Alicante is located in the Valencia administrative region in eastern Spain. It is situated in the south-eastern corner of the country, bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Alicante is also the name of the province south of Valencia city, and along with the designation, derives its name from the historic port city of Alicante. When the wine region received DO status in 1957, the Consejo Regulador permitted just four grapes. Monastrell (Mourvèdre) is still the dominant wine grape variety. Alicante Bouschet, Bobal and Moscatel de Alejandria were the others. Since then, other red grape varieties have been authorized and are showing promise, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo, and Garnacha.
Alicante has a long history of winemaking. By the 16th Century, its wine was already sought after locally and abroad, particularly in England, Scotland, Holland, and Sweden. It was often used to add color and grunt to other wines. To protect the local industry, a ban was placed on all wine imports, and restrictions were placed on exports (the wine could be shipped only through the port of Alicante). This generated jobs and wealth and the number of vines proliferated throughout the region. A so-called ‘Golden Age’ followed, and demand for Alicante’s table and dessert wines soared.
There are many references to Alicante wine in literature. It features in Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Montecristo, for example. It is also said that the only thing King Louis XIV of France would consume on his death bed in 1715 was Alicante wine with some cake soaked in it.
A little over an hour south of the great city of Valencia, Spain; deep in the heart of the Alicante D.O. (wine region), lies the farm, or Finca, Collado. Finca Collado is restored from a 19th-century winery, and works to embody that restoration; taking the traditions the farm and winery were built on and progressing them in a way that shows what it needs to be today. The winery is located in Salinas, a city about 30 miles from the Mediterranean Sea. The full translation of the winery means “the Farm at the top of the slope of the valley”, which you can see perfectly when standing on the back or front decks of the winery itself. On their 100-hectare estate, only 12 are planted to vines. The rest are dedicated to many other things, mainly olives, almonds, and apricots.
Along with those crops, Chardonnay, Malvasia, Monastrell, Moscatel, and Syrah grapes are grown, and all in subsoils that are great for their cultivation. So many soil variations in this farm really speak to the unique setup and show character in the wines that otherwise wouldn’t be there. These grapes themselves grow in their own single vineyard plots, creating single-vineyard wines at a price that is unbeatable. The man behind the wine is Joan Guia. His restrained winemaking style produces wines of elegance and balance, which is in itself compelling given how hot Alicante gets, much like the Swartland of South Africa, which is another region making very interesting wines.