The wine region of Castilla-La Mancha is not only the largest in Spain, but also the largest in Europe. The vineyards of Castilla-La Mancha occupy an extension of 459,000 hectares (1,134,200 acres), which equates to almost 49% of Spain's total vineyards. For reference, that would cover a surface area equivalent to 65% of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
The Castilla-La Mancha region includes the provinces of Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Guadalajara and Toledo, and there are twenty Protected Designations of Origin (PDOs) and one IGP (PGI in English = Protected Geographical Indication).
Castilla-La Mancha occupies the central Iberian plateau, but also includes two important river valleys - most of the Tagus and half of the Guadiana - the corresponding mountain chains north, central and south of these valleys, crossing east to west, and the upper part of the smaller River Jucar on the east.
This extensive geography procures an enormous amount of terroirs, micro-climates and elevations.
Quintanar de la Orden's location is quite central in Castilla-La Mancha, and is in the north-western part of the DOP La Mancha, just about 130 Km south-east of Madrid capital.
La Mancha's extensive viticultural area spans over 154,000 hectares (380,500 acres) of vineyards across 182 municipalities and four provinces, including Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca and Toledo. To put this into perspective, Australia has just over 146,000 hectares of vineyard in total (2022 data).
In addition to being one of the largest wine regions in Spain, La Mancha also boasts a rich history in winemaking. The practice is believed to have originated in Roman times and was widespread during the Middle Ages. During the time of Moorish rule between the 8th and 15th centuries, the region was referred to as "al-mansha," meaning "parched earth," a nod to its arid countryside.
Garagewine's vineyards are located near and around Quintanar de la Orden, in the province of Toledo. The Brujidera vineyard sits at 629 meters of altitude and grows in clay-loam soils with a good cover of pebbles. The climate is very arid, the summers are short, hot, and mostly clear; the winters are cold and partly cloudy; and it is mostly dry year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 0 °C to 33 °C and is rarely below -5 °C or above 37 °C. Average rainfall of 2 litres per square meter and 2,800 hours of daily sunshine per year.
