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Wines from Condado de Huelva (Andalucía)
The grape and wine-growing region which is currently protected under the Denomination of Origin “Condado de Huelva” comprises a vast region located to the southeast of the province of Huelva. The vintage and ageing region of the wines protected under this D.O. comprises only the districts of Almonte, Bollullos Par del Condado, Chucena, La Palma del Condado, Manzanilla, Moguer, Rociana del Condado and Villalba del Alcor.
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The grapevines of the region protected by the D.O. extend over flatlands and slightly hilly areas. In general, the soil is neutral or slightly alkaline, on open areas with a medium fertility level. These areas are of supreme quality for grape cultivation. |
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The climate of the Condado de Huelva enjoys ideal conditions for growing grapevines; gentle winters and springs with long, warm summers, and a clear Atlantic influence. The average temperature of the region is 18ºC and the relative humidity vacillates between 60% and 80%.
The grape varieties cultivated in this region and authorised for the production of wine protected by the Denomination of Origin “Condado de Huelva” are: Zalema, Palominio Fino, Listán de Huelva, Garrido Fino, Moscatel de Alejandría and Pedro Ximénez. The first, Zalema , holds the maximum wineyield of the vineyards in this region with an 86% total plantation.
Around 3,100 wine growers work the approximately 6,000 hectares protected under the Denomination of Origin, with an average production of 400,000 Qm. (40 million kgs.) of grapes , equivalent to some 320,000 Hls.
The marketing of Young White Wines in the International Market, until now has been insignificant compared to the marketing of Full-bodied Wines. This product has been the main axis of international commercialisation for the Condado de Huelva, holding a year-on-year average of 1,466,000 litres in the last 8 years.
The main destinations of these exports are Holland , the United Kingdom and Germany. |
Documents dating back to January 1502 attest the first shipment of wines from this area to the Indies . This shipment totalling 1,422 maravedís (an old Spanish coin) left Seville in the same fleet in which Friar Nicolás de Ovando set sail for La Española. This export tradition in the region carried on for several centuries reaching its peak of splendour in the 16 th century.
The second half of the 18 th Century marked the beginning of the decline of wine commerce from the port of Seville to the Indies due to the transfer of the House of Contracts to Cádiz. The wines of the region were moved to the ports of Cádiz, Puerto Real, Puerto de Santa María, and Sanlúcar where they set off to America . Sanlúcar received mostly manzanilla wines .
The end of this century marks the beginning of the influx and settling of families from the Rioja wine region into the county. Among them came the family of Juan Ramón Jiménez, who restored splendour to this region during the 19 th Century. However, at the end of this century, a phylloxera plague brought decadence once again, and this lasted until the 1920s.
The introduction of a resistant plant graft brought on some recovery, but the wines from this region lost their prestige from the centuries before and they began supplying the whole of the Spanish territory and this lasted well into the 20 th Century.
Nevertheless, out of necessity to produce under high quality standards and to try to restore the splendour of years before, the Denomination of Origin “Huelva” was created on May 10 th , 1962, and by ordinance of the Agricultural Ministry, the Regulations of the Denomination of Origin “Condado de Huelva” was passed in 1963, which united all sectors involved to take on the task of helping the world rediscover the excellence of the Discovery Wines.
To see the original information with photos please click here.
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