Málaga, Sun, Wine and Olive Oil

Transcription

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Málaga
Sun, Wine
and Olive Oil
TOURIST BOARD &
CONVENTION BUREAU
Special Edition
Tourist Guide 5
www.visitcostadelsol.com
index
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TOURIST BOARD &
CONVENTION BUREAU
WINE IN MÁLAGA
OLIVE OIL IN MÁLAGA
USEFUL INFORMATION
PATRONATO PROVINCIAL DE TURISMO DE LA COSTA DEL SOL
Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones de la Costa del Sol
C/ México, s/n, 4ª planta
29620 TORREMOLINOS- MÁLAGA- ESPAÑA
Phone: (34) 952 058 694 Fax : (34) 952 050 311 / 952 370 406
E-mail: [email protected]
Web : www.visitacostadelsol.com
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acknowledgements
editorial
. Index
index...wineWINE IN MÁLAGA
TOURIST BOARD &
CONVENTION BUREAU
0.
Introduction
1. Málaga Wine through the years
2. Málaga Wine making and traditions
3. General typology
4. Grape growing and wine-pproducing regions
5. Tourist routes
6. Málaga Wine culture
7. Málaga Wine and gastronomy
8. The Control Board for Málaga and Sierras de Málaga Denominations
of Origin
9.
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acknowledgements
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Wineries and wine tasting
. Index
introduction
WINE IN MÁLAGA
We would like to ask
those who visit Costa del Sol to come
with us and follow the trail of vineyards,
wineries and people related to Málaga
Wine, to invite them to go deep into the
land and take the Wine Routes across
the province.
The land in Málaga reflects its wine, and
the wine reflects its land, which is not by
chance, since each one lends the other
their character and name until they
become completely merged.
Before taking the road, it is important to learn some details about wines:
The main grape varieties used to make DO Málaga wines are muscatel and
pedro ximén.
Nowadays, there is a new Designation of Origin: Sierras de Málaga (from
now on, DO Sierras de Málaga), which includes wines that are not traditional
wines in Málaga, namely, white, red and rosé, made from different grape
varieties.
Málaga has a rich and complex variety of landscapes and it is a
microclimate paradise. From the coast to the 2,000 m above sea level
areas, we will find vineyards and, next to them, villages which mirror the
Andalusian charm irradiating its own culture, folklore, natural beauty and the
lifestyle of their inhabitants.
Let's go!
Málaga grows wine since time immemorial, even if its traditional wine, the
wine that travels around the world, is that known as wine with Designation
of Origin Málaga (from now on, DO Málaga). Denominacion de Origen, the
Spanish system for wine classification that fits the requirements of the
European Union's top-quality wine category, guarantees wines' origin and
quality, and in this designation, numerous types of wines are included, but
for the moment we will focus on sweet wines, which are the best known, not
the only ones, though.
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. Introduction
Many people from Málaga who travel to far-off places have heard the
phrase "Your town bears the name of a wine". For in the old days, when
tourism was not that common, Málaga was not equalled to sun and
beaches, let alone with a southern Spanish province -Málaga was just
a type of wine.
Indeed, in the beginning there was the land, then there was its wine,
but it is true that this wine embraces the quintessence of the Mother
Earth in which the grapes grow: its sun, sea, light, contrasts, the
sweetness and joy of Málaga, all of which can be savoured in each sip.
This is still so, but let's look retrospectively to know what the life of
these Málaga's ambassadors, its wines, has been like.
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1. ÁLAGA WINE THROUGH
THE YEARS
Before we start, we would like to offer one more detail: there was an
epoch in which vineyards in Málaga covered 110,000 ha, while
nowadays they cover only 5,000 in Axarquía, the Mountains of Málaga,
the Serranía de Ronda, the Western Coast, and the Northern Region
(Antequera). These areas maintain the deep mysteries of an ancient
vineyard tradition more than 25 centuries old, marked by a rugged terrain, the
sun and sea.
On the banks of the Guadalhorce river, Phoenicians founded Mainake (Málaga) in
the 12th century BC. They imported the first grapes and elaborated the first musts. From
then on, Málaga has been transformed in a wine producing region.
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. Málaga
Wine through the years
But we have to move back to the Roman period if we want to know how wine
making and exports have permeated the local society. Today, traces of those
centuries still remain.
SOME REMAINS FROM THE OLD DAYS
In Málaga, there are still some symbols that remind us of past times stressed by
wine culture.
You can visit Acinipo, the old Roman city in Ronda, whose name stands for "city
of wine", where a number of coins with a cluster of grapes stamped on them
have been found, a fact that tells a lot about the importance of grape growing in
the region. A visit to Acinipo is included in the wine route across Ronda.
In Cártama, some 30 km away from the capital city of the province of Málaga, a
wine press was found in a plot of land dating back to the late Roman Empire.
The press consists in a prismatic fermentation vat that connects through some
tubes with the recipient where the grape juice was obtained. This finding reveals
the first traces of wine-making in Málaga.
In the city of Málaga, capital of the province, at the Plaza de la Constitución, you
will find the building belonging to the Royal Charitable Organisation "Pío de
Socorro" for wine-growers and grape harvesters in the Diocese of Málaga
(1776). This society was founded to protect local farmers from foreign
merchants' wrongs. Foreign merchants gave money to local farmers as an
advance payment for the harvest they agreed to deliver to the moneylenders.
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. Málaga
Once in the 8th century, vineyards and wine production fermented the
economy of southern Spain. At that period, as is still customary for them,
Muslims in Spain had to comply with Quranic laws, which prohibit alcohol
consumption, but they managed to turn a blind eye to religious regulations
regarding this matter. In fact, during the seven centuries of Muslim rule, the
number of vineyards increased strikingly. Probably, the plantation boom was
due to raisin production or to wine distillation for medical use, for people had
taken the habit of drinking some wine on behalf of health care. Xarab al
Malaqui was the name given by Allah's sons to what Christians called
Málaga Wine.
Such Spanish words as alcohol, alambique (still) and arrope (grape syrup),
all of them of Islamic origin, were incorporated into the Spanish language
during Muslim rule in the Spanish Peninsula. The Moorish muscatel grape
was highly prized by Muslims, an appreciation closely linked to the Málaga
Wine that has come down to our time.
ARAB CULTURE AND MÁLAGA WINE
Almaccari de Tremecen is one of the few Arab writers whose texts have come
down to us. He collected an anonymous poem where the vineyards in Málaga
are praised: "Its land (Málaga) was covered with vineyards, one linked to the
other until they reached mount Xolair (Sierra Nevada), which, when the vines
were leafy, offered one of the most wonderful views in the world."
He claims the wine was excellent, both the legal one and the wine forbidden
to Muslims. There is a passage in his texts that is connected with this issue:
the author comments that there was once a Muslim who, knowing that he was
about to die, said, "pray to your Lord for mercy." And he, raising his hands to
heaven, exclaimed, "Oh, My Lord! Out of all things I can do in Heaven, I only
fancy drinking some Málaga Wine."
2002 was the year of the 5th centenary of this historical landmark in the
Málaga Wine history, which was widely celebrated.
In the 15th century, Málaga, a seaport city, had already been weaving a
commercial network based on wine, and winemaking had already become
one of the main pillars of its economy. When Ferdinand and Isabella the
Catholics took over the city in 1487, they were asked by winegrowers to
issue regulations protecting their interests.
12 January 1502 is a landmark, for that day the first Royal Decree was
issued establishing the Hermandad de Viñeros de Málaga (Málaga
Winegrowers' Union), the present Control Board's predecessor. The Union's
ordinances contributed to the international prestige of Málaga Wine well into
the 19th century.
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. Málaga
The 17th century witnessed the beginnings of the Málaga Wine expansion,
and in the 18th century, it was already world famous. In English speaking
nations, it was called "mountain" because it came from the mountains
surrounding the Hoya de Málaga (the Monutains of Málaga). In England it
was also known as malligo sack, and in France, as vins de Málaga.
The story goes that Catherine II, the Czarina of Russia, after tasting some
Málaga Wine offered by Spanish Ambassador Miguel de Gálvez, liked the
wine and she declared null and void all regulations on import tariffs on this
product.
These years were glorious for Málaga Wine, as they saw in it the wonders
of the land in which this pure nectar was produced.
SOME CURIOUS FACTS ABOUT MÁLAGA WINE IN RUSSIA,
AMERICA AND ENGLAND
In 1620, the Mayflower brought a British cooper, John Alden, from England to
America, where he came across the red oak, a tree whose wood was perfect for
wine storage and handling. Soon after arrival, he started exporting staves made
from this tree species to Spain. Wine-producers in Málaga learned the benefits
wood brought for wine handling and also for enhancing its quality. As wine
quality increased, there was an exports boom.
Spain also imported a remedy against the grape phylloxera from America, for its
grape varieties were, and still are, phylloxera-resistant plants. This is why
American plants were used for grafting: they were used to improve European
vines, resulting in the only ones apt for quality wine making and immune to the
pest.
In 1769, there was an event in England that showed the fame that Málaga Wine
had already gained in the 18th century: the well-known James Christie, founder
of the art auctioneer firm Crhistie's in London, organised a wine and liquor
auction held on 7 and 8 September: 400 bottles of high-quality wine were sold,
among which there were some Málaga Wine bottles.
There are many allusions and stories related to Málaga Wine in Russia. Just to
mention one of them, we should recall the Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky
(1821-1881), who refers to Málaga Wine in some of his works, a fact that
reveals the importance of the product in Russia. In Stepantchikovo, one of the
characters says: "To get well again, try with Málaga Wine. Málaga Wine… now,
that's something!"
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. Málaga
By the mid 19th century, the devastating pests that attacked other
European regions also affected Spanish vines. Grape phylloxera
reached Málaga in 1876, ruining its vineyards.
Muscatel and pedro ximén varieties survived thanks to the propagation
of Vitis riparia on their rootstocks. These two European varieties were
the only ones to remain, and since then they have contributed to our
wines' character.
Recently, the Málaga Wine production has been expanding, and
together with this expansion, good news arrived: in 2001, the
Government of Andalusia's Official Gazette included the regulations in
effect today, which added the DO Sierras de Málaga, now coexisting
with the DO Málaga.
Ronda was born again as a vineyard land when new wineries were
opened and new vineyards were established. The Northern Region
(Antequera) has pioneered the revamping of its wineries' aesthetics and
the production of high-quality wines. Axarquía is fighting against its
rough soil and facing the eternal dilemma of choosing between
producing raisins or wine. In the Mountains of Málaga, several projects
related to the establishment of wineries are under study. In Málaga city,
they keep ageing wines and also contribute to the spread of wine
culture. Finally, in the Western Coast, the debate has opened recently
on fostering either vine growth or urban development.
In 2005, the Wine Museum in Málaga opened its doors to the public. It
is an interactive museum showing the history of a generous land that is
home to wines which are grateful to the sea that lends them their
travelling vocation.
Málaga is a genuine wine land due to its nature and to the moment at which
wine-making started, 25 centuries ago, when the Greeks occupied the area.
This reality has laid a rich tradition that turns Málaga into a unique place.
The modern Málaga Wine, even if it has an updated image and quality, still
preserves age-old winemaking traditions. Let's look at some of the
traditions we will come across in our trip along the Málaga Wine routes.
