A Most Important Time in the Beautiful Jalon Valley.
The Valle de Pop, also known as the Jalon Valley, is known and loved for its beauty, peace and tranquility. However, within the next few weeks there will be a lot of traffic and the valley will be a hive of industry! By traffic we mean tractors and the industry- the grape harvest.
The harvest is the culmination of a year's work for the farmers. They have tended the vineyards vigilantly and this year's crop, by all accounts, is a bumper one. The vines are absolutely bursting with sweet grapes.
When it comes to picking them, the farmers pay seasonal workers or draft in their friends and families. Everyone pitches in and they do it with pleasure. Our walk with Sunny, our black and white pointer dog starts at 7am and, during the harvest, the work in the vineyards is already well underway.
The plazas are full by 9.30am, of mass family gatherings for almuerzo (late breakfast break); jugs of cold beer and enormous bocadillos filled with tortilla (spanish omelette), jamon (serrano ham), queso (local cheese), pork fillet, tuna, sausages... There is a fantastic sense of community and it is obligatory just to say "bon día" and wish them “buena suerte” (good luck). Within the hour they will be refreshed and back to work.
The Vall de Pop is home to vast vineyards and some famous, award winning wines. You can witness first hand, the winemaking process and taste the wines, along with some traditional tapas.
Bodegas Riko is where most of the valleys grapes go to be processed, as part of a cooperative organisation for the farmers, and they do a great wine tasting.
"Our philosophy is very clear: to craft honest wines with soul, respecting the grape variety above all else, wines that can convey the subtlety and character of the land. It all begins in the vineyards, the central axis that sustains our project.
There are a total of 13 hectares of native varieties, with an average age of over 40 years, planted in a vase shape and cultivated under strict dry farming.
The work focuses on minimal intervention, following the need to give value and enhance the land that our parents have cared for throughout their lives.
In our winery, we craft our wines using traditional methods. We strive for subtle, fresh, and approachable wines, produced sustainably, that are true expressions of our native terrain.
Oscar and Marina"
Pepe Mendoza is a more upmarket, family run bodega, and they offer a more intimate experience in the middle of the vineyards.
The harvest evokes a real, organic spirit of giving thanks, celebrating life and the simple pleasure of seeing, literally, the fruits of their labour. So if you pass a tractor on its way to drop off a heavy load of grapes, give him a round of applause, and a call of "Olé"! You will be rewarded with a tired, but broad, smile. We are indeed, blessed to live in this beautiful part of the world. It is a privilege to witness this wonderful aspect of Spanish rural life and to be a part of it, even if only to buy some of the wine, whether it is in a 5 litre plastic bottle (you can take your used ones to be refilled) to entertain your summer party guests, or, if you have a slightly more refined palate, to pay a little more and buy some of the pricier, artisan wines.
It is great to hear and see some of our new owners also embracing the Spanish way of life. To see them our in the vineyards, helping the local farmers, you know they made the right decision to move to this part of the Costa Blanca.
“Wine cheers the sad, revives the old, inspires the young, and makes weariness forget his toil.” Lord Byron
