Campo de Cartagena is a Vino de la Tierra title covering a south-eastern, coastal corner of Murcia, south-eastern Spain. It is differentiated from the larger, region-wide Murcia VT because of its climatic and topographical differences: it is lower and flatter and heavily influenced by the bordering Mediterranean Sea.
The Campo de Cartagena title was introduced in 2003. Its name means ‘field of Cartagena’, a reference to the seaside town of Cartagena, from which the viticultural zone extends northwards. Around 222 acres (90ha) of vineyards are planted in the area.
Vines were introduced to the Cartagena area in ancient times by the Phoenicians, and the tradition was continued by the Romans and then Christians after them, the industry experiencing fluctuations in popularity throughout the years.
The most significant feature of the Campo de Cartagena terroir is the Sierra de Carrascoy, which separates the campo from the rest of Murcia. This low-lying mountain ridge rises rapidly to over 1000m (3300ft) and then slips gradually down towards the coast for 25 miles (40km). This provides numerous ideal vineyard sites, with gentle south-facing slopes, although the area's vinicultural potential is far from optimized, as other crops are in favor here, mostly citrus fruit and cotton. Also significant in the local landscape is the Mar Menor ('small sea'), a large salty lagoon which marks the eastern edge of the official Campo de Cartagena viticultural zone.
Six white-wine varieties are recommended for use in Campo de Cartagena white wines, although so far only Chardonnay has yielded any of note. The reds are most often based on the Spanish varieties Garnacha, Monastrell and Tempranillo with support from the French varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.