GRAPE SYRUP
Málaga Wines are complex because they are produced based on an
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2. ÁLAGA WINE MAKING AND
TRADITIONS
ensemble or blending of various base wines (natural sweet wine; vino
maestro, which comes form a very incomplete fermentation; and vino
tierno, a partially fermented wine) into which a small proportion of grape
syrup is added to give them the characteristic colour of the DO Málaga
Wines. All this blend furnishes Málaga Wine with its extraordinary and
singular personality.
The grape-syrup making process requires concentrated must, which
comes from grapes exposed to heat. The must boils, either over direct
heat or in a bain-marie, until it is reduced to 1/3 of its initial volume. In the
old days, grape syrup was spread on bread slices and served as an
afternoon snack, for its alcohol content is virtually zero.
GRAPE SYRUP
SUN DRYING
GRAPE VARIETIES
Nowadays, only two wineries in Málaga produce and distribute grape syrup:
Inversiones Santa Ana and López Madrid.
AGEING IN CRIADERAS AND SOLERAS
SOME CURIOSITIES
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. Málaga
Wine making and traditions
SUN DRYING
The wine routes along the Norhtern Region or Axarquía take us well into
one of the most genuine traditions: SUN DRYING. Laying grapes in the sun
is an exclusive Andalusian custom required both for the elaboration of some
sweet wines and to make raisins. Sun-dried grapes used to make wine are
overripe grapes. Once the grape harvest is over, grapes for sun-drying are
selected and, in August and September, they are laid in the sun in
PASEROS, which are structures specially built for placing fruit in an orderly
fashion.
Sun-drying is a traditional method which demands workers to crouch about
to turn the grape clusters over so as to ensure they are exposed to the same
heat and light quantity on every inch of their surface. The task is really
painstaking: in Axarquía, for instance, the paseros are covered with
canopies every night in order to prevent grapes from being affected by
inclement weather.
This system allows for dehydrating grapes and increasing sugar
concentration. When grapes are used for making raisins, they are reduced
to 1/3 of their original volume. The story goes that sun-drying was "invented"
in Axarquía in order to reduce the fruit weight so that carrying it to the press
after the harvest would not mean such great an effort, for the terrain slope
and crags in "the eastern land", as Arabs used to call it, made wine-growers
think it twice before setting out to climb. Most probably, sun-drying and raisin
production were introduced by the Arabs to compensate for the ban on wine
drinking.
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. Málaga
GRAPE VARIETIES
The most widely distributed varieties in the province of Málaga, not the only
ones, though, are muscatel and pedro ximén. There was a time when this
was not so: before the phylloxera pest arrival (19th century), Málaga had
already built a vast international market centred on wine, and there were
many grape varieties that could never be recovered. Today, the La
Concepción Botanical Garden in Málaga city grows an enormous number of
varieties that are cultivated, even if no longer in Málaga, in many other areas
around the world. This cultivation project, designed to revive the tradition, is
being brought to fruition by the Control Board for Designations of Origin
Málaga and Sierras de Málaga, together with other institutions.
Salvador Rueda, the Málaga-born poet, has dedicated a beautiful poem
to the different varieties that were cultivated in the region: mollares,
tempranas, rondeñas, lairenes, otelo, perrunas, sultanas, cabrieles,
romen, montúas, lojas, baladíes, perojiménez, jaqueles, cabrito, albalá,
jaenes, don bueno or santa paula, telaburra and marbellíes. All these
names were coined by the wine-growers of Álora, Campanillas, Gaucín
or any other village from the Mountains or Serranía de Ronda, all of
them belonging to a province which was essentially vinicultural, and
whose products were included under the same umbrella name -Málaga.
There is a peculiar story about the PEDRO XIMÉN variety. Different
versions point at its foreign origin. One of these versions mentions
Pero, a Flemish, son of Simon -maybe this explains the coinage of the
term-, who carried grapes from Germany to Spain, for he saw
similarities between the climate of the Rhin valley and Spain. Actually,
the Iberian Peninsula's milder weather and its good quality soil were
beneficial to the above mentioned variety, from which a better-tasting
and smoother wine was obtained.
There are authors who consider that this variety comes from the Canary
Islands, from where it was carried first to the Madeira Islands, Portugal,
and then to the Rhin valley. In Germany, a man called Pero (or Pedro)
Simon (or Siemens), a soldier in the 16th century Flemish army during
Charles V's reign, feeling repentance of his deeds, decided to lay down
his arms and became a farmer. So he came to Málaga, where he
grafted the variety he had brought with him onto local vines.
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AGEING IN CRIADERAS AND SOLERAS
The ageing method for maturing Málaga Wine has been inherited from
an old tradition consisting in keeping wine in oak barrels (in Málaga,
they are called botas). Today, the criaderas and soleras system, also
used in making other Andalusian wines, is the common practice for DO
Málaga Wines but not for DO Sierras de Málaga ones.
On visiting wineries in Málaga, we can see that barrels are piled up
forming aisles. To the layman's eye it could seem that this arrangement
is made to optimise space; the reason, however, is quite different: the
need to transfer wine from one container to another during the ageing
process.
The first tier of barrels is called solera because it is nearer to the ground
(suelo in Spanish), and it keeps mature wine, one of the main products
contributing to the region's wealth. From these barrels, mature wine is
taken for bottling and commercialisation. The empty space left when
wine is drawn off the barrels in the solera is refilled with liquid form the
barrels in the next upper tier. This process keeps going until the barrels
on top are filled with wine form the current year. In this way, the mature
wine becomes "refreshed" and the product is always launched to the
market maintaining an homogeneous quality.
SOME CURIOSITIES
"WINED" BARRELS
Everybody knows how important wood is to the ageing of wine and other
liquors. However, some people do not know that the best brandies and other
alcoholic drinks are aged in barrels previously "wined" or soaked up with
Málaga Wine, which results in top quality spirits, much better than those
obtained with "unwined" barrels.
MÁLAGA WINE, A MASS WINE
Catholic liturgy uses wine for the Consecration. The Vatican laws demand a
natural, fermented, not vinegary and pure grape wine, with an alcohol level
ranging between 12 and 18 percent, recommending lower levels if possible,
and always taking into account perfect condition and absolute purity, for
different standards would not be suitable for liturgical purposes.
Ageing Málaga Wine in oak barrels guarantees a perfect quality standard for
the Catholic Church to use in religious services. The barrels destined to
obtain mass wine bear labels such as "Proveedores del Papa" (The Pope's
supplier), "Con Arreglo a la Liturgia" (Suitable for Liturgy) or "Apto para la
Iglesia" (Fit for the Church).
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. Málaga
In Málaga, there are two main types of wine:
Designation of Origin Málaga and
Designation of Origin Sierras de Málaga.
DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN MÁLAGA
(DO MÁLAGA)
T here are two main groups within the DO Málaga:
- Naturally sweet wine: its alcohol content comes entirely from
fermentation.
- Vin de liqueur or fortified wine: alcohol is added to it at a certain point
in the fermentation process
3.
gENERAL TYPOLOGY
Naturally sweet wine:
This wine is made from overripe grapes (dehydrated either because of
sun drying or grape-harvest delay) belonging to pedro ximén or muscatel
varieties. Their must is rich in sugar: more than 300 g/l, without any artificial
increase in alcohol level so that alcohol comes entirely from fermentation and
reaches a maximum of 13% alcohol by volume.
DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN MÁLAGA
DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN
SIERRAS DE MÁLAGA
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Vin de liqueur or fortified wine:
This DO Málaga wine is fortified with alcohol. According to sugar content wines are
classified into sweet, semisweet and dry.
editorial
. General
Typology
The most famous DO Málaga Wine in the world is sweet wine.
A)
SWEET WINE
What is sweet wine?
Grape juice or must is turned into wine through yeast fermentation, yeasts
being microorganisms which are always floating in the air and also live on
the grapes skin.
Base wines for sweet wine making:
Natural Sweet Wine: It is made with must bearing a minimum of 212 g/l of
sugars and a minimum alcohol level of 7% by volume.
Yeasts, which feed from sugars existing in the must, grow and multiply at
high speed. During fermentation, they transform food into carbon dioxide, a
gas that evaporates, and alcohol, a liquid that stays in the medium where it
is produced. Yeasts do not tolerate alcohol well, so if there is high initial
concentration of sugar in the fruit itself or in its must, the alcohol produced
can kill yeasts before they can consume all the sugar present in the
medium. In this case, the resulting wine will be sweet.
Vino Maestro: Ethyl alcohol is added to the must before fermentation starts.
In this way, the fermentation process is delayed and stops when 100 g/l of
sugar remain and the alcohol level reaches 15 -16 % vol.
Sometimes, wine sweetness is artificially generated by adding alcohol,
lowering the medium temperature, i.e. changing the microorganisms' right
environment variables so that they cannot grow or multiply properly.
Sweet table wine:
When base wines have been elaborated, wine-producers can choose
between:
1. blending two or three base wines to make a final product for
commercialisation, or
2. commercialising the base wines under their corresponding names:
"natural sweet wine", "vino tierno" or "vino maestro".
Sweet Málaga Wine requires quite a complex elaboration process: Each
winery creates their sweet wine following certain standards and traditional
blending (combination of different wines) patterns, a goal for which they
make "base wines", whose name vary depending on how they are
produced.
Vino Tierno: It is made from grapes sun-dried during a long time, which
results in musts very rich in sugar, over 350 g/l. The must starts the
fermentation process and then ethyl alcohol is added.
B) DRY, MEDIUM-DRY AND OFF-DRY WINE
In addition to the famous sweet wines that qualify for the Málaga DO, the
following wines are made:
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. General
Typology
TRADITIONAL TERMS FOR
QUALIFYING FOR DO MÁLAGA
TABLE
WINES
Depending on different characteristics such as colour, the origin of must,
sugar content or ageing, these wines can also bear additional names on
their labels:
A) COLOUR
Dorado (Golden): Mature natural sweet wine, or naturally sweet, with no
additional grape syrup.
Rojo Dorado (Tawny): Mature vin de liqueur or fortified wine, with
additional grape syrup, 5% by volume.
Oscuro (Dark): Mature vin de liqueur with additional grape syrup between
5 and 10% percent by volume.
Color (Colour): Mature vin de liqueur with additional grape syrup between
10 and 15% by volume.
Negro (Black): Mature vin de liqueur with additional grape syrup, over 15%
by volume.
B) ORIGIN OF MUST:
C) SUGAR CONTENT
Dulce Crema or Cream: Wine containing sugar within a range of 100 g/l
and 140 g/l. Its colour may vary between amber and dark amber.
Dry Pale or Pale Dry: Vin de liqueur or fortified wine made with no grape
syrup addition, with a total sugar content lower than 45 g/l.
Sweet: Vin de liqueur with a total sugar content over 140 g/l and further
ageing process. Its colour may vary between amber and black.
Pajarete: Mature vin de liqueur with a total sugar content between 45 and
140 g/l, with no additional grape syrup. Its colour ranges between amber
and dark amber
Lágrima: Wine made from must obtained from free-run juice, i.e. without
external mechanical pressure.
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. General
Typology
DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN SIERRAS DE MÁLAGA
(DO SIERRAS DE MÁLAGA)
D) WINE AGEING
There are two methods used for ageing Málaga Wine:
Ageing by vintage (static system): Wine made in a certain year is put into
barrels for ageing.
