Dominio de la Vega, artisanal wines and cavas in Valencia

In the heart of the Valencia region of Utiel-Requena, close to the town of San Antonio, the Casa del Conde makes an impressive sight. This 19th century building is surrounded by vineyards which were recently transformed to accommodate the facilities for the family-run bodega, Dominio de la Vega. The bodega’s commitment to the quality of its wines and Cavas has made it an irrefutable benchmark under DOs Utiel-Requena and Cava.

Dominio de la Vega was founded in 2001 by Álvaro Faubel, Emilio Expósito, and Fermín Pardo, three entrepreneurs with extensive experience in wine and Cava making in the region of Utiel-Requena. For their new venture, in which they aimed to develop an artisanal bodega philosophy with a focus on quality and mirroring the environment’s characteristics, they bought the house-cum-bodega of Conde de Villamar. This splendid 19th century building, in addition to providing traditional facilities for wine and Cava making, is also situated in an excellent location surrounded by vineyards.

The bodega is located in the heart of the Utiel-Requena region, on a 45-km diameter circular plateau at an altitude of 750 metres above sea-level, characterised by alluvial terraces created by the River Magro on its winding journey through the province. The region’s altitude and distance from the Mediterranean gives it a predominantly continental climate, with long, cold winters and short summers, marked by dramatic temperature changes between day and night, from 30-40º C to 10-15º C. These oscillations in temperature give rise to optimum grape ripening conditions and create a very interesting range of phenols.