La Mancha is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) for wines, with over 190,000 ha planted to vines, and is the largest continuous vine-growing area in the world.

It is located in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha in central Spain and includes 182 municipalities: 12 in the province of Albacete, 58 in Ciudad Real, 66 in Cuenca and 46 in Toledo.

Wine production took off in the 1940s due to the setting up of numerous cooperatives in the region.

Drought is also common due to the micro-climate of La Mancha, which prevents moisture-bearing winds from crossing it; mean annual rainfall is about 300 to 400 mm.

It is formed of reddish-brown sandy clay, which is poor in organic material and rich in lime and chalk.