The DO area of La Mancha in Spain is part of the Autonomous Community of Castilla-La Mancha (see there for its history). It comprises 182 municipalities in the four provinces of Albacete (19,036 ha), Ciudad Real (74,264 ha), Cuenca (31,249 ha) and Toledo (27,933 ha). The DO area of Valdepeñas, which is enclosed on three sides, is an enclave on the southern edge. The area used to be known primarily as a producer of mass-produced white wines for quick consumption. After the DO classification in 1976, great efforts were made to improve quality standards and, following EU entry in 1986, a third of the vineyards were grubbed up. In 2020, "La Mancha Excellent" was introduced as the highest quality level.
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