The phylloxera plague was a devastating agricultural and economic catastrophe, the consequences of which are still felt today in some aspects. La Comunitat Valenciana was the last stronghold, but it ended up being completely contaminated between 1902 and 1912.
Until that date, one of the valleys of the Marina Baixa, the Guadalest Valley, had a profuse crop of vines.
A century later, the Vidal Balaguer family is working to recover this tradition through Masos de Guadalest, a winery with two harvesting centres, Mas de Ondara in Benimantell and Mas de la Mona in Guadalest. In addition, both estates have centenary olive trees that live in this limestone and clay landscape, and produce a quality oil in their own oil mill.
Mas de la Mona is located next to the Charly Hill, and its origin dates back to no less than the 13th century, to 1237, a house that Jaume I himself gave to the Marquises of Orduña. It has its own small chapel, which is currently being restored.
Soon we will be able to visit Masos de Guadalest, its wine cellar, its vineyards, its olive oil mill…
In our programme Escápate al interior on Onda Cero Marina Baixa we have talked to Javier Velasco, the commercial director of Masos de Guadalest.