Ageing in soleras (dynamic system): Barrels are arranged lined in tiers
(andanas) piled one over the other (each row is called escala). The lowest
escala is the solera, for in Spanish suelo (the term from which solera
derives) stands for ground. Mature wine is drawn off from this lowest tier,
and the room left in the lower barrels is refilled with wine from the upper row.
The row located on top is filled with young wine.
Classification according to ageing:
Málaga Pálido (Pale Málaga): Young wine
Málaga: 6 to 24 months ageing
Málaga Noble (Noble Málaga): 2 to 3 years ageing
Málaga Añejo (Mature Málaga): 3 to 5 years ageing
Málaga Trasañejo (Fully Mature Málaga): Over 5 years ageing
The ageing by vintage or static method is used to make some Málaga DO
Wines, while the soleras system is used to make other wines included in the
same DO.
Classification
Colour:
White: Made from light-skinned grapes fermented without their skin.
Red: Made from dark-skinned grapes which remain in contact with their skin
so that their colour is transferred into the liquid during fermentation. Usually,
the stalks are removed to obtain not so tannic wines.
Rosé: Made from dark-skinned grapes which remain in contact with their
skin for a while so that dark colour is transferred into the liquid. For further
fermentation, the skin is removed.
Ageing:
Joven (young): New wine of the current year which has not been aged.
Crianza (aged): Wine aged for at least 2 years.
Reserva (reserve): For red wine making, wine must be left at least 36
months in a cask or bottle -12 months should be in oak casks-. For white
and rosé wines, the ageing period is 24 months minimum -6 months in oak
casks-.
Gran Reserva (grand reserve): In order to be classified as grand reserve,
red wines must be aged for at least 24 months in oak casks and for at least
another 36 months in bottles. For white and rosé wines, the minimum period
is 48 months in casks and bottles, at least 6 of which must take place in
casks made of oak.
Wines belonging to the Sierras de Málaga DO are aged using the vintage
system only.
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. General
Typology
AXARQUÍA
OVERVIEW
Axarquía's vineyard region resembles a bobbin lace where vineyards
are its knots. Protected by the Tejeda and Almijara mountain ranges,
the vineyards go through the region's rugged terrain. In the heart of the
"eastern land", as the Arabs used to call it, lie the ancestors of the
Málaga's vineyards.
Comares is the vantage point from which all the region can be viewed.
The landscape is breathtaking, with its picturesque Andalusian white
villages bathed by the sun and full of geraniums as if they were grape
clusters under the sun.
g
4. RAPE GROWING AND WINEPRODUCING REGIONS
AXARQUÍA
MOUNTAINS OF MÁLAGA
NORTHERN REGION
When travelling from the Mediterranean coast to the mountain, visitors will
go deep into the muscatel paradise. This grape variety is the typical one in
this region, and the aroma of the wines produced with it is superb. Muscatel
grapes are also used to make raisins qualifying for DO Málaga.
Visitors will be impressed by the region's raisin and wine tradition that has
marked its inhabitants: true artisans of the land and its fruits. In this region, the
wine and raisin world are interwoven -one cannot live without the other.
SERRANÍA DE RONDA
WESTERN COAST
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. Axarquía
AXARQUÍA
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. Axarquía
VARIETIES AND CULTIVATION
In Axarquía, all the land
is covered by vines:
men's hands have not
left any barren square
inch of land throughout
the years. Grape
harvesters have worked
hard beneath the sun,
one that does not set
Work is not over after harvesting, for sweet wine and raisins require grapes
to be sun-dried. Visitors who come over in August will be able to see the
wonderful paseros, a farmhouse tradition now existing only in the province
of Málaga.
Depending on what the grapes will be used for -raisins or wine making-- they
are exposed to the sun for longer or shorter periods respectively. If grapes
are used for making raisins, they are reduced to one third of their original
volume, the other two thirds evaporate.
even in winter -cold weather is unknown here.
Vine cultivating in Axarquía means fighting hand to hand with the terrain. No
mechanisation can be implemented here, and the only aid men can count
on are the beasts of burden that carry the harvested fruit from the
plantations to the paseros for sun-drying or to the press. Crops are lowpruning and the slopes are so highly steep in some areas that vine
cultivation in Axarquía is also known as heroic or steep-slope cultivation.
Sometimes, young wine-growers find it extremely hard to follow the land's
tradition, and they leave the estates inherited from their parents to earn a
living in the construction or tourism sectors. Some others come back to the
vineyard with innovative ideas and set up their own wineries based on what
they learned from their grandparents or in university courses. Thus, new
wineries are emerging in Axarquía, where the Control Board for Designation
of Origin offers expert advice.
While travelling around, you will see vineyards one after the other as if they
were just one, but actually they are all smallholdings. The land is divided into
a lot of parcels, each one covering no more than one hectare.
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. Axarquía
Both the plantation and then raisins and wine making in this peculiar region
in the Málaga province need the whole family's labour, from the children to
grandparents -quite a particular way of life.
The region's vines cover some 3,000 ha, all
of which are occupied by muscatel variety
for fruit consumption as a dessert, and for
making wine and raisins.
Axarquía's muscatel variety is best known
for its characteristic superb aroma and
sweetness. Its musts reach 15º Baumé
prior to sun-drying. This variety has been in
Axarquía for ages. The region's poor soil
and the sunny and dry climate lead to low
production volumes and high fruit quality.
Wine produced in Axarquía is sweet, wellrounded and rich.
SOIL AND CLIMATE
Axarquía extends from the coast to the interior of the province of Málaga,
forming a corridor that reaches peaks more than 2,000 metres high. As the
region is near the sea, it benefits from the high relative humidity needed to
grow muscatel grapes, but at the same time flowers do not fertilise efficiently,
so that they develop into a low number of good quality grapes. This is a
consequence of natural selection, to which the region's soil features also
contribute. Other environmental characteristics also have impact on the good
quality of the fruit; for example, the Mediterranean climate with its mild
winters featuring temperatures no lower than 10ºC. All these factors have a
beneficial influence on the fruit quality, but they also determine low
production volumes.
The region has the poorest soil in the province. It is a shallow clayish slate
soil that soon reaches the country rock, which makes farming more difficult.
Axarquía is enormous. The Vélez river divides the vine area into two: the
eastern and the low areas. In low Axarquía (Moclinejo, Almáchar, El Borge,
Cútar, Comares and Totalán), harvest starts in early August, the earliest
harvest time in the whole province. In eastern Axarquía (Cómpeta), it starts
at the beginning of September.
The yearly rainfall here is 400 litres, the province's lowest figure.
SUMMARY BACKGROUND
Vine-growing has not been an easy task in Axarquía. What has kept the
region's vines alive is the spirit embedded in its traditions,
determination and courage, making every effort to maintain the quality
of its vines, even in tough times.
Today, wines made in Axarquía are at their greatest splendour.
Traditionally, the region used to supply must to wineries in the capital,
but nowadays it has many wineries whose products are really good.
Muscatel has scaled great heights to reach excellent sweet and dry
wine production steps.
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. Axarquía
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. Mountains of Málaga
This whole set is called lagar, which normally means press. This particular
use of the word has been kept for centuries.
OVERVIEW
Málaga is surrounded by mountains that make the sea its natural way out
and protect the city against weather inclemency. Sierra de Mijas, Serranía
de Ronda and El Torcal are foothills of the Sierra Nevada that form a
capricious mountain amphitheatre. The view from the peaks is really
beautiful: forests, mountains, and down there lies Málaga, white and
elongated along the seacoast. The Guadalmedina river flows to the
Mediterranean sea, cutting the region and the city into two.
This vine and wine-making region is the paradise of one of the most genuine
varieties in Málaga: pedro ximén. It is also a point of reference in the world
of wine and one of its privileged sites
The lagares or plantation areas
cover around 15 ha in the
Mountains region, one of their
peculiar aspect is that in the
same place there are the land
with its wild flora, occupying one
tenth of the area, the vines and
other crops for the locals'
consumption.
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The white houses drawn on the landscape are called lagartos, all with their
vines, press and woodland. Today, only a small number of them remain, for
the majority were abandoned at the dawn of the 20th century.
The system of vine cultivation in the Mountains of Málaga is known as
steep-slope cultivation. Some vines grow in an almost vertical terrain that
makes it impossible to introduce mechanisation and also makes manual
work difficult. This situation leads to the preservation of ancient cultivation
traditions.
The Mountains of Málaga are
a region in which harvesting
takes place late, for it starts
in September and sometimes
it goes on well into October.
Pedro ximén is the variety in
this viticulture region, but
muscatel also grows here. In
England, wines made with
pedro ximén were called
mountain wines and were
well known back in the 18th century, when Málaga Wine was a common
drink at tables around the globe. Today, the term "mountain wine" is
considered as incorrect, since sometimes it is used for wines not produced
in Málaga, and some other times, it refers to drinks that are not even wine;
thus, the right term is Málaga Wine.
SOIL AND CLIMATE
The soil of the Mountains of Málaga is made of decomposing slate, one of
the best types for vine growing, a soil that witnessed the birth of great wines.
It is a shallow layer, between 10 and 30 cm, below which the country rock
lies. The vine roots are huge: they keep on growing down into the slate rock
in search for water.
The yearly rainfall is 500 l/m2, a good volume for vineyards. Besides, the
slate soil keeps humidity, which benefits the plants.
SUMMARY BACKGROUND
During the period of Muslim rule, the region had plenty of woods, then cut
down with the advance of the Reconquest. It was in these spots that the first
vines started to grow because the land was distributed among people who
cultivated them and organised their life centred on the vineyards.
However, as a consequence of the cut-down of trees and the slate soil,
there was continuous flooding of the Guadalmedina river on its way to the
sea, which even affected the historical centre of the city of Málaga. When
the phylloxera reached the Mountains of Málaga, ruining its vineyards, the
population headed for the province's capital city.
Each plant yields one or one and a half kg of grapes. There is a natural
selection trait, different from other regions in Málaga, which makes it
necessary to harvest early in order to improve grape quality.
The production volume is low but this is made up for by the superb quality
of the grape, which makes the cultivation in this rugged terrain profitable
both for the vine-grower and the wine-producer.
The eastern slope was populated again in 1950, and it became the Montes
de Málaga Natural Park. This viticulture and viniculture region includes the
ageing wineries settled in the city of Málaga.
Travelling only 10 kilometres from the coast towards the mountains, you will
reach an altitude of almost 1,000 m. This feature influences the climate, for
there is a large temperature difference between day and night, which in turn
affects the grape, so the wines made from it are a bit acid.
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NORTHERN REGION
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. Northern Region
NORTHERN REGION
OVERVIEW
The Northern Region produces a good proportion of the wines included in
the DO Málaga. Antequera is the administrative centre of the region, but the
heart of vine cultivation lies in Molina and Fuente de Piedra. Both localities
are home to the most important, the largest and oldest viticulture companies
in Málaga, such as Inversiones Santa Ana (subsidiary of López Hermanos),
Cooperativa Virgen de la Oliva and Larios P.R. Yet, these are not the only
companies established in the area, as new, smaller ones that make quality
wine and foster wine tourism have emerged.
