Valencia: not just Oranges

How can you not love that? Fideua is one of the typical dishes – perhaps lesser well known that the more famous paella – of Valencia and surrounding areas. Thin noodles, seafood and most importantly that delicious crusty bottom. Full of flavour, satisfying, hedonistic. Like the city itself. Valencia is that rare combination of the old and the new: classical buildings, narrow streets, layers of history in the old town, and modern striking architecture (think Calatrava) – set in the dried up riverbed that runs through this hot coastal town. And then there are the beaches along the sparkling Mediterranean coast.   

While a lot of us are sat here in the depths of winter – many of us in a wet and semi-submerged England – it is hard to picture the special light of this jewel of the Med. So how can we all get a bit of the Valencian vibe? Apart from a couple of hours with Easyjet... wine. It may not be Rioja, Priorat or Ribera but here we can find juicy fruity, perfectly aged reds. I really do think this is one of the best value regions in the world for Reserva and Gran Reserva style wines. OK they may not have the complexity of Bordeaux or the richness of a big Barossa Shiraz but then I love old German silent films and would rather watch Corrie or Eastenders at the end of a hard day in the office than the director’s cut of Metropolis. It’s a matter of occasion.

So why are these wines such good value? Just like the lifestyle, winemaking here is relaxed. It’s all about capturing a bit of Spanish sun in a glass. None of the high costs of land, grapes or paperwork that the Riojans have to contend with. And a tradition of aging wines - think big barrel rooms - that is as second nature as a siesta in summer. Red berries, spice, coconut and vanilla. Inexpensive but just like the food in Valencia, these wines are perfectly crafted, nothing out of place, and rely on the purity of the local produce: gorgeous vines nurtured by the southern Spanish sun. 

Sometimes as "insiders" in the wine trade we over-complicate things. Next time you have a choice between an expensive bottle from some well-known "posh" part of the world, perhaps that needs several more years before it is even approachable, and a soft, rounded, juicy red perfectly ready to drink, don't feel guilty for choosing the more appealing and immediately satisfying option. After all, we all need a bit of Kat and Alfie when Fritz gets a bit much.

Gratuitous orange shot...it is Valencia after all!