Hoya de Cadenas Winery

Ctra. Utiel a Camporrobles km 8.5, 46313 Las Cuevas de Utiel
Telephone: 962 18 25 07

A day of discovery and sophistication found the students of FSU as we took a Friday trip to the Hoya de Cadenas, a Valencia based winery. Hoya de Cadenas is located on a hill in the town of Utiel, with weather conditions perfect for winemaking. We toured the beautiful 200 hectare Hoya de Cadenas estate via their convenient winery train. The first stop was a step inside the beautiful office-house and the old cellars.

There are over 20,000 barrels in storage.

The train took us through the vineyard to see the various grapes used to make the different types of wines, from red wine to champagne. We saw the view from the residency where the winery owners stay. The business has been passed down for generations since 1885 and has always stayed in the same house when they visit the estate. In the backyard was where they used to grind the grapes manually and the children could pick the grapes for the family business. A long line of family traditions is still being carried out.

Next, we were taken to something of an exhibit of art in the shape of wine barrels. Beautifully decorated barrels of wine were lined up and placed on display for our admiration. Artists would take to their creativity and repurpose the containers, altering the way that they looked or adding pieces. This was assemblage in its most high class form.





Afterwards, we were taken to the part that people were looking forward to the most: the wine tasting. We walked into the room that was apparently only one level above the art gallery and warmly lit by by a soft glow overhead. There were two rows of tables with tall chairs and empty crystal wine glasses waiting to meet our lips. Our hosts went into the storage rooms and pulled out three bottles of wine: a sparkling white wine, and two different red wines. We enjoyed our wines with crunchy breadstick snacks. I personally enjoyed the sparkling white wine the most!

And just when we thought the excitement was over, we visited the final stop: the gift shop. Personally, I am not a big alcohol drinker, but I enjoy a casual drink with my friends, so I bought a bottle of the sparkling wine and a bottle of Sangria for seven euros! However, I differ greatly from some of the hedonistic students who came on this trip. Cases on cases on cases of sparkling white wine were purchased by various students. To be honest, it worries me sometimes how much these kids drink... but I digress.

The winery currently produces and sells hundreds of thousands of bottles of wine every year. Valencia proudly sells products of Hoya de Cadenas in most stores, as it was the cite of birth and raising for the winery. Anybody can register to tour Monday through Friday.

In regards to my opinion, I thoroughly enjoyed the tour. I greatly appreciated the art exhibit, as it was a union of both art and wine culture. After visiting (and tasting their wine), I feel as though wine from Hoya de Cadenas not only identifies with Valencia, but with me as well, considering that now Valencia is my home too. Also, this was my first time purchasing wine or any personal alcohol. It was an experience to engage in foreign drinking culture, especially out here in Spain, where drinking with friends is not about how fast one get drink and get drunk, but rather about the quality of time spent with the people one truly cares about.

~Christian "Macho" Camacho