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The Wine Route of Alicante is an alternative and distinguishing wine tourism proposal in the province, managed by an Institution under the legal form of a non-profit public-private association. To promote the D.O.P wines of Alicante, it encourages the tasting of agri-food products and organizes a wide variety of activities, from cultural and recreational to professional conferences, always with the collaboration of associated wineries and companies attached to the Route as well as associated organizations.
All this work is carried out to achieve its ultimate goal: promoting tourism in the inland regions of Alicante with a great winemaking tradition, through the artistic-cultural heritage of its destinations, the rich gastronomy typical of the area and the quality services offered. We want the wine tourist to immerse themself in a fascinating journey that connects two regions, “the Vinalopó” to the south and “the Marina Alta” and “Marina Baja” to the north, both of which are differentiated but also united by the same symbol, the grapevine.
The province of Alicante is defined by the Mediterranean climate and distinguished by being constant throughout the year, which favors the grapevines' development. Summers stand out for their warm temperatures, dry months and many hours of insolation that provide us with excellent quality grapes. Tourists from all over Spain and abroad come to enjoy the Mediterranean coast, mainly attracted by these weather conditions.
The Alicante Wine Route is the ideal alternative or complement to sun-and-beach tourism: it offers the opportunity to discover and get to know the inland territory which is full of history, culture and gastronomy; while affirming its long winemaking tradition and the quality of the D.O. Alicante.
AVE (High Speed Train) station in Villena and Alicante
A3 Alicante-Madrid, national roads and regular bus and taxi lines
Alicante-Elche "El Altet" Airport connected to the main European capitals
More than 50 cruises stop per year in the Port of Alicante
The wine culture in Alicante undoubtedly has a long tradition, and it corresponds to the legacy that our ancestors have left us. The cultivation, production, consumption and tradition of Alicante wine have survived through peaceful and turbulent periods over the centuries.
The origins of Alicante wines date back to the time of the Phoenicians, who are believed to have introduced the vine to the peninsula. However, it was in the Iberian period, when cultivation of vine for consumption began. To the northwest of Dénia, on a plain, we find the Benimaquia site from the 6th Century BC. This is a witness to the oldest vestiges of wine production in the Iberian Peninsula and one of the oldest wineries in Europe.
During the Middle Ages there is little information available about Alicante wines and only during the Arab invasion that we find again some references about the wines through Arab poets who sing in their verses the excellence of these wines.
The importance of Alicante wines has been known since the 15th Century when they begin to appear in documented history. From the testimonies of Jerónimo Múnzer, the memoirs of Duke Saint Simón that talk about the death of the Sun King (Louis XIV), Giacomo Casanova to Alexandre Dumas in the Count of Monte Cristo, they relate the excellence of a wine with a Royal Designation. Even Shakespeare in his play “Las Alegres Comadres de Windsor” makes a pun between -Alicante - pronounced as "Alligant" - and elegant- or Queen Elizabeth I of England commented that she liked the wine of Alicante "above any other".
The 19th Century corresponds to the Golden Age for Alicante wines. In the middle of the century, French vineyards were devastated by Oidium and Phylloxera, as a result of this, a preferential trade agreement was signed between two countries which was very successful for Alicante wines. Alicante came to have vast areas of vine cultivation and a large production, which, unfortunately at the end of the French agreement, "excess and overproduction" turned against us. Such was the progress of Alicante wines, that it was said: “If the agreement had been extended for another decade, Alicante could have paved its magnificent promenade with gold coins”.
The 20th Century is a time of changes: the tourist and industrial model of Alicante was revised and more profitable crops were adopted.
Today, in the 21st century, the wines of Alicante are experiencing their Renaissance era. The resurgence of our wines is the result of the work done to keep them alive, betting on reorganizing the wine industry, improving the cultivation of the vineyard, the quality of the wines, the bottling and adapting to the times and changes.
To improve quality, we have opted for varieties that give the wines their own identities. They have surpassed bulk selling and, recently, we have opted for a suitable bottling for modern commercialization and to present them in guides (the DOP Alicante was called the "Most appreciated area of Spain" by the Peñín Guide). To improve quality, it is also very important to pick the grapes when they are perfect, which is why the practice of night harvesting has increased.
The Fondillón is a unique type of Alicante wine in the world, recognized by the European Union and with special protection within the Alicante Designation of Origin. Known for many centuries as "Alicante", this wine has the right to its own name, along with Champagne, Sherry, Port and Cava. Furthermore, it has been declared one of the "Luxury Wines" in Europe.
It is one of the most famous historical wines in the world, as is testified by the continuous historical and literary references to "Alicante" since the 15th Century. Until the 19th Century it has been one of the favorite wines among royalty, aristocracy and intellectuals. It is not surprising then, that it was one of the first wines to obtain the "Royal Designation" and also the first to take round the world tour.
This wine, which emerged in the 15th Century, is obtained thanks to the over-ripening of Monastrell grapes on the vine itself, which provides the grape with many sugars. This method has been unique in the Alicante orchard because of the climate benefits of the province, where summers last longer and rainfall is scarce. This allows the grape to continue on the vine until the months of October and November. Once the grapes are harvested, they are raisined by leaving them to dry in the sun on reed racks. Fermentation is carried out using the raisined grapes, and a highly alcoholic wine is obtained.
A singular detail regarding this wine is that alcohol comes exclusively from the grape, so its fermentation is biological: it does not receive any additives of any kind. This also differentiates it from other protected wines, such as Ports or Jerez wines, which do have additives.
Until the beginning of the 20th Century Fondillón wine was made near Alicante capital, in Mutxamel, Sant Joan d´Alacant and El Campello. In the early 20th Century, Fondillón wine practically disappeared, as Monastrell vineyards were devastated by the phylloxera plague. This fact was aggravated over the next few years by the elimination of vineyard lands, because of the demographic and tourist explosion in the area.
The Fondillón wine recovered in the 1950s, when it began to be made again in the interior of the province. It is currently produced in the Vinalopó Valley (Monóvar, Pinoso, Sax,…). Obtaining Fondillón wine is complicated and expensive, and very few Alicante wineries continue to produce them. However, excellent results are being achieved and it keeps surprising those who taste this sweet wine, as it has done for centuries.
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