Bullas (DO)
Bullas is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) for wines located in the region of Murcia (Spain) and covers the territories of eight different municipalities, including Caravaca de la Cruz, Moratalla and Bullas itself. The region is renowned for its young reds and rosés made from the Monastrell grape variety. History. The town of Bullas has existed since the times of the ancient Romans and grew during the centuries of Moorish dominion of the Iberian Peninsula. After its reconquest by Christian forces in the 13th century its prosperity increased due to agriculture and wine production. The region  used to produce wine in bulk until the 1980s when private wineries began to invest in the equipment and technology required for the production of bottled and labelled quality wine. It acquired official DO status in 1994. Geography. Bullas is located halfway between the city of Murcia, the regional capital, and the mountains in the west that form the frontier with Andalusia. The landscape is rugged and slopes upwards from south to north. It comprises numerous small valleys with individual microclimates. The soils on the slopes are brown and so hard that they have to be broken mechanically before vines  can be planted. They are lime bearing and have a top crust, poor in organic matter, and have good drainage. The DOP is divided into 3 sub-zones, each one of which has a distinct identity and produces characteristic wines. Northwest. The Northwest sub-zone is the most important one in terms of area (52%), number of wineries and quality of the wine. It is located in the foothills of the mountains at altitudes between 500m and 800m above sea level. It includes the municipalities of Caravaca de la Cruz, Moratalla and part of Lorca. The main grape  varieties used in this sub-zone are Monastrell and Tempranillo. Central. The Central sub-zone covers 40% of the DOP, is at an altitude of between 500 m and 600 m above sea level and includes the municipalities of Mula, Bullas and Cehegín. Northeast. The Northeast sub-zone, the smallest of the three, covering only 8% of the DOP includes the municipalities of Calasparra, Ricote, Bullas and Mula. Climate. The climate in Bullas DOP is characterised by its very hot summers, though not as hot as the other DOPs in Murcia. There are occasional freezing winds from the mountains and  frosts are common between the months of October and April. The average temperature is 16 °C with maximums of 39 °C in summer and minimums of -4 °C in winter. There are also occasional violent storms in September and October. Grapes. The main grape variety planted is Monastrell which represents over 80% of all grapes planted.