A Guide To Wine & Country Inland Alicante
Alicante's best-kept wine secret is hiding in a valley most people drive straight past on the way to the coast.
The Vinalopó which is locally known as The Grapes Valley stretches inland from Alicante through a landscape of vineyards, almond groves, limestone mountains and ancient bodegas. The wine here has been made for centuries. The Monastrell grape produces rich, fruit-forward reds that are finally earning the international recognition they've always deserved. And Fondillón which is a barrel-aged wine unique to this region, has been made here since the 17th century making it one of Spain's great undiscovered treasures.
Casa Maria sits in the heart of it. Five minutes from one of the valley's finest bodegas. Surrounded by vines. With a pool that catches the evening light and a terrace where long lunches have a habit of becoming long evenings.
The Valley
The Medio Vinalopó is not on the tourist trail. That's precisely the point.
While the Costa Blanca coast draws the crowds, this quiet inland valley has been producing exceptional wine in almost complete obscurity. The roads are empty. The bodegas are welcoming. The landscape and vineyards backed by the Sierra de la Pila, with the medieval Castle of La Mola rising from the hillside above Novelda is the kind of thing you photograph and then realise no photograph does justice.
This is the Spain that existed before the package holiday. Unhurried, specific, quietly magnificent.
The Wine
Monastrell The grape of the Vinalopó. Deep, rich and fruit-forward producing wines with dark berry character, earthy warmth and enough structure to age beautifully. Monastrell from this region is increasingly sought after by serious wine buyers. Drink it with lamb, with a long slow dinner, or simply on the terrace as the valley cools.
Fondillón The most interesting wine you've probably never heard of. Naturally sweet and unfortified, made exclusively from overripe Monastrell grapes and aged in oak barrels for a minimum of ten years. It has a centuries-long history - Alexandre Dumas wrote about it, and it's said to be the wine King Louis XIV of France requested on his deathbed in 1715. Almost unknown outside Spain. Produced in tiny quantities. Worth seeking out while you're here.
The Vinalopó Wine Route An official designated route connecting over 40 certified wineries across the region. From small family producers to historic estates, the route offers tastings, vineyard walks, cellar tours and the kind of unhurried hospitality that makes you wonder why you ever went to Rioja instead.
Bodegas Heretat de Cesilia
Five minutes from the villa door is one of the valley's finest estates.
Heretat de Cesilia also known as Casa Sicilia has origins dating back to 1707, making it one of the oldest continuously producing wineries in the Alicante denomination. The estate covers 85 hectares of vineyard, with a French-trained winemaker producing wines that have quietly been winning awards for years.
Places to Visit
The Classic Visit: A guided tour of the historic farmhouse and vineyards, followed by a tasting of three wines including their Monastrell and a glass of Fondillón. The kind of afternoon that reshapes your understanding of what Spanish wine can be.
Picoteo & Wine: The Classic visit paired with local tapas. The ideal extended afternoon.
Wine & Lunch at Casa Sicilia: the full experience. A long lunch at the estate restaurant with panoramic views of La Mola castle and the Magdalena sanctuary, paired with the bodega's wines. The five-course tasting menu runs to around €20 per person and represents perhaps the best value lunch in the province. Family friendly, unhurried, and the kind of meal that earns its own place in the memory.
We can make an introduction. Just mention it when you book.
The Landscape
Castle of La Mola A short drive from the villa, the medieval Castle of La Mola sits on a rocky promontory above Novelda with panoramic views across the vineyard valley. The approach road winds through vines and almond groves. The views from the battlements on a clear day extend to the Mediterranean. Worth an afternoon.
Sanctuary of Santa María Magdalena Novelda's most striking landmark - a Modernist sanctuary designed in the style of Gaudí, perched above the town alongside the castle. The combination of medieval fortification and Art Nouveau architecture is unlike anything else in the region.
The Almond Groves From February to March, the almond trees that line the valley roads come into full blossom with white flowers against red earth and blue sky. One of the most visually striking seasonal spectacles in Spain and almost entirely unvisited by tourists.
The Sierra de la Pila The mountain range rising behind the valley provides the dramatic backdrop to every vineyard view. Walking trails wind through scrubland and pine forest to viewpoints looking back across the Vinalopó.
A Day in the Valley
A Casa Maria wine country day doesn't need to be planned in advance.
A slow morning at the villa coffee on the terrace, the mountains in the distance, no particular urgency. Mid-morning to the bodega and a tour of the vineyard, a glass of Monastrell in the cellar, a bottle chosen to bring back. Lunch at the Casa Sicilia restaurant is unhurried, generous, and the kind that ends with the realisation that three hours have passed pleasantly. Afternoon back at the villa and a dip the pool and relaxing in the shade perhaps a book. Evening on the terrace with the bottle from the morning, watching the valley light change from gold to amber to dark.
What to Bring Home
The Vinalopó produces wines that are difficult to find outside Spain and almost impossible to find at this price outside the region. A case of Monastrell, a bottle or two of Fondillón for special occasions, and the knowledge that you found something before everyone else did.
For your convenience, the bodegas can arrange shipping for you.
Plan Your Wine Country Stay
Send us your dates and we'll come back to you personally within two hours. We can advise on the best bodega visits for your group, make introductions to the team at Heretat de Cesilia, and share our full local wine guide on arrival.
Casa Maria · Novelda · Vinalopó · Alicante · Spain
