Requena Wineries Premium Full Day
Option 3 or 2 wineries
The Requena Wineries Premium 3 bodega experience tastes an exhaustive list of top organic red, white & rosé plus aged vintage Cava dry wines ; promoting locvarieties like Bobal, Garnacha /Tintorera & French nobles such as Syrah, Cab Franc/Sauv. & Viogner. I promise you a fantastic day tasting an exciting range of wines from Spain´s “Old World” vineyards.
Your guiding is with a professional WSET/Somm, who now also makes his own Bobal wines.This is a revealing behind the scenes experience and quite unlike a typical tour ; learning from a wine making perspective why wines have the subtle differences from the soils to techniques in the winery. Cava is also important, the region climatically suited for sparkling wines with bodegas now finally producing more serious, vintage cuvees.
Personalized guidance, exclusive private tastings, better understanding of wine, flexible timings with exclusive access to wines & relaxed time in the cellar.
Heading west out of Valencia, we arrive at the high plain vineyards of Utiel-Requena. Lying some 70+km from the mediterranean it´s wine territory “par excellence” whose innovative vintners produce medal winning wines, puntuated by Guia Peñin, Parker, Sucking et all internationally….
The thriving market for Spanish wines has led to a tremendous lift in quality of sleepy appellations like Utiel-Requena.
The area nowadays boasts stunning reds, mineral & exotic fruity dry whites, crisp dry rosé & vintage creamy Cava. So much has changed in quality even in the last few years it´s rema
Enjoy "generous" guided tastings of 18+ wines including my own Bobal 2022 vintage wines from a 1hct "centenary" bush vine lieu-dit!
We visit 2 or 3 unique wineries; rustic minimal interventionists, chateau properties with Bordeaux know how & charming, restored old bodegas. They produce excellent wines, several pertaining to category DO Pago for select Cru vineyards & aged vintage “Cava de Requena” .
Tastings are with maridaje of DOP embutido, cured cheese & estate olive oil, your tour including lunch fare + local wine at our chosen restaurant plus visit medieval Requena town.
You often meet owners & taste more wines than our itinerary suggests!
Itinerary example overview
- We commence our morning with two family vineyards; we visit various estates including Pago´s Mustiguillo, Chozas Carrascal, Los Balagueses & smaller garagiste bodega with artisan wines focusing on autoctono varieties from old vines. Most bodegas practice organic dry farming including autoctonous yeasts & achieve an equilibrium from the very low yields of concentrated berries. Well rooted in the landscape you will appreciate these relics of viticulture with tastings of aged dry red, white & rosé & my own Martán Bobal pertaining to 1 hct. old vine plot...wines served with local embutido/cured cheese.
Explaining their viticulture/techniques with use of French, USA oak & clay or hi-tech concrete/stone amphorae, limestone based Pago sites produce cru Pago de Los Balagueses; producing exceptional Syrah, Cab Franc, Garnacha & Chardonney. Our premium tastings feature these wines with maridaje of cured cheese, charcouteria, estate olive oil. The guided tastings are often joined by the owner/winemaker to chat with you.
- The tour is a wine 101 of interesting facts often not explained from viticulture to wine & Cava making with guided tastings of 5+ Pago wines & a special Cava G.Rsva. I tailor the wines to suit your tastes. A relaxed visit with time in vineyard, see the various types of fermentation vessel, barrel aging & fudre oaks explained with impressive barrel halls.
Step down to the cool Cava cellar, Spain´s only traditional method sparkling Denominacion de Origin ..so what makes tiny bubbles & what´s the deal with Cava vs Champagne or Prosecco? I tell you the secrets. You visit the owners restored homes & antique cellars of late 1800´s… modern art works plus other quirky item….followed by guided tasting of the “Top wines”, a great selection for you with notable lift in quality in recent vintages! Plus occasional older vintages from owners collection !
Lunch is in Utiel or Requena & includes a walk through the Medieval quarter to view it´s Gothic churches, plaza etc . A moors cave visit is often possible.
- Our afternoon 3rd winery may visit a historic, regenerated chateau property like former Dominio de Arenal, ca 1901 ; now housing a modern avantgarde winery focusing on autoctono Bobal, Pinot Noir for Cava Rosé & interesting rare grape varieties from old plots. Alternatively visit Bodega Mustiguillo; Pago pioneer in Bobal with exceptional wines, property & rigourous research to understand vineyard soil to vine compatibility/training. All tastings of the top organic wines of the wineries inc. maridaje queso, embutido & chocolate & guided visits of their impressive cellars,
Note – As our tours are by private appointment we may switch bodegas to another of status such as Hispano-Suiza etc.. to offer you the best tour on the day. Tours are flexible as bodegas are not always available for our private tour format.
Rich in a culture, Requena has a history of winemaking from the Phoenicians, Romans to the Moors/Christians. Indeed you may visit the 10thC Moors caves still with clay amphorae.
Local gastronomy is based on strong robust fare & famous for it´s cured artisan sausages but also a new, avantgarde club of young chefs with creative dishes is apparent; similiarly, recently graduated winemakers are releasing finer, fresher wines!
Wineries use traditional methods of production with the lastest technology & a modern “toque” to create intriguing wines especially from the smaller micro-bodegas we visit .
Many wines are still fairly unknown outside Spain but Requena is gaining stature; re-imaging its fine tuned Bobal & Merseguera, consistant accolades from Robert Parker guru, Luis Gutiérrez plus recent grant for “Cava de Requena” confirming it´s status.
* FOTO GALLERY BELOW –
Prices
Private tour prices variable on no. persons attending. Discount for larger groups.
Flexibility to Exclude Lunch for a range dining options, wether you prefer a luxurious meal or casual tapas .
Itinerary
- Pickup hotel in Valencia 08:50hrs
- 1000hrs Morning wineries guided visits, premium tastings 6+ wines, maridaje, olive oil + 2nd winery premium tastings 5+ wines inc. maridajé.
- Short historic walk La Vila, 14thC Churches, Castle, plaza , Court Spanish Inquisition etc.
- Quality lunch in Requena/Utiel, local wine , cafe
- Afternoon vineyard/winery visit, premium tastings 6+ wines/Cava, queso/embutido.
- Return arrival in Valencia city approx. 1700-1730 (2 bodega) 1900-1930hrs (3 bodega) or Choose opt. overnight at winery hotel, pls enquire!
DURATION: Full day 8-10hrs variable on 2 vs 3 wineries visited.
Please ask for availability & tour options/prices as can be tailor made for you.