In 2003, Cooperativa Virgen de la Oliva, a winery that produces quality wine,
was established in the region, paving the way for the birth of other wineries,
many of them restored and others newly created.
So the winds started to change for the better in this region in 2001, when the
Control Board cancelled the regulation that made it compulsory to ageing
wine in the Málaga communal area, and therefore it can be aged in winemaking areas at present.
This generous land witnesses big plantations living together with small ones
as well as new experimental cultivation of dark and light-skinned varieties
never seen in Málaga before, used to make quality dry wine that will be
launched under the DO Sierras de Málaga.
The traditional Málaga varieties, pedro ximén and muscatel, are prominent
in the vineyards covering hundreds of ha, but pedro ximén is the true
protagonist in the Northern Region.
Vine cultivation covers near 1,000 ha, and the volume produced here is the
highest in the province. The relatively flat terrain, characteristic of the
Northern Region, allows for farming mechanisation. However, cultivation by
hand is still used in many vineyards because it is required for some tasks,
sun-drying, for instance, which is a traditional practice in the elaboration of
Málaga Wine.
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As for muscatel, in this region it yields small berries also called "Moorish",
because this variety from Alexandria grows better near the coast. This is
why the small-grape variant is more abundant in Axarquía.
. Northern Region
SOIL AND CLIMATE
SUMMARY BACKGROUND
The Northern Region's relief features both plains and low hillocks. Its
Viticulture and viniculture tradition in the Northern Region started around
climate consists of cold winters and hot summers, with high temperature
variations between day and night; yearly rainfall is 500 l/m2, irregularly
distributed through the year.
1950, when the first vines were planted with the aim of offering the
population a reason to stay in the countryside instead of looking for a
promissory future in the growing industrial sector at that moment. The
introduction of vines in this region helped people decide to settle in it. Vines,
together with olive trees, became the axis around which the economy of the
Northern Region has spun since then. Wine and olives are the main farming
products here, totalling 50% of the region's business sales figures.
Today, the Northern Region is an emerging one, where investments are
channelled mainly into tourism, an industry that also benefits from winemaking related activities contributing to a true revolution in inland tourism.
The vineyard extends along the border of the high plateau in Antequera,
which lies 500 m above sea level. The soil consists in Cretaceous slates,
and in the subsoil there is usually a claypan layer, a sedimentary rock with
fine-grain sand and clay arranged in thin layers. Soil layers in the Northern
Region are rather shallow, no thicker than 10 cm in some areas.
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. Northern Region
SERRANÍA DE RONDA
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. Serranía de Ronda
SERRANÍA DE RONDA
OVERVIEW
CULTIVATION CHARACTERISTICS
Located west of Málaga, Ronda has one of the most undulated terrains in
Vines are currently being planted in Ronda. Most cultivations use the head-
the province. It is best known for its landscape, beautiful villages and its
famous bullring. The region is now starting to write the first chapters of the
book on its peculiar wine history, which, after many years of being practically
not existent, has started to inscribe quite many events in it.
trained system, and they cover between 5 and 20 ha. On the hills,
technological innovation works together with the very favourable soil and
climate for the production of quality grapes. 90% out of all the vines are
dark-skinned varieties. Many plantations are still on their experimental
stage, and each wine-grower is assessing the development of their vines,
the most abundant being tempranillo, syrah, cabernet sauvignon and
merlot.
A boom started before the 1980's, and at the dawn of the 21st century,
Ronda began to witness the materialisation of a great number of viticulture
and winery new projects.
Therefore, there are no reconversion projects; instead, all the projects are
for new vineyards and wineries -carefully designed vineyards an wineries
aiming at producing quality wine. The cutting-edge technology and the
architectural imagination expressed in local wineries are in full harmony with
the surrounding natural beauty. The wine routes the Serranía offers are
particularly charming, mirroring the richness that wine-making art has
brought to Ronda.
Almost all the wineries in Ronda make red, white and rosé wines under the
DO Sierras de Málaga
and the sub-designation Serranía de Ronda.
Although some wine-growers established wineries in the 80's, it was not
until the 21st century that wines from Ronda were launched into the market,
even if there had been a few exceptions.
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SOIL AND CLIMATE
SUMMARY BACKGROUND
The city of Ronda is situated on two hills divided by a deep ravine (Tajo de
Apparently, Ronda wants to settle a debt with the history of wine. More than
Ronda). There is a set of complex microclimates that have an impact on vine
cultivation. Grazalema and Sierra de las Nieves are the most prominent
mountain ranges, at whose foothills vines do well, protected from the wind.
two thousand years ago, Ronda was a wine land, but the only remains from
the original vines lie in the ruins of Acinipo, a city nesting on the mountain
range. One of the maxims every wine-grower must follow is that you will not
plant vines where the Romans have not done so: if you try you will fail for
sure. The Romans used to study the soil and temperatures, and they
concluded that vines would not grow over a certain altitude.
The continental type of climate dominates Ronda, with large temperature
differences between day and night -even in the summer- which contribute to
the high quality of the grapes from this region.
Ronda started its career as a wine producing region only at the end of the
20th century. Today, vines are no longer a symbolic crop but a real economic
entity even at the international level, which can be easily observed at the
heavy investments in new wineries over a short period of time.
The new class of vine-growers and wine-producers was born in the land of
Ronda itself, which has welcomed them warmly. They are true artisans who
are in line with the region's essence -the essence of vines and wineries.
Little by little, the first wines are emerging while vines start bearing their fruit.
Undoubtedly, the region has a promising future.
Ronda's rainfall is the highest in Málaga, with an average volume reaching
600 l per year.
Slates are predominant in Ronda's soil, which is not homogeneous from
vineyard to vineyard. In some plantations mechanisation can be
implemented, while in others, stones and steep slopes make it difficult to
use such modern farming methods. Experts agree on the fact that Ronda's
soil is at its peak in terms of maturity.
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WESTERN COAST
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. Western Coast
WESTERN COAST
Estepona and Marbella stand out for their tourism oriented economy, which
has taken land from the vineyard as time passed by.
OVERVIEW
Grapes from the Western Coast are destined to eat as dessert, to make
raisins and, to a lesser extent, to make wine. The most widely cultivated
variety is the Alexandria or Málaga muscatel, with its meaty and intensely
aromatic fruit.
The introduction of muscatel in the mid 20th century meant an extension of
a vineyard that had been reducing as a consequence of restrictions to
commerce in the 19th century, when winemaking came to be placed in a
subordinate position.
This vine-growing and wine-producing region is situated on the western end
of the province. To the west it borders on Campo de Gibraltar, in Cadiz.
Vines are grown in three localities: Manilva, Estepona and Marbella, where
tourism has had such an impact that they have virtually abandoned wine
producing. This activity is now just symbolic in a region that was one of the
main producers of wine in the province in the old days.
Today, Manilva is the district with the largest vineyard in the region, located
97 km away from Málaga, 12 km from Estepona and 30 km from Línea de
la Concepción. The vineyards are kept not as a source of economic
profitability but as a traditional feature that contributes to the beauty of the
landscape.
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Nowadays, the whole vineyard covers a very small area, and it has recently
been further reduced due to housing developments. The largest cultivated
area lies in Manilva, occupying an area of around 500 ha.
Manilva is the traditional heart of the surrounding vineyard, which isolates
the inland village.
Sugar content is not checked before harvesting; this is why some winegrowers start harvesting in mid August, others during September, and there
are those who do it in the first week of October.
First, the grapes are cut from the vines, then they are arranged on paseros
for sun-drying, and finally they are crushed. After crushing, the moment
comes to prepare must. Today, ancient crushing methods are being
replaced by presses (local people call them molinillos).
. Western Coast
SOIL AND CLIMATE
The Western Coast runs alongside the Mediterranean Sea. However, its
climate is also influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, given the region's proximity
to the Strait of Gibraltar. The vineyard extends on moderate-slope hillsides
whose feet stand not far from the seacoast. Farmhouse methods are
employed in the cultivation of vines in this region. The vineyard benefits from
the excellent and singular microclimate featuring a prolonged sunlight daily
period.
SUMMARY BACKGROUND
The soil is whitish, with some sand content due to the region's proximity to
the sea.
V ines have been cultivated in the Western Coast since time
There is climatic stability throughout the year: winters are mild and summers
do not present very high temperatures: perfect conditions for growing
muscatel. The annual average temperature is 18ºC.
immemorial. The vineyard has always been rich, but it reached its
peak in the 17th and 18th centuries. Since then, there have been
better and worse periods, but when muscatel grapes were brought
from Alexandria, vines started flourishing.
Apart from small temperature variations, the region has a rainy climate, with
higher rainfall than in Axarquía, but lower than in Serranía de Ronda.
The vines that we see today are quite old; they were planted 40
years ago. Since then, no new vines have been planted because, as
we mentioned before, housing developments related with the tourist
boom resulted in the vineyard being neglected.
Anyway, the region has a good number of wine-growers who
normally buy grapes elsewhere in Málaga, for grapes from the
region are destined to eat as dessert or to make raisins.
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. Western Coast
AXARQUÍA
Time seems to have stopped many centuries ago in the vineyards of
Axarquia, but its towns have progressed and opened up to tourism. The
paseros, the popular fiestas of cheerful towns enveloped in sunlight,
and the thousand of footpaths are worth spending here a few days and
getting to know the region intimately.
We suggest two interesting routes for this region in which, amongst
other things, you will get to know three wineries. Each one has its own
story but the three are devoted to the same activity: growing and
producing DO Málaga and Sierras de Málaga Wines (white, red and
rosé) that deserve to be tasted. Relax a few days in this paradise to
feel it intensely.
t
5. OURIST ROUTES
ROUTE ACROSS THE MUSCATEL KINGDOM
ITINERARY
Moclinejo: Bodega Dimobe
Almáchar: Museo de la Pasa (Raisin Museum)
Comares: Atalaya de la Axarquía (Axarquía's vantage point)
AXARQUÍA
NORTHERN REGION
From the city of Málaga, we start the journey on the motorway 340 towards
Almería, exiting it at the junction for Rincón de la Victoria-Benagalbón. Soon, you
will see a sign indicates a road towards Moclinejo, our first destination, 12 km from
Rincón de la Victoria. This picturesque village sits 500 metres above sea level, extending
over the hillside of the Córdoba and Sierras Blancas hills. Visitors to the town enter under
some arches as if the town is wishing them welcome.
SERRANÍA DE RONDA
WESTERN COAST
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. Tourist
Routes: Axarquía
We recommend that you leave your car at the entrance to the town because
the streets are very narrow and the distances to travel are short. As we walk
towards the first winery we are going to visit, we will see the Iglesia de
Nuestra Señora de Gracia (Our Lady of Grace Church), built in the 16th and
17th centuries, with beautiful Arab arches in its bell tower. Moclinejo is a
small town, with a population of almost one thousand, where everybody
knows each other. The people here are friendly and open, always ready to
help visitors with directions. For this reason, the easiest thing to do is to ask
someone for Dimobe or Muñoz brothers wineries, which certainly, will not be
more than five minutes away.
Bodega Dimobe produces wines belonging to DO Málaga and DO Sierras
de Málaga. This family-run winery, founded in 1927, has recently opened its
doors to tourism. Not only has it launched new wines into the market, but
also its premises have been completely renewed and they house a wine
museum full of freshness,
with traditional pieces that
the Munõz brothers, the
winery owners, have rescued
from neglect. There are
some curiosities: the goat
hides, for instance, that were
used to transport wine. Don
Quixote "fought" against
similar ones in one of the
inns he came across on his
adventures.
