LIGHTING UP LEVANTE

Lovers of Spanish wine have mostly looked north for the past few decades. But the country's southeast is home to a variety of DOs beginning to tilt the country's geographical scale. Make space for the new Levante

- STORY & SELECTION BETH WILLARD

The Levante is Spain’s Mediterranean eastern region, its very name, rooted in Latin - Levare: to rise, lift up, raise - evoking the rising sun that bathes its coastline in a brilliance that shapes its land, culture and vines.

In the wine world, the term is widely used to refer to the regions of Spain that lie within the autonomous communities of Valencia and Murcia. Their coastline runs from Spain’s eastern shores to the southwest, where they meet the regional border with Andalucía.

So what are the wine regions of this sun-drenched corner of Spain? Here we are going to focus on the six DOs (denominación de origen) within the two communities: the DOs in Valencia are Alicante, Utiel-Requena and Valencia itself; and the three in Murcia are Bullas, Jumilla and Yecla. All of them have undergone exciting transformation, rooted in their respective traditions, in recent years. There are also four IGPs (or PGI: protected geographical indication) and four Vinos de Pago (see box, p25).

Vines on the edge

Given the extreme climate conditions that they enjoy - or suffer - these regions stand apart along Spain’s Mediterranean coast. In the summer, temperatures hover above 40°C for extended periods, while in winter, particularly in the higher zones, they regularly drop below zero. And while elevation above sea level certainly helps to maintain freshness in the wines, the result is a highly variable terroir, from the lower coastal zones to the higher vineyards beyond the hinterland.