Winemaker
Wine · Full day (around 8 hours)
A Private Valencia Wine Tour in Utiel-Requena
An hour inland, a high plateau of old vines and cellars that rarely open their doors.
The experience
A day on the high plateau west of Valencia, where Bobal has been grown for centuries. A winemaker opens a family cellar for you alone, walks you through the vines, and takes you down into the old underground galleries of Requena before lunch at the estate.
- Duration
- Full day (around 8 hours)
- Best in
- Autumn · Spring · Winter
- Guide price
- From €380 per person
- Format
- Private, part of a journey
Highlights
- A family cellar opened for you, with the winemaker as your host
- A walk through old Bobal vines, and why this grape belongs here
- The underground galleries of Requena's old town
- Lunch at the estate, paired with wines that rarely leave the region
- Private driver from your hotel, door to door
Why Utiel-Requena
Most visitors to Valencia never leave the coast. An hour inland, the land climbs onto a plateau of vineyards at around 600 to 900 metres above sea level, with hot days, cold nights and a climate closer to the interior of Spain than to the Mediterranean. It is one of the oldest wine-growing areas of the region, and today one of its most interesting.
The grape here is Bobal, a native variety that covers most of the vineyard area of the Denomination of Origin. For years it was used for bulk wine. A new generation of growers, working with old bush vines and lower yields, has shown how fresh and characterful it can be, from rosés to long-lived reds. The area also produces sparkling wine under the Cava designation.
How the day unfolds
Morning. Your driver collects you after breakfast. By mid-morning you are walking through the vines with the winemaker of a family estate that does not receive the public. You will see how the vines are trained, why the old ones matter, and what the season is doing to them.
The cellar. Inside, the tasting is led by the people who make the wine, from tank and barrel as well as bottle. It is a conversation, not a presentation.
Requena. Before or after lunch, depending on the season, we visit the old walled town of Requena, built over a network of underground galleries once used to store wine and food.
Lunch. A long lunch at the estate or nearby, with the dishes of the interior: slow-cooked meats, embutidos from Requena, and wines chosen by your host.
Return. You are back in Valencia in the early evening, in time to rest before dinner.
Who this is for
Couples who love wine and want to understand a place through it. Families with older children, who usually enjoy the underground galleries most. Small private groups, for whom we can arrange a longer tasting or a vineyard lunch outdoors in the warmer months.
Adding it to a private journey
This wine tour is designed to sit inside a longer journey. It fits naturally after a day in the city and before a day at sea, and it pairs well with the Albufera, where the region’s other great product, rice, is grown.
Local Heroes
Your hosts
Journeys that include it
Enjoy it as part of a journey
For a long weekend
Valencia in 3 Days
View journey
For first-time visitors
Valencia in 4 Days
View journey
For slow travelers
Valencia in 5 Days
View journey
For honeymooners
Valencia Honeymoon
View journeyFAQ
Questions, answered
How far is Utiel-Requena from Valencia?
Requena is around 70 km west of Valencia, a little over an hour by car on the A-3 motorway. Your private driver collects you from your hotel and brings you back in the evening.
What is the best time of year for a wine tour?
Every season has its own character. The harvest usually runs from September into October. Late autumn brings the colours of the vines and a quieter cellar after the harvest. Winter is the time of pruning and of long lunches indoors, and spring brings the first green to the vines.
Do I need to know about wine?
Not at all. The day is led by a winemaker who enjoys explaining the place as much as the wine. We adapt the depth of the tasting to you.
Can this be combined with other experiences?
Yes. Most guests enjoy the wine tour as one day of a longer private journey, alongside the Albufera, a chef's table or a day at sea.
Private Valencia
Build a private journey around this
Tell us who you are travelling with and what moves you. Your Private Valencia travel designer will come back with a first proposal, written for you alone.