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DO La Mancha

DO La Mancha is the largest grape and winegrowing region in the world covering 190,000 hectares. However, the number of hectares in the towns in question is much higher as it refers to municipalities from the provinces of Toledo, Cuenca, Ciudad Real and Albacete.

DO La Mancha, whose name comes from Arabic and means “land without water”, covers the production of a total of 182 municipal districts: 12 in the province of Albacete, 58 in Ciudad Real, 66 in Cuenca and 46 in Toledo. It lies on an area of 30,700 km2, which is half the surface area of the four provinces in question.

The conditions of the production area are ideal for cultivating vines, and all the more so when bearing in mind that the output per hectare is not very high. The low rainfall and length of visible light have a positive influence on the ripening of the fruit and there is an almost total absence of vine diseases.

DO La Mancha regulates the production of over 21,000 vine growers who deliver their fruit to approximately 300 wineries, figures which have made this industry into one of the most important in the region. With regards these companies, 200 sell bottled wine and eighty market their products overseas. Over 100 wineries in DO La Mancha specialise in crianza wines.

DO La Mancha was officially recognised in 1932 and is therefore one of the oldest in Spain. By 1966 it had already drawn up regulations, although the Regulating Council of DO La Mancha as we know it today was not incorporated until 1973. The regulations of said body were definitively approved by Order of 2 June 1976.

Information on grape varieties, climate conditions and planting systems

AUTHORISED VARIETIES: The varieties authorised by the Regulating Council, listed in order of importance, are: the whites Airen (153,193 hectares), Viura or Macabeo (1,650 hectares), Chardonnay (190 hectares), Sauvignon Blanc (282 hectares), Pardilla (16 hectares), Verdoncho (189 hectares), Verdejo (176 hectares) and Moscatel de Grano Menudo (36 hectares); and the reds Cencibel or Tempranillo (23,353 hectares), Garnacha (5,164 hectares), Moravia Dulce (2,247 hectares), Cabernet Sauvignon (2,154 hectares), Syrah (1,549 hectares), Merlot (694 hectares) and Petit Verdot (84 hectares).

PLANTING DENSITY:In accordance with regulations, planting density for both white and red varieties must fall between 1,000 and 1,600 stocks for head-pruned vines with a maximum of 20,000 buds; and between 1,600 and 3,330 stocks when the espalier system is used, with a maximum of 35,000 buds.

PRUNING SYSTEM:Head-pruning and espalier.

PRODUCTION AND OUTPUT: The maximum output per hectare is hl/ha for head-pruned vines (red and white) and 75 hl/ha for plantations using the espalier system. Should output exceed the limits authorised, the total production of the land will not be qualified.The maximum transformation index is 68 litres per 100 kilos of grapes and the capacity of barrels must fall below 300 litres.

CLIMATE AND SOIL: Temperatures are extreme due to the continental climate, ranging between -15º in the freezing winter and 45º in the scorching summer. Drought is another of its characteristics: its microclimate impedes the presence of humid winds which results in very low rainfall (300 to 400 mm a year). Therefore La Mancha is basically a dry-farming area, although the latest re-structuring plans have increased the number of drip irrigation systems. However, this land enjoys 3,000 hours of sunlight a year which sweetens the grape and provides us with an excellent fruit.
The soil is deep red due to the Miocene sediment on the limestone.