Description
The Uva de Mesa Embolsada Vinalopó PDO are dessert grapes from the Aledo, Italia and Rosetti varieties.
Production Area
The production area of Uva de Mesa Embolsada Vinalopó PDO covers the northern part of the district of Alicante and the southern side of the district of Valencia, in the Community of Valencia.
Production Method
The Uva de Mesa Embolsada Vinalopó PDO is preserved in a virgin cellulose wrapping for minimum 60 days. The wrapping, open at the ends, holds the bunch from the upper end and protects it from the attack of insects, birds and small bad weather accidents to improve its quality and the grape colour and to postpone its maturation until Christmas. Harvesting is handmade, with high accurateness, storing grapes into the wrapping until packaging. Every variety is harvested in a different period; the Aledo, for example, is the tardiest type and is eaten in winter, especially on the New Year's Day.
Appearance and Flavour
Depending on varieties, the grapes of Uva de Mesa Embolsada Vinalopó PDO are more or less big. The tardiest one has pale white colour grapes with a sweet-neutral taste; on the contrary, the other varieties have a special yellow tone and a slightly Muscat taste.
History
The cultivation of vines, the wine production and the fresh consumption of dessert grapes in the Vinalopó region go back to very ancient periods. The documents confirming the use of protective wrappings are dated back to 1919.
Gastronomy
The dessert grapes are stored in a fresh and dry place or in the refrigerator for some days. The Uva de Mesa Embolsada Vinalopó PDO can be used fresh or to prepare different dishes, desserts, ice creams and jams. It can be combined with duck, goose liver pâté, deer meat and salmon. It can also be used to enrich salad dishes.
Marketing
The product is sold as Uva de Mesa Embolsada Vinalopó PDO in two classes: Extra and First. Packaging is made by means of new and clean boxes, authorized for food use, taking into account the regulations on the selection as regards uniformity of colour and sizes.
Distinctive Features
The peculiarity of the Uva de Mesa Embolsada Vinalopó PDO consists of its growing method: protected by a wrapping which postpones its maturation enabling to taste it also in the Christmas period. Traditionally, it should be eaten at midnight on New Year's Eve.
