Our next port stop was Valencia. A group of us went wine tasting. We went to the region called Utiel Requena which is a Spanish Denominación de Origen (DO) for wines located in the province of Valencia. It is renowned for the predominant use of the Bobal grape variety. I had never heard of this grape varietal and it was very yummy. The Bobal grape variety occupies over 75% of the vineyards.
The pulp of the Bobal grape is colourless and meaty; the hard skin of the round medium-sized berries is intensely and brightly coloured, the smell is fresh, original and fragrant. The taste is pleasantly acidic and tannic. The average bunch is of medium-large size, compact, with an irregular cone shape.
The wines produced tend to be fruity, low in alcohol content and high in acidity.