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. Tourist
After leaving the town and collecting the car, we continue on the road
towards Almáchar, a town devoted to vine-growing since time immemorial.
The muscatel grape of Almáchar is used to produce Málaga Wine, but it is
most well known as a raisin.
Two kilometres before catching sight of the town, you can stop in a viewing
point on the road and photograph the beautiful panorama of the steep slope
vine cultivation of Axarquía. It will take around ten minutes to arrive at our
destination. We would opt to leave the vehicle at the entrance as the traffic
inside is complicated and, most important, the town is worth walking around.
There is an ample space with a pretty corner covered with vegetation where
passengers wait for the bus in the shade. Of course, it can also be used as
a meeting point. Once there, it might be worth asking for the Tourist Office,
as the area offers a wide range of attractions to its visitors.
Drying grapes in the sun of Axarquía is a very common practice in Almáchar,
which is surrounded by paseros that make a unique sight, for they are full of
grapes from 15 August. Almáchar is a lively town, clean and cheerful. Its
streets are like the ground on which it sits: steep, with steps and handrails,
full of flowers and dazzling in the sun. A few years ago, the town council
started organising a competition at which residents embellish the streets
and squares, and it is the town residents who always keep their town ready
to be photographed.
Routes: Axarquía
On our visit around the town we will see the Parroquia de San Mateo (Saint
Mathew's Parish Church). Further on, a typical house, one of the many that
stand one attached to the other to keep themselves upright on the steep
terrain, is home to the Museo de la Pasa (Raisin Museum). Please, go in.
Almáchar celebrates its patron fiesta honouring Virgen del Amparo (Virgin of
Protection) from 29 to 31 July. The first Saturday of September the Fiesta
del Ajoblanco, declared of tourist interest in Andalusia, is celebrated after La
Noche de las Candelas (Night of Candles). This day they serve hundreds of
litres of one of the typical dishes of Axarquía's gastronomy: ajoblanco. If you
come here on these dates, you are welcome to the party. You will have a
good time and will feel integrated with the people of the town, who carefully
decorate the streets with old farming tools, dolls dressed in traditional
clothing, a lot of muscatel grapes and flowers.
The Museo de la Pasa shows the ordinary life of vine-growers, their habits
and most familiar tools. It is a homage to the hard task passed from fathers
to sons that remains unchanged with the passing of time. One of the typical
tasks in the area is sun-drying grapes in paseros (exposing them to the sun
for a few days). The museum, a typical dwelling of Almáchar, is furnished
with authentic pieces, donated by the locals of the area. It is divided into
various rooms, like any home, and hanging on the walls are antique
photographs of the sun-drying labour, shared by the whole family.
If you decide to eat in Almáchar, we recommend that you ask for a good
restaurant. The gastronomy of the region combines the best of the
Mediterranean meals with the great Málaga Wines. And don't leave without
trying ajoblanco (see recipe below), the speciality, which can even be
served in a terrine to spread on bread. You should also try the savoury the
grapes au liqueur that they offer you with the homemade dessert.
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. Tourist
Routes: Axarquía
After this delightful visit, we
head towards Comares. It is
16
kilometres
from
Almáchar on a winding
road, but worth the effort to
get there. Comares sits on a
high plain from which you
can see much of Axarquía.
Surrounded by vines and
paseros, visitors can delight
in the magnificent scenery
from any of the viewpoints on the road. Once in the town, you will find many
monuments, for instance, the Muslim well, declared a historic artistic
monument in 1931, and the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación
(Church of Our Lady of the Incarnation). You could also have lunch in any
of the restaurants you will find in Almáchar. Read the menu before entering
in order to make certain that they have DO Málaga or DO Sierras de Málaga
wines, which they usually do.
Furthermore, if you like hiking, we would suggest that you spend the night
here, and the following day you can take any of the routes leading to the
farthest corners of Axarquía. In the Town Hall or the Tourist Office they will
inform you with full details.
You will get to know the warmth of Axarquía's people and the delicious
gastronomy of the area. Those interested in enology will particularly enjoy
the Cerro Patarra path, starting in Almáchar. It is a 4 kilometre round trip on
paths and dirt tracks that lead us deep within a landscape covered with
vineyards. This route takes 3 hours on foot.
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. Tourist
ROUTE ACROSS MÁLAGA WINE AROMAS
ITINERARY
Vélez-Málaga: Ucopaxa
Torrox
Cómpeta: Bodega Almijara
The main destination of our route is Cómpeta, a vine-growing town par
excellence, but we can also take the opportunity to make some interesting
stops in Vélez-Málaga and Torrox.
Take the motorway N-340 towards Almería either from Málaga, Comares or any
of the towns of Axarquía you are visiting, and take the 272 exit for Vélez-Málaga.
Vélez-Málaga is a large city with a population of more than 50,000, situated
in the centre of Axarquía. The Iglesia de Santa María la Mayor, (Grand Saint
Mary's Church), in Mudejar style, converted into a parish church by the
Catholic Kings in 1489, the Iglesia de San Juan (Saint John's Church) and
Iglesia de San Francisco (Saint Francis's Church) stand out. Upon a hill sits
the Ermita de la Virgen de los Remedios (Virgin of Remedies' Chapel). But
the district also has three other chapels: Virgen de la Cabeza (Virgin of the
Head); Ermita de Santa Rosalía (Saint Rosalia's Chapel); and the oldest of
them all, the Ermita de San Sebastián (Saint Sebastian's Chapel).
Other interesting spots are the Convento de Nuestra Señora de Gracia (Our
Lady of Grace's Convent), the Convento de San Francisco (Saint Francis's
Convent) and the Convento de las Carmelitas (Carmelites' Convent), the
Ermita de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios (Our Lady of Remedies's
Chapel). In Vélez-Málaga there is an Arab Fort and a rich cultural heritage
including the Palacio de los Marqueses de Beniel (Marquises of Beniel's
Palace, Casa de Cervantes (Cervantes's House), the Cruz del Arrabal
Routes: Axarquía
(Cross of the Arrabal), the Cruz del Cordero (Cross of the Lamb), the Teatro
del Carmen (Del Carmen Theatre) and the Fuente de Fernando VI
(Fountain of Ferdinand VI).
The district has managed to assimilate industrialisation whilst preserving the
familiar spirit typical of small towns.
The reason for a stop in this town is that, in La Pañoleta-Olivarillo industrial
park is Ucopaxa, a co-operative that sells Málaga Raisins and some DO
Málaga naturally sweet wines (with their total alcohol content produced by
fermentation), perfect for taking back home. If we continue on our journey
towards Cómpeta, we take motorway 340 towards Almería once again.
We believe that it might be interesting to make a brief stop in Torrox to get
to know a place that has one of the most beautiful beaches on the Costa del
Sol. If you are spending a few days in Málaga, don't miss out visiting Torrox
on this or any other day. Torrox sits on the last hills of the Almijara mountain
range, and is famous for the rich agriculture of its meadows, a feature that
is shared by all the low areas in Axarquía. In any little shop of the town, if
you wish, you can buy tomatoes, beans or top quality tropical products, such
as avocado, all of them cultivated in this area. We suggest that you make a
trip around Torrox, but it is best to park the car and try to walk around. The
streets test the fitness of any visitor: although very beautiful, they are steep,
with many steps, whitewashed houses, and the sweet aroma of jasmine.
Strolling around, you will find the magnificent 18th century Iglesia de
Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación (Our Lady of the Incarnation's Church)
and the Iglesia de San Roque (Saint Roche's Church). Also worth seeing is
the graceful Ermita de la Virgen de las Nieves (Virgin of the Snow's Chapel),
built in the 16th century.
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. Tourist
You will certainly get like Torrox, especially because this town is like a shop
window for the traditional food of Axarquía. At the promenade or at the
Constitución Square you can eat some tapas, always accompanied by a DO
Málaga Wine, or any typical dish of Axarquía's rich gastronomy: miga
cortijera, fried squash with garlic and bread, gacha torroxeña (type of oil
cake), ensaladilla arriera (salad made with tomato, onion, orange, cod,
olives, olive oil, vinegar and salt) or buñuelos de viento (hollow fritter).
From Torrox, take the regional route that leads up to Cómpeta, 11 kilometres
away, where you are going to visit the Bodega Almijara, and of course, a
town full of historical, gastronomic and vinicultural riches. Catch sight of the
town, but before arriving, follow a sign to the left indicating the Almijara
winery, descending a few metres until you find it. It is very small, in the style
of a farmhouse and surrounded by vines and paseros. It has a shop where,
in addition to wine made in the winery, there are other products of Axarquía.
We recommend that you take home a jar of cane honey to accompany any
dessert, together with a DO Málaga Wine. It will make you relive your
holidays and meanderings through the wine route of Axarquía.
Routes: Axarquía
The wines produced by the Bodega Almijara have achieved recognition in
the specialised press and form part of the wine lists of the most prestigious
Spanish restaurants. Quality is the winery's "second name", a quality owed
to the meticulous selection of the grape and impeccable production process.
In the area where the grapes are received and stemmed, it is surprising to
see the old press that is still used. The fruit is placed in circular cans of
synthetic material (before, they were made of esparto grass, which brought
an unwanted flavour to the wine), one on top of the other. The pressure is
produced bottom-up, with greater or lesser force depending on the wine
they are going to make. The ageing area is replete with new French oak
barrels.
We leave the winery, bidding farewell to the visitors that have come to know
it as we have, and continue towards Cómpeta, where we arrive in less than
5 minutes. This village is very steep, like the other towns we have already
visited. The lower part (to the south) is surrounded by terraces and from a
distance visitors will think they are stairs, absolutely necessary to reach the
town. Cómpeta has a population of more than 12,000. In its streets, be
ready to go up and down hills --there is not even a metre that is flat. We will
easily reach the Almijara Square, where we can park the car and get lost in
this extraordinary district. The village, embedded between the Tejeda and
Almijara mountains, has been named "Cornisa de la Costa del Sol" (the
Cornice of Costa del Sol).
The Iglesia de la Asunción (Church of the Assumption) is easily made out by
looking upwards, for it has a 30-metre tower rising high above small white
houses. The church dates back to 1505, and its construction was ordered
by Queen Isabella the Catholic. The top of the tower affords extraordinary
views. Cómpeta is also home to fauna now scarce in Spain: ibex, martens
and foxes.
The views and the beauty of the place are not all it has to offer, for its
people's kindness is striking, and its gastronomy includes typical products
from Axarquía which are of the highest quality.
In Cómpeta, there is a high number of good quality restaurants. Make sure
that the menu includes DO Málaga or Sierras of Málaga Wines, and enjoy
a pleasant evening. If possible, don't miss out trying fried aubergines with
cane honey, a delicious appetiser.
In Avenida de la Constitución, there is a restaurant called Museo del Vino,
in a beautiful setting, full of barrels and other elements belonging the world
of wine. They serve good Málaga Wines, and you can also buy souvenirs
here.
This picturesque corner of Axarquía is the last destination of this wine route.
