Orange route and Agua de Valencia workshop

The sweet orange

Sweet oranges reached southern Spain in the 16th century, although their cultivation was yet to be related to large areas for export and agricultural exploitation.

However, in the 17th and 18th centuries, some documents testify to significant peninsular exports of oranges from Sagunto and Xàtiva.

Orange exportation

To understand the true origin of orange exportation in the Valencian Community, we must go back to 18th-century Carcaixent.

We travel to 1781 with three illustrious men: the priest Vicente Monzó Vidal, Jacinto Bordí (apothecary), and Carlos Maseres (notary and scrivener). The three introduced the first commercial orange cultivation. They adapted the area’s dry land by drilling wells and also allowing irrigation through waterwheels or irrigation ponds.

Since then, and thanks to improving transport networks and marketing channels, orange exports have steadily increased. Orange cultivation and export reached their peak in the 19th century. Its cultivation spread throughout Valencian territory, contributing to the fall in grape prices at the end of the 19th century.

Despite some ups and downs after the two World Wars and the Civil War, we are among the leading exporters of high-quality oranges worldwide. However, new challenges arise due to price competition, which means that domestic consumption is not the main one.

The first two stops of the visit 

Ribera Warehouse

This warehouse dates back to the 19th century. Remember that this century is a peak for orange exports.

It is located next to the railway station, which dates back to the same period.

The Ribera Warehouse is a modernist building symbolizing industrial architecture linked to orange production. It was mainly built of brick, iron, and glass. The openings on the facades and along the top of the central body allow a lot of light to enter the interior.

A visit to this warehouse gives us an idea of how work was done then. I also learned of the importance of orange cultivation in the local economy.

Visit to the Marquis of Montortal Palace

This palace is also known as the Marqueseta Palace, referring to Mª Antonia Talens Mezquita (daughter of the Marquis of Calzada). Mª Antonia is considered a true heroine in the town for the events against the French troops during the War of Independence.

The palace’s construction is due to the area’s silk wealth in the 15th century, although it was built in the 18th century. The kitchen on the first floor is noteworthy.

It is one of the most notable examples of Valencian neoclassical cuisine. Its ceramic panels are surprising, providing a lot of information about the way of life of the time through everyday scenes.

Likewise, in the different rooms of the palace, we find pictorial works on walls and ceilings.

From the field to the table: it’s Agua de Valencia’s time. 

Discovering the orange orchard

Once we have walked through Carcaixent, we leave the center to enter the orchard, where the best oranges are grown.

An impressive entrance leads us directly to the main building of this orchard: the manor house where the owner stayed. Around the house, there are hectares and hectares of land dedicated to oranges, as could not be otherwise.

This typical Valencian orchard dates back to the 19th century. During the visit, its origin and history, which are linked to the origin of the commercial exportation of oranges, will be explained.

Walking through its orange trees, the guide will explain how the orchard has adapted to the vicissitudes of time. This orchard, which has been dedicated to orange cultivation for about 150 years, is the best place to conduct the workshop.

We will also enjoy a typical monumental orchard from the 19th century. The views from this orchard towards the region are spectacular. A blanket of cultivation and orchard spreads out before our eyes.

Once the orchard tour is completed with the guide, the practical activity of this Agua de Valencia workshop begins with a final tasting.

What is Agua de Valencia?

Agua de Valencia is a cocktail born in the late 1950s in a Valencia venue. It gradually spread until it became popular in Valencian nightlife in the 1970s. Today, it remains a well-known and characteristic drink in Valencia.

Agua de Valencia cocktail includes orange juice, cava or champagne, vodka, and gin. Sugar can also be added to sweeten it further.

The workshop: let’s get to work

We will learn to make this Valencian cocktail, whose main ingredient is undoubtedly the orange. And what better place than the orchard to manually pick the oranges we will use to make Agua de Valencia

We will venture into the orange grove to pick the best oranges.

Once we have all the ingredients, we proceed to make the mixture.

First, we add freshly squeezed natural orange juice. Then, we add the same amount of cava or champagne. We continue with the vodka and gin, adding half the juice and champagne. Finally, and to taste, we can add sugar. We slowly mix the ingredients as we add them and let it cool before tasting it.

It is essential to enjoy the Agua de Valencia cocktail very cold to bring an end to a workshop to remember.