The Merseguera, Verdosilla or Marisancho grape is a type of white grape native to Spain that is usually grown in the Valencian Community and the Region of Murcia, although it can also be found in Tarragona, Penedés, Teruel and Castilla La Mancha. 

This variety, associated with the Spanish Levante region, has a long ripening cycle and a late harvest, whose vineyards stand out for being extremely rustic, especially resistant to drought and adaptable to all types of soils, presenting uniform medium to large bunches, with round, yellowish-green berries, very fine skin and soft, juicy and colourless pulp. 

Although the wines made with this variety vary slightly from one area to another, we can say that they are light and smooth but with personality, low alcohol content, with a fairly pale colour and although they are very aromatic and fresh, they usually have a slight acid touch.

Merseguera in Bodegas Luzón: Tomás Ferro

At Bodegas Luzón, defenders of the terroir and native varieties, we could not fail to vinify this variety and therefore, in collaboration with the Polytechnic University of Cartagena (UPCT), we produced our “Tomás Ferro”, a single varietal wine made from 100% native Merseguera from Cartagena.

For this purpose, all the grapes for production come from the plot located in the Finca ‘Tomás Ferro’, a 1-hectare estate with sandy soil facing the Mar Menor, which is harvested by hand by the students and teaching staff of the University, leaving the grapes to rest for 24 hours in cold storage. After destemming and crushing, the must is left to macerate with its skins and then added to a steel tank, where it undergoes alcoholic fermentation, resting with its lees for a period of 3-4 months until it reaches its ideal point of consumption.

The result is an honest wine, full of youth, straw yellow in colour, clear and bright, with notes of green apple, white fruit and grapefruit on the nose, very citric and an unctuous palate, where a slight salinity is noticeable, due to the proximity of the vineyards to the sea. 

A perfect wine to accompany all kinds of appetizers, white meats, pastas and rice dishes and ideal for pairing with ‘fatty’ dishes such as foie gras, creamy cheeses, or fish such as salmon, as its pleasant natural acidity will help to cleanse the palate before the next mouthful.

And you, haven’t you tried one of the most unknown and surprising Spanish varieties yet? Don’t get lost, because in the last vintage we only produced 5.000 bottles and… They fly!