If you wish to finish the day here and have not made hotel reservations,
there are some hotels and rural houses available. Ask for information at the
Tourist Office. You will remember Cómpeta forever.
On 15th August, they celebrate the Noche del Vino (Night of Wine), which is
the most characteristic of all the festivals organised in this village, and is
considered of tourist interest. Grapes are crushed in a traditional press, and
wine is the indisputable star of the party.
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. Rutas
turísticas: La Axarquía
AXARQUÍA
ROUTE ACROSS THE MUSCATEL KINGDOM
3
ROUTE ACROSS MÁLAGA WINE AROMAS
Atalaya de La Axarquía
(Axarquía's vantage point)
1
Ucopaxa
2
Bodega
Almijara
1
COMARES
You should visit La
Tahona, one of the towers
of Castillo de Comares
(Comares Castle).
2
CÓMPETA
Land of wines such as
muscatel, off-dry and dry
wine. It is well known in the
province and elsewhere in
Spain.
Museo de la Pasa
(Raisin Museum)
1
TORROX
The Roman remains of
Faro de Torrox (Roman
villa, baths, cemetery)
cannot be missed.
Bodega
Dimobe
ALMÁCHAR
Parish of Saint Mathew is
the monument par
excellence of this village.
SYMBOLS
MOCLINEJO
For those who are keen on
physical activity, Moclinejo's
surroundings offer attractive
itineraries among hillocks and
ravines.
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VÉLEZ-MÁLAGA
The Vélez district is the largest and most
populated in Axarquía. It includes many
villages: Torre del Mar, Benajarafe,
Triana, Trapiche, Almayate, Cajiz or
Chilches, among others.
Beginning of the route
End of the route
Suggested route
Suggested route
0
5
km.
Routes: Axarquía
In your travel across the large vine-growing region of the Mountains of
Málaga, you will enter the natural park in whose shelter sprout the vineyards
and where Antigua Casa de Guardia, the oldest winery in the province,
makes its quality wines. From there, we descend towards the city of Málaga
to indulge in the cheerful atmosphere of the thousands of taverns, proud of
their wine culture. There, the DO Málaga and DO Sierras de Málaga wines
play a leading role in the tasting of tapas and raciones (assorted dishes).
Our journey finishes with a visit to the large wineries for maturing wines
located in the city. There, we can drink DO Málaga wines and also Barón de
Rivero, the DO Sierras de Málaga white wine, produced by the López
Hermanos winery.
Their efforts have developed a peculiar structure in their estates, which
integrate the vines, the press and the woodland. In other words, the
structure represents the perfect marriage of wild and domesticated nature.
This route takes an interesting trip to the heart of the hills, where eternal
traditions survive, despite the passing of time.
From the city of Málaga, in the Fuente Olletas quarter, take the C-345 road
(known as the road of the hills) towards Colmenar. Although the road has
many curves, it is wide and has little traffic, with viewpoints from which you
can admire the magnificent countryside below. Passing Fuente la Reina,
there are signs that lead you to the eco-museum Lagar de Torrijos, our first
stop, about 30 minutes from Málaga.
ROUTE ACROSS THE LATE RIPENING AREA
ITINERARY
El lagar de Torrijos
Antigua casa de Guardia
Natural Park viewpoints
The grape harvest in the Mountains of Málaga does not take place until the
end of September, when the season for harvesting grapes used to make DO
Málaga wines in the province ends. This route takes its name (late ripening
area) from this fact. The vine-growers of the hills have managed to cultivate
vines in an unfriendly environment, where they have to drive themselves too
hard to dominate the land.
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. Tourist Routes: Mountains of Málaga
The restoration of this estate, one of the many that spatter the hills, revives
the lifestyle of a traditional family at the end of the 19th century, when the
region was home to more than 7,000 inhabitants (12,000 of which lived in
the capital city). Wine-making was at the core of the activities in this country
house. Visitors will surely find that the enormous 160-year-old press sitting
near the entrance is really amazing. In the same room, there is the press to
crush grapes for obtaining the first must (40% of the total), the rest being
obtained using the ingenious press with a system of wedges, capable of
exerting a force of 12,000 kg, that squeeze out up to the last drop. At that
time, cooling systems were not available, and the must was put into large,
semi-buried earthenware jars, where it fermented.
Even if the Lagar de Torrijos is open all year round, the best time to go there
is in September, when the harvest takes place. Everyone is invited to the
fiesta that celebrates the making of the first must on the third or fourth
Saturday of September (depending on when the harvest takes place). If you
stay in Málaga on these dates, we suggest that you should participate in this
fiesta, as it is an unforgettable and unique experience.
Moreover, from mid October to late November, the eco-museum Lagar de
Torrijos is the departure point for the Ruta de los Lagares (Route of the vine
estates), a guided hike in which an expert explains everything about the
ancient buildings in the outskirts of Torrijos, the traditions related with the
harvest, the crushing of the grapes, and the flora.
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We leave the Lagar de Torrijos and head for the winery called Antigua Casa
de Guardia, on the road from Olías to Comares. Founded in 1840, the
winery still has the ordinary structure of the vineyard, the press and the hills,
characteristic of this viticulture area. Before arriving at Olías, a few
kilometres from the village, the simple but elegant structure of the Antigua
Casa de Guardia stands out, so perfect and white that it seems it was built
recently, but in fact it is the oldest winery in Málaga. Its founder was José de
la Guardia, a Spanish gentleman who was close friends with Queen Isabella
II, who appointed him governor of Segovia. It was in 1860 when the estate
was passed on to the Garijo family, who have worked in it and produced and
commercialised Málaga Wine since then. José Garijo, grandfather to the
current owners, was a solicitor who worked for the State. Everything he
knew about viticulture was self-taught, and he wrote important studies about
Málaga Wine. His knowledge drove him to install the winery in the hills whilst
respecting the natural environment. Originally, the estate had only a winery
and a place for the labourers to do all the manual work after the harvest. It
was not until 1965 that the press was installed.
ROUTE ALONG THE MÁLAGA OF WINE: MUSEUMS AND TAVERNS
The complex world of the Málaga Wine has left a historical mark that can be
found in the taverns, shops and museums of the city of Málaga. On this
route, we propose a trip full of flavour and knowledge along a way that will
take us to the places where you can get acquainted with the culture of wine.
We start our trip on foot, from the Plaza de la Constitución (Constitución
Square) on a sunny morning (in Málaga, mornings are always sunny).
Breakfast in any of the cafés that you will find in the area, in Pasaje de
Chinitas, Larios street or any adjacent street. Then we head towards
Compañía street at the end of the Plaza de la Constitución. An 18th century
building with running balconies and a central patio with galleries houses the
headquarters of the Sociedad Económica de Amigos del País (Friends of
the Country Economic Society).
In this shrine that shelters criaderas and soleras, one can hear the silence
and breathe the peaceful air, typical of sacred places. In the very old barrels
matures the wine made in the vineyards of Romerillo and La Letría, the two
vineyards that stand at the feet of the winery on almost vertical walls.
Antigua Casa de Guardia has opened its doors to tourists transformed the
old house into a Wine Museum, which exhibits many interesting objects and
a collection of important documents that the Garijos have been gathering
over the years. The winery also houses a tasting room and a shop where we
can buy wines made in the winery.
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Most impressive is the marble
façade and the large medallion, an
allegory of Montepío de Socorro a
los Cosecheros del Obispado de
Málaga (the Benefit Society for the
Assistance of the Grape Harvesters
of the Bishopric of Málaga), a
charitable society performing an
important social role in the city. The
relief depicts a scene including
vines, olives, figs and almonds. The
building, raised in 1785, was
declared Artistic Architectural
Monument in 1932.
We walk down Compañía street, which leads us straight to Carretería, a
main street in the old quarter. Then we take Biedmas street, the second on
the left. A few metres down, the street widens and turns into a small plaza.
Since 2005, the Museo del Vino (Wine Museum) of Málaga is located in the
renovated Palacio de Biedmas (a 18th century building). This magnificent
palace is one of the tourist attractions of the city and reveals the importance
of Málaga Wine throughout the centuries. Let's go in. The interior is
spacious, and two of its four floors are used for exhibitions. The labels and
bottles from the old days on display are very intersting. Information panels
review the history and production of Málaga Wine from the 19th century
onwards. The museum is also the headquarters of the Control Board of
Designations of Origin.
We leave the church and return to the Plaza de la Constitución, where we
take Santa María street, just at the corner where the Café Central stands.
Next door, we will see the specialised shop selling gastronomic products of
Málaga and the rest of Andalusia, and we can take a look at the many
brands of Málaga Wine on display in the shop window. At noon the time
comes to enjoy one the most cheerful and authentic Málaga custom: the
tapeo (eating a small portion of any dish gracefully arranged on a plate), the
perfect occasion to accompany our glass of wine. The best moment to taste
these delicious snacks is before lunch, and the best places are the
flavoursome taverns of the city.
Our visit to the museum has come to an end, so we return to the small plaza,
a welcoming spot, full of charm. Opposite the museum there is a small hotel
and, next to it, is the Casa Hermandad de Viñeros (Brotherhood of Wine
Growers' House). From its enormous doors that open onto Biedmas Plaza,
the Thrones of the Virgin and the Christ of Wine Growers leave for the
Maundy Thursday procession. If we look at the end of one of the narrow
streets, we can see two remarkable buildings. The one with the blue façade
was the birthplace of the poet Salvador González Anaya, and the other is
the house of Cánovas del Castillo, the celebrated liberal-conservative
politician, born in Málaga in the 19th century.
We return to Carretaría and now take the street on the right, almost opposite
Biedmas street. This is Andrés Pérez street, where the Iglesia de las
Dominicas (Dominicans's Church) lies, a beautiful temple that looks after the
images of the Virgin and the Christ of the Wine Growers. In September, in a
liturgical act, the recently harvested grapes and the first must are blessed
here.
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A little further on, on Santa María street, we enter Quitapenas. It is small,
with a terrace where large casks are used as tables. Inside, our attention is
drawn to the huge barrels behind the counter with the names of the wines
which they contain: pedro ximén, dorado moscatel, pajarete, etc… and the
savoury tapas that are displayed like a fan, on the counter. The waiter
explains that the pescaíto frito (deep-fried small fish) and the fritura
malagueña (fried food from Málaga) are the most typical dishes. We will
surely not be disappointed if we try them. Quitapenas is a chain of taverns
spread all over the province of Málaga that always serve wine with
Designation of Origin labels.
We walk down Santa María street, and when it crosses Molina Lario street,
we can see the Cathedral. We delight in its outstanding majesty, but we will
visit it some other time, when we follow another of the numerous routes that
the Costa del Sol Tourist Board has drawn up for us. We cross Molina Lario,
and a little further on, turn left on to San Agustín street. The façade of the
Museo Picasso does not go unnoticed. This museum is the city's recent
homage to its favourite son. It contains a permanent collection of more than
200 works related to the brilliant Málaga-born painter in love with light.
Walking down San Agustín street we pass by the Cistersian Abbey of Saint
Anne. It houses a very interesting museum of sacred art, and in the abbey
visitors may also buy delicious handmade cakes made by the nuns following
very old recipes. We retrace our steps towards Santa María street, which
soon becomes Císter street. In the shop on the corner at the end of the
street, La Exquisita, we can be seduced by some gastronomic products of
the area or by some Málaga Wine. In this same corner, at the feet of the
Alcazaba, there is the bus stop for the Málaga Tour. We can go on this tour
at some other moment if we want to take a trip around the most
characteristic places of a city where Romans, Muslims and Christians have
left their indelible mark.
