought their knowledge of vine cultivation to Spanish soils, the country's culture has grown alongside wine production, with wine being a vital part of Spanish identity and Spanish traditions. Each region of Spain has a wine quite distinct from the others, and it is produced by smallholders and families as much as it is by large companies and established wineries. From the relatively mild and lush regions of La Rioja to the arid plateaus that surround Madrid, grapes are grown in abundance for the now booming Spanish wine industry, and new laws and regulations have recently been put in place to keep the country's standards high. By combining traditional practices with modern technology, Spanish wineries are continuing to produce distinctive wines of great character, flavor and aroma, with the focus shifting in recent decades to quality over quantity.

La Mancha is the quintessential Spanish wine region. A vast plateau of arid earth, dotted with historic villages, Moorish towns and Roman cities, it encapsulates the variety of culture, the colour and spice, the spirit of old Spain. It happens to be not only the largest wine region in Spain, but also the largest in Europe, covering almost half of the enormous central Spanish community of Castilla La Mancha. Half a million acres of vineyards, spread across four provinces and one hundred and eighty two municipalities - it’s no wonder this is one of the most interesting and varied wine regions there is.

The Romans were the first ones to cultivate vines in this part of Spain, and since their time, wine production has never really stopped. That isn’t to say this is easy wine-growing country - the extreme dryness and intense heat (daytime temperatures regularly top forty degrees in the summer, and drop dramatically at night) present their own challenges, but the result is small yields of highly characterful grapes which range from classic, native varietals such as Tempranillo and Monastrell, to international blending grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The local favorite wine is Airen, a dry, fresh red varietal, which is used in bulk production and for brandies.

While the majority of wine production in the region is for the bold, complex reds the country is famous for, there are also some wonderfully fresh and interesting white wines to come out of La Mancha. These include wines made from local varietals such as Verdejo and Torrontes.