Alicante

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The soils of the Alicante appellation are calcareous, with active limestone and low water-retention capacity, characteristics associated with the dryness and good acidity of the wines.
• The average altitude of the vineyards is 600 metres, in an area with a Mediterranean climate that tends towards continental in the interior. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
• Rainfall ranges from 300 mm in the sub-denomination of Alicante to 500 mm in the sub-denomination of La Marina. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
• The Alicante wine zone is divided into two sub-denominations: La Marina, on the northern Alicante coast, and Vinalopó, which extends to the borders with Castilla-La Mancha and the Region of Murcia. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)

• There is a centuries-old tradition of producing liqueur wine by adding wine spirits to accentuate the sweet character, giving rise to white and red mistelas.

• The sparkling and aromatic sparkling wines of the Alicante appellation express varietal character more clearly, particularly their fruity, floral and fresh aspects, with their acidity playing off against the carbonic effervescence.
• Wines made from Moscatel de Alejandría display a wide diversity of hues owing to the different production methods applied.

• Direct sun exposure and high summer insolation during ripening result in wines with notes of ripe fruit and intense colour, especially in the reds.
• A long, dry summer allows late-ripening grapes to remain healthy on the vine and to over-ripen, and this on-vine over-ripening combined with sun-drying of the grapes results in wines with ripe-fruit notes and deep colour without oak ageing.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the specification (pliego de condiciones).

Subzonas

• Alto Vinalopó DO (PDO)
• Bajo Vinalopó DO (PDO)
• El Comtat DO (PDO)
• La Marina Alta DO (PDO)
• La Marina Baja DO (PDO)
• L’Alacantí DO (PDO)
• L’Alcoià DO (PDO)
• Medio Vinalopó DO (PDO)

All appellations in Spain

Sources

• Specification (EUR-Lex, single document)
• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-ES-A1526
• Official trade body site — Vinos Alicante DOP