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Our wine route takes us along Císter street, but turns to the right, towards
the Aduana Square, where we find the Barril del Místico, which opened its
doors in 2000 and is committed to spreading the culture of the Málaga Wine
within the framework of a tavern. Here you can choose from the most well
known to the rarest Málaga Wines. Its wine list shows more than 104 types
of wines made in the Bodega Antigua Casa de Guardia and the other
wineries registered with the Control Board. Barril del Místico offers wine
boards with choices that can be married with the delicious and varied dishes
in its menu. It is the perfect place to talk about wine, which it sells by the litre
or bottled. Barril del Místico sells articles related with wine that are difficult
to find, like handmade cups, venencias jerezanas (long-handled dipper
used for sampling sherry wines), barrels, etc. One of its rooms functions as
an exhibition room.
We say goodbye to its owner, José Garijo, and go to the Alameda Principal,
where our route curves round to the Antigua Casa de Guardia tavern, the
place to find the most mature of the complex world of Málaga Wine. Many
illustrious characters have passed through its doors in its one-hundred-andfifty-year history: Gregorio Marañón, Salvador Rueda and Antonio Gala. It
retains the 19th-century charm that comes from the time it was founded, in
1840. This charm is one of its virtues, as are its wines produced in the
Antigua Casa de Guardia winery and its shell fish.
We leave the tavern with a good taste in the
mouth to continue our route towards El Trujal, an
establishment that keeps samples of almost all
the wines in the world. It is close to the Mercado
Central de Atarazanas (Shipyard Market), which is
in the street behind. El Trujal's owner, Antonio
Jesús Gutiérrez, is in love with the culture of wine.
He has transformed the premises into a centre of
learning and has turned the marriage of wine and
gastronomy into an art. Go in and check.
On leaving El Trujal, we take the street on the right hand
side and we will find ourselves in the Pasillo de Santa Isabel. Here one finds
the Museo de Artes Populares (Popular Arts Museum), which holds a
permanent exhibition of the work of Málaga wine-makers, as well as many
other curiosities about the customs and traditions of this land.
We can finish the afternoon taking a stroll down Larios street, the
commercial zone par excellence and one of the most important of the city.
The street has been recently remodelled and pedestrianised. Here we come
to the end of our trip to the city of wine.
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ROUTE ALONG CRIADERAS AND SOLERAS OF THE CITY OF MÁLAGA
ITINERARY
Bodega López Hermanos
Bodegas Gomara
Bodegas Quitapenas
Málaga, the capital city of the province, is home to the largest wineries
nursing and ageing Málaga Wines. Time and wood are essential for giving
complexity and structure to wine. Both lie in the silence and seclusion of
their shrines: the wineries that we will visit on our route.
López Hermanos settles in an industrial
park, El Viso, where we arrive by car to
get to know the winery with the largest
production of the province.
This winery, a piece of living history of
Málaga Wines, has made quality the
strategy by which it has maintained its
position in both national and
international markets. Its wines have
developed along with the taste of
consumers,
whilst
maintaining
traditions. Such is the case with its characteristic brands, Málaga Virgen and
Cartojal. López Hermanos wines have their own life, a story that is caught
up with the events of each moment. The visit to the winery catches our
interest from the first minute. An old film about Málaga Wine is screened, as
well as a short film from the 1960's that helped Málaga Virgen reach a level
in the market previously unknown for any other Málaga Wine brand name.
You may have tasted the wines of this winery before, but after visiting it, you
will discover new nuances and you will know more about them. The majority
of the wines are aged by the static system, but the fully mature wines (those
with more than 5 years ageing) are aged in criaderas and soleras.
We leave López Hermanos, take the motorway 340 to find the road to
Cártama and head towards Bodegas Gomara, next to the Technological
Park of Andalusia (PTA). The exit is signposted (Universidad, PTA). It takes
around 15 minutes to arrive.
The premises of Bodegas Gomara are surrounded by vineyards, bordering
the PTA. This winery is a medium-sized production company that has
managed, with ingenuity and a good marketing strategy, to make high
quality wines and commercialise them in a variety of ways, but always
fulfilling consumers' demands.
The winery is continuously visited by a great number of tourists, for whom it
has developed a small industry based on home crafted packaging:
decorated bottles, barrels etc. In short, the appropriate souvenir from the
world of wine. The unrestricted opening up to tourism is one of its strategies
and its premises have been designed bearing this in mind. The winery offers
catering services for public and private events, and it has a tasting room and
a shop. Visitors will have a good time watching the entire process from the
beginning to the end. In one of the winery sections, also open to visitors,
handmade barrels and wooden cases are made.
We leave behind two different methods but one same idea about quality:
that Málaga Wine reach the market with all its potential of colour, aroma and
flavour necessary to please consumers' senses.
The ageing area stores hundreds of red oak barrels that are used to mature
wine with the criaderas and soleras system.
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ROUTE ALONG CRIADERAS AND SOLERAS OF THE CITY OF MÁLAGA
1
ROUTE ACROSS THE LATE RIPENING AREA
Natural Park viewpoints
2
Lagar de Torrijos
3
1
OLÍAS
Situated on the Mountains of
Málaga and surrounded by
almond trees, this village
used to produce wine some
time ago.
Antigua Casa
de Guardia
Bodegas
Gomara
3
MÁLAGA
In the city's historical centre
are all the tourist attractions
and monuments, except for
the historical gardens, which
are outside this area.
Bodega Quitapenas
SYMBOLS
CÁRTAMA
The urban area is divided into two
areas: Cártama Pueblo and Cártama
Estación, which are known as Sierra
de Cártama.
47
End of the route
Suggested route
2
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editorial
Bodega López
Hermanos
Suggested route
0
5
km.
NORTHERN REGION
In the Northern Region, the vineyard covers an extensive area. Vine
cultivation is regarded as a pillar of the regional economy, another one being
the cultivation of olive trees. Both, vineyards and olive orchards are the main
features in the landscape of this Andalusian region, whose main district is
monumental Antequera.
ROUTE ACROSS THE OTHER ANDALUSIAN COUNTRYSIDE
ITINERARY
Cooperativa Virgen de la Oliva (Mollina)
Centro de Producción Larios P.R. (Mollina)
Mollina
From Málaga, we take the motorway towards Granada (A-92). When we
pass Antequera, we take the exit for Mollina. It has been written that this
village is "a place where a warm welcome is inevitable". And, like other
places in the area, for many years Mollina has make every effort to foster
tourism, creating an important infrastructure of hotels, restaurants,
attractions and leisure activities for the thousands of visitors that, attracted
by the rich culture and countryside of Antequera, arrive in the Northern
Region.
Our wine route takes us to the Cooperativa Virgen de la Oliva, the
production centre for Larios P.R., and to Vistahermosa, an estate where the
vines of Inversiones Santa Ana, a López Hermanos' "sister", are cultivated.
In our trip, we will have the opportunity to enjoy delicious DO Málaga Wines,
and, in Mollina, we will also taste good reds of the DO Sierras de Málaga.
To sum up, a good excuse to immerse ourselves in some villages full of
history and natural beauty, charming places and vineyards that will leave an
aftertaste of wisdom in our soul.
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. Tourist
The first stop on our route is the Cooperativa Virgen de la Oliva, which is
easy to find when we take the road to Alameda at the entrance to Mollina.
Virgen de la Oliva is the heart that sends the wine blood, and the regional
roads are like arteries that carry it throughout the region. Three hundred and
fifty vine-growers produce 7 million kg of grapes that are transformed into 5
million litres of wine.
On the trip around the premises, visitors can deduce that large investments
have been made in technology: bustle and activity turn into calm and silence
in the interior of the ageing room, where wines many years old lie, and
where noble, añejos (mature) and trasañejos (fully mature) wines, which
give prestige and character to Virgen de la Oliva, rest.
Routes: Northern Region
In our trip around the streets of Mollina, art can be seen everywhere: in the
Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Oliva (Our Lady of the Olives's Church), a
17th century building; and Villa Ascensión, an 18th century building, both in
the Constitución Square.
The wine route network across the Northern Region is wide and extensive;
this is why we recommend that you should go to the Tourist Office. The
region has infinite possibilities for tourists who want to know the place
intimately.
Near the entrance, you will see the winery's museum, a space that
integrates objects of great value with the new concept of modern museums.
In the winery shop, visitors can buy wines and oils made by the cooperative.
Leaving behind this enormous estate, we head towards central Mollina. In
Archidona street are the premises of Larios P.R., with the oldest press in the
area that produces the base wines for its brand, Málaga Larios, which is
then blended and aged in the premises of the city of Málaga. This winery
maintains the most genuine traditions, real gems that coexist with new
technological innovations.
After our visit, as we are right in the centre of Mollina, we can have some
tapas accompanied with a good Málaga Wine. We can sit and relax in any
of the village's restaurants, whose dishes will delight us. There is a wide
range of tapa bars and almost all of the bars and taverns are located in the
same area, close to one another.
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In the outskirts of Mollina is the Roman site: the Capuchin Mausoleum (2nd
century) and the Santillán "Castellum" or Castle. Moreover, 4 kilometres to
the north of Mollina, is the Sierra de La Camorra. At its highest summit (790
m), there is a vertex from which five provinces of Andalusia can be seen:
Cadiz, Córdoba, Granada, Seville and Málaga. Diverse hiking routes
penetrate the Sierra, an ideal place for those who like exploring caves.
You can also spend an afternoon riding a horse in the beautiful natural
landscape. The Tourist Office will give you all the details you need for your
excursions.
The villages in the Northern Region keep the mystery of a land of bandits,
days of wine and ancient settlements, all of which have left their indelible
mark. We suggest that you should spend a night in any of the villages in the
area, all close to one another and easy to find thanks to the plain on which
the region sits. This way, you can follow another wine route the following
day.
ROUTE ALONG THE PLANTATIONS BY THE LAGOON
ITINERARY
Inversiones Santa Ana (Fuente de Piedra)
Fuente de Piedra
Antequera
Furthermore, Inversiones Santa Ana is one of the few wineries in which
arrope (grape syrup) is produced. Arrope is a concentrated must that is
added to wine in small proportions to give those dark hues, from amber to
black, that make Málaga Wine unique.
We leave the city of Málaga taking the motorway to Granada (A-92), and
when passing Antequera, we take the exit for Mollina.
After visiting Inversiones Santa Ana, we head towards Laguna Salada de
Fuente de Piedra Nature Reserve, a short distance away and one the most
charming places in Málaga. Laguna Salada de Fuente de Piedra is the
largest lagoon in Andalusia. Thirty species of aquatic birds nest there, the
best well- known of them being the flamingo. Summer is the best season to
watch them, with July and August being the months in which experts ring
newly born birds.
Fuente de Piedra is a village close to Mollina, no more than 10 minutes
away. There are many reasons for driving to this spot: the main one being
the premises of Inversiones Santa Ana, a subsidiary of López Hermanos
and one of the symbols of Málaga Wine with Designation of Origin.
