There is nothing more appealing than visiting a winery and tasting its wines during the autumn. In this article we recommend our favorites so that you know where to go on your next getaway to Jávea: from Llíber to Teulada, passing through Jesús Pobre, Alcalalí or Benissa, the Marina Alta region is full of inspiring projects in which to learn more about our tradition, territory and roots while enjoying the landscape and a good wine. Would you like to join us?
We tour our region, the Marina Alta, from winery to winery: we choose 5 dotted located in different corners to discover their wines, their essence and their creators.
Pepe Mendoza Agricultural House (Llíber)
“Casa Agrícola” in Llíber (close to Xaló) is the personal project of the winemaker and vine grower Pepe Mendoza. This winery, built in 1900 in an old riurau of Arabic origin, organizes visits with group tasting on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, both in the morning and in the afternoon. You will discover its 12 hectares of gyro and Roman muscat vineyards grown organically, on dry land and on layered terraces with century-old dry stone walls.
The tasting consists of 6 wines paired with Iberian cheeses and sausages. Prior reservation is required.
M of Alejandria (Teulada)
Did you know that ice wine is also made in the province of Alicante? M de Alejandría is a dream come true for Cristina Rodríguez Vicente, who planted a hectare and a half of vineyards on her family estate La Alberca in 2014. The variety she chose was Moscatel de Alejandría, which is indigenous, but was inspired by the famous Ice Wines made with the help of Daniel Belda, wine producer and vine grower at Bodegas Belda (Fontanars dels Alforins), his own method is to freeze the Muscat grapes, the result is a sweet white wine, with a fruity aroma and floral touches. Only a limited and numbered edition are produced each year (around 3,000 bottles).
They offer guided tours of the estate and the vineyards which are spread over 7 terraces with dry stone walls and a heritage site protected by Unesco. The experience ends with a final tasting of local products from small producers in the riurau of the family home.
Les Freses (Jesus Pobre)
Next to the Montgó and close to the sea in Jesús Pobre, we find this winery surrounded by muscat vineyards, where strawberry fields once stood, hence its name. Les Freses makes wines which respect traditional times and customs: it ferments them in stainless steel tanks with its own yeast, in glass vases or in clay amphoras. If you want to know more about this winemaker, Mara Bañó, you can sign up for one of his guided tours with tasting of 3 of his wines or a guided excursion by an archaeologist to L´Alt de Benimaquía: an old walled site where you will discover the origins of the Iberian culture.
Cap de Nit (Alcalalí)
Joshua Kniesel and Josie Cleeve produce white and red wines with grapes of the gyro and muscatel varieties, from vineyards in Plá de Lliber, Xaló, Alcalalí and Benissa, which they select and harvest by hand in boxes of 7 kilos, which are then spontaneously fermented in stainless steel tanks and small clay jars. Muscat ferments in contact with its skins and remains in contact with its thick lees until bottling, while red wines have a gentle maceration of 7 to 10 days and are aged in clay jars until bottling.
To get to know their wines, you can arrange a tasting or go to see their wine bar, Damajuana, in Xaló, where they sell their wines but also those from other wineries in the area.
Joan de la Casa (Benissa)
In this sustainable viticulture project next to the Mediterranean, at an elevation of 60 to 160 meters, Joan produces natural wines to achieve the maximum expression of the autochthonous varieties: giro and muscatel. De la Casa, who learned everything from his grandfather, now manages his family winery between mountains (Bèrnia, la Solana and Serra d´Oltá), olive, carob or almond trees. Its philosophy is based on respect for the product: that is why it applies a criteria of organic farming which is harvested manually in boxes of 12 kilos and does not add any additive in the production process so that its wines are natural, as an expression of the terroir.
They organize tailor-made guided tours, with tasting of several of their wines, paired with sausages and local cheeses.
