This episode is designed as an exam-focused consolidation of Valencia and Murcia, emphasizing how climate severity, water availability and altitude drive viticultural choices and, in turn, wine style, quality and price across these regions. Rather than cataloguing DOs, the episode traces clear cause-and-effect chains: hot, dry conditions leading to bush vines and drought-tolerant varieties; altitude and diurnal range preserving acidity; and how modern yield control, clonal selection and harvest timing have shifted parts of the region away from bulk production toward credible premium wines.
For D3 candidates, particular attention is paid to grape–site suitability (Bobal in Utiel-Requena, Monastrell in Alicante, Jumilla and Yecla), the stylistic implications of continental versus Mediterranean influences, and the way wine laws and traditional practices (such as Fondillón’s non-fortified, long oxidative ageing) emerge directly from climatic conditions. The episode also links industry structure and export orientation to pricing and style consistency, helping frame Valencia and Murcia within a wider Spanish and global context.
Use this episode to reinforce examiner-rewarded thinking: not just what is grown or made here, but why it works in these conditions and how those decisions show up in the glass and on the market.
Looking for all episodes in one place?
I’ve created an evergreen “Start Here” hub for this unit so you can access the full series without inbox overload.
You’ll find the complete list of episodes, organized in syllabus order, here:
https://thesommpour.substack.com/p/wset-diploma-d3-wines-of-the-world
