Viña de Eufemia

Héctor Benavente, with oenologist Jean-François Hébrard as consultant. Together with the founding team, he is reviving old vineyards in Casas de Eufemia, in the DO Utiel-Requena inland from Valencia, through permaculture and regenerative farming. The chalky, well-drained soils around the village are said to be the best in the whole appellation, and that is where the bodega's plots lie.

The vineyard is meant to work as an ecosystem. Herbs and shrubs grow between the Bobal vines, and the ground stays green and alive. The cellar follows the same restraint: each plot is fermented separately in small batches, with native yeasts only, in stainless steel and ceramic. Nothing is filtered or fined. Wood is used sparingly, in large foudres and a few barriques for specific single-vineyard wines.

Bobal comes first, the red grape of Utiel-Requena. Alongside it are the white varieties Macabeo, Xarel·lo and the rare Tardana. For the sparkling wines the bodega also works with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Garnacha, and the Noria Tinto blends 80 percent Bobal with 20 percent Merlot. If you want to taste Bobal on its own, go for the Carrascal Rosado: 100 percent Bobal from vines more than 60 years old.

Start with the still wines, they show the bodega most directly. The Balsa Blanco, made from Xarel·lo, Tardana and Macabeo, is light and fresh, good with salads and fish. The Noria Tinto, Bobal and Merlot with six months in wood, suits tapas, rice dishes and anything off the grill. If you like bubbles, open the El Pino Mariano: pure Macabeo with no dosage, and the most affordable way into Eufemia's sparkling range.

Balsa Blanco, Carrascal Rosado and Noria Tinto cost between CHF 20 and 25, the sparkling wines between CHF 19 and 49.

Yes, and sparkling wine is actually the bigger part: most of the Eufemia wines in our shop have bubbles. All get their second fermentation in the bottle, most of them as Cava de Guarda Superior. Time on the lees runs from 12 months for El Pino Mariano and Carrasca Negra to 80 months for the Reserva Blanc de Noirs 2017, made from pure Pinot Noir.

For oysters or an aperitif, pick one of the two Brut Natures with no dosage, El Pino Mariano or Fuente Melada. With sushi, sashimi and tuna, try a rosé: the Carrasca Negra or the Reserva Rosé 2019. For lobster, scallops or a festive dinner, reach for the Reserva Brut Nature, pure Chardonnay partly aged in barrique, or the Reserva Blanc de Noirs 2017.

Yes, the Tardanamente Dulce, made from late-harvested Tardana, a rare white grape from Utiel-Requena. It is produced by cryoextraction, with no added sulphites. Only 198 half bottles (0.375 litres) exist of the 2025 vintage. Expect banana, lychee and honey on the nose. Drink it with dessert or cheese, or as the last glass of a long dinner.