La Mancha (DO) La Mancha is a Spanish Denominación de Origen
(DO) for wines, with over 190,000 ha planted to vines, and is
the largest continuous vine-growing area in the world. It is
located in the autonomous region of Castile-La Mancha in central
Spain and includes 182 municipalities: 12 in the province of
Albacete, 58 in Ciudad Real, 66 in Cuenca and 46 in Toledo.
22,000 grape-growers and over 300 wineries (bodegas) are
registered with the DO, which was formally created in 1976. The
first written documentation on viticulture in the region dates
from the 12th century, though it is generally believed that
vines were introduced by the ancient Romans as in other regions
of the Iberian peninsula. Wine production took off in the 1940s
due to the setting up of numerous cooperatives in the region.
Viticulture is the economic mainstay of many of the
municipalities that form part of the DO. The climate is
continental (long hot summers and cold winters) and ranges from
extremes of -15°C in winter to 45°C in summer. D