The Cigales Designation of Origin (D.O.) came into effect in 1991 but its relative youth is misleading as there is documentary evidence from the 10th century of vineyards in the different municipalities of the county, such as Cubillas and Corcos.

The first settlers in the county were the Vaccaei, who were subjugated by the Romans in the 2nd century BC, followed by invasions of Germanic barbarian tribes and Arabs. The ‘Reconquista’ by the Catholic monarchy brought people from other regions whose bloodline mixed with that of the isolated groups that had survived the repeated invasions, giving rise to the population of today.

Evidence of the region’s illustrious past can still be seen and its towns are dotted with numerous castles, such as Trigueros del Valle, Fuensaldaña and Mucientes, where the ‘mad’ Joanna of Castile once lived.