The premises are really charming, surrounded by vines. The estate is
known as Finca Vista Hermosa, in which men and women are working day
and night, especially during the harvest season, as Vista Hermosa is one of
the few plantations in which they also harvest at night.
Although the land has allowed for the head-trained cultivation system, the
more traditional systems are still used: they pick the grapes by hand and dry
them in the sun, among other traditional methods.
In Inversiones Santa Ana, they only produce base wines: the blending and
subsequent ageing take place in López Hermanos, in the city of Málaga.
One should not forget the characteristic typical of Málaga Wines: they are
complex due to the blending that combines different base wines.
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Fuente de Piedra is named after the famous fountain located in the centre
of the village, whose waters are said to have healing properties.
Now we stop at a charming restaurant called Caserío San Benito (on the
Córdoba-Málaga road Km.
108) that has more to offer
than just good food: the
place has a very
welcoming dining room
decorated with objects
from the 16th and 17th
centuries and also a
Museo de Usos y
Costumbres (Museum of
Traditions and Customs).
It serves the typical dishes of the region. You should not miss the famous
porra antequerana (see recipe in chapter 7) and other dishes made with
Málaga Wine, like the chicken with Mozarab sauce. The restaurant's wine
list is enormous, with DO Málaga and Sierras de Málaga wines.
Antonio, the restaurant's owner, collects antiques, which are exhibited at the
Museo de Usos y Costumbres, a museum that has been declared of public
interest. In spite of being a newly constructed building, it is in line with a
typical Renaissance style, and all the decorative and many of the
architectonic elements bear a historical seal: the entrance door (from the
17th century) belonged to the Church of Churriana de la Vega after the
Reconquest of Granada by the Catholic Kings; the stone floor is the original
floor of the Palace of the Marchioness of Fuente de Piedra, the grille comes
from the Convent of Paracenas, and the door of one of the rooms belonged
to García Lorca's house. The museum has a bar for tasting wine and other
regional products, and it also shows travelling exhibitions and has a room
for conferences or meetings.
51
monument. You can also see the Consistorial Palace and the Torre del
Homenaje (Homage Tower), the Taurine Museum and the Bullring.
The richness of the fertile Antequera meadows is transformed into flavours
at the numerous restaurants in the town. We recommend those serving
regional food, which also offer good Málaga and Sierras de Málaga Wines.
If you stay several days and have the opportunity to breakfast here, have a
typical breakfast consisting of mollete (a characteristic type of bread) with
olive oil.
2) Another possibility is to visit noble homes in the town: the City Museum,
which was the Palace of Nájera in the past. We also should not miss the
Marquise of la Peña's House; the Marchioness of las Escalonias's;
Colarte's, now a museum belonging to the Government of the Province; the
Baron of Sabasona's House, the Marquise of Villadarías's and the
Serrailler's.
After a peaceful stay, we head towards Antequera. The visit is extensive, so
we suggest that, if you have little time and are not able to spend the night
here, you should focus on the rich cultural and artistic heritage of the town.
3) Then, you can visit El Torcal, a beautiful nature spot with interesting
geological aspects on the landscape and a varied flora and fauna, or the
Dolmens of Antequera, Menga, Viera and El Romeral.
We suggest three possible trips:
1) On walking along the historic centre you will see Colegiata de Santa
María, the Iglesia de San Sebastián (Saint Sebastian's Church), the Iglesias
de San Juan and San Pedro (Saint John and Saint Peter's Churches), the
Iglesias del Carmen, Los Remedios (the Remedies), Santiago (James),
Madre de Dios (Mother of God), San José (Saint Joseph), Belén
(Bethlehem), San Juan de Dios (Saint John of God), San Agustín (Saint
Augustine), and the Iglesia Real del Monasterio de San Francisco (the
Royal Church of the Monastery of Saint Francis), which is a national
Before leaving the Northern Region, make a stop in Alameda, only 15
minutes away, to enjoy the Inn of José Maria, el Tempranillo, by the old road
that linked Granada with Seville. The inn was built in the 18th century, and
it shows step by step the life of this famous bandit who shares his name with
that of a grape (tempranillo) and who, the story goes, levied a "special tax"
on wines that came from other regions and so "dared" to enter the province
of Málaga, the land of Málaga Wine. With this visit, the journey along the
Northern Region will be over.
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THE NORTHERN REGION
ROUTE ACROSS THE OTHER ANDALUSIAN COUNTRYSIDE
ROUTE ALONG THE PLANTATIONS BY THE LAGOON
2
1
Centro de Producción Larios P.R.
Cooperativa Virgen
de la Oliva
FUENTE DE PIEDRA
The famous lagoon, Fuente
de Piedra, brings ecological
value to this village.
1
MOLLINA
The Roman sites are very
attractive both for
archaeologists and the
general public.
Inversiones
Santa Ana
SYMBOLS
End of the route
ANTEQUERA
The town is full of artistic
treasures and monuments. All its
cultural heritage can be seen in
the old quarter.
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SERRANÍA DE RONDA
ECOLOGICAL WINE ROUTE
The wine routes of Ronda are very attractive both for the wine expert and
ITINERARY
F. Schatz
Acinipo
El Chantre
Ronda
he who lacks such knowledge. The former will enjoy wines and visit wineries
that he had never tried or seen before. The layperson will most probably
know more about the world of wine after making this trip. If not, at least they
will have enjoyed the historic site, the ruins of Acinipo, or they will feel the
freshness of the Convent (now a winery) of Los Descalzos Viejos (Old
Discalced Friars), amongst many other beauties and curiosities. The
different tours and the food of this region will make your stay a memorable
experience.
All the wines from the Serranía de Ronda are DO Sierras de Málaga red,
rosé and white. The vineyards have been planted recently and the majority
of the wineries have been producing wine since early this century, save for
a few exceptions.
The following are some interesting routes that open up to a completely new
panorama of the other Málaga Wine.
Ronda is one of those places with a life and a style of its own, with a charm
so special that makes it one of the most important tourist attractions of
Costa del Sol. Now, it is wine tourism that guides us, but first we will admire
the historic heritage that this beautiful city offers.
In a little more than one hour by car from Málaga, straight on the Cártama
road (A-357) towards Ardales, and then taking the 367 to Ronda, straight for
the motorwary N-340 towards Marbella and taking the exit for San Pedro de
Alcántara, we arrive in Ronda, one of the most elegant towns in Andalusia.
Our wine routes open up across the hills, where the DO Sierras de Málaga
was born at the dawn of the 21st century.
Our first destination is the Federico Schatz's winery, located in the
Sanguijuela estate, which is located 10 km from Ronda. Take the ring road
of Ronda, A-376, towards Jerez - Seville, and 300 metres from Km 114, turn
right on to the MA-449 towards Setenil - Ronda La Vieja. After driving 450
m, we meet a dirt road (sign posted: Finca Sanguijuela). Following it down
and then up, after 950 metres, we will see the gate on the right-hand side
towards the winery. If you have any doubts, ask for Acinipo, which is very
close and is a well-known place.
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Routes: Serranía de Ronda
Federico Schatz was one of the first viticulturists to believe in Ronda as a
land of wine. Since the 80's he has been cultivating his vineyards and
producing high quality wines. He is a German who has put down roots in
Ronda and has devoted entirely to viticulture.
We should phone before visiting Sanguijuela, so when we arrive, Federico
will be there waiting to show us the work that he has been developing for
more than 20 years. He still keeps his German accent, but speaks perfect
Spanish and is a chatty person.
Schatz does respect the environment. His wines are ecological to the core,
that is to say, all of the cultivation is done without using any chemical
fertilisers and afterwards, the wine-making process also follows a natural
process. This winery has been the first in Ronda to launch ecological wines
into the market and it has won many prizes for them. Once in the building
that houses the winery, Schatz invites visitors to evaluate the organoleptic
properties of some of his wines, and he shows them around the premises.
He has maintained some of the rooms of the original building but all around
you will see the most up-to-date technology and French oak barrels.
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Bidding farewell to this excellent viticulturist, we get to visit Acinipo, the
ancient Roman city, intimately tied to the re-birth of Ronda as a wine
producing area. At the entrance of the site, in the area known as Ronda la
Vieja, we meet a guard who will let us enter for free. We can park our car at
the parking area.
Acinipo was founded by the Romans, and its name means "Land of Wine".
It is one of the oldest and most beautiful settlements of Ronda. During our
visit to the ruins, we will see the Roman theatre and some houses. There
was a close link between the old city and wine. More than 50 minted coins
were found there, with a bunch of grapes on one side, and the legend
"Acinipo" and two wheat spikes on the other. A collection including some of
these coins is kept in the Palacio de Mondragón, in the city of Ronda, where
we will go and see later.
After feeling the spirit of Acinipo and its calm and impressive landscape, we
take the road to Ronda La Vieja towards Ronda, and in a few kilometres we
will see a road on the right that takes us to Bodega El Chantre. The winery's
vineyards cover an entire mountainside and, arriving at the top, where the
winery sits, we can enjoy a magnificent sight stretched out before us,
crowned by the Sierra de Grazalema. Acinipo lies behind us. The winery's
name may derive from the French word chantre (precentor), meaning he
who stands in the centre of a
cathedral's choir… and
indeed here we are in the
centre of a beautiful
symphony.
The structure of this winery is not the conventional one. There is a deep
tunnel 140 metres long that penetrates the mountain. Its architectural
structure is a true attraction for tourists, and so are its wines, which can be
tasted during the visit.
We continue our way towards Ronda on the Ronda la Vieja road. We will get
to know one of the oldest and most beautiful towns in Spain, and also its
gastronomy. With a population of almost 34,000, and the hundreds of
tourists that come here every day, Ronda is a lively and cheerful city. As
parking is not easy, we have to leave the car in any of the parking areas.
Coming out we can see the Iglesia de La Merced (Mercy's Church). In the
small square there is a convent at whose entrance we can buy the typical
cakes from Ronda made by the nuns. The rich gastronomic culture of Ronda
is at every corner, where we will be able to sample and enjoy it.
We take the Virgen de la Paz street, which opens on to the Bullring, built in
1785 and the outstanding spot in Ronda. If you visit Ronda in September, it
is worth knowing that they celebrate a Goyesque bullfight, picturesque and
very popular.
The city has a rich tradition of arts and crafts in leather, ceramic and bronze
that can be bought at many of the shops that we will pass along the way.
Ronda has a Parador Nacional, a state-run luxury hotel that sticks out
vertiginously from El Tajo, a tremendous precipice that is one of its main
attractions. If we are planning to spend a few days in Ronda, the Parador is
a nice place to stay.
watch your sunglasses, they might fall down. Armiñán street starts at the
other end of the bridge. Following it, we enter the old quarter. Taking a
glimpse ahead is like travelling to a noble past, replete with heraldic
arcades, forged wrought-iron gates at the courtyards' fronts, coffered
ceilings, doors, Mudejar plasterwork and sober Renaissance palaces.
Ronda is a melting pot of cultures that
have left behind the rich art and
culture we can now admire.
Taking Tenorio street, we soon we
arrive at the Palacio de Mondragón, a
building owned by the City Council
which houses some public offices as
well as an interactive museum. There
are two distinct areas in this palace in different styles, Mudejar and
Renaissance. In one of the rooms, you can see the coins found at Acinipo,
a testimony to the rich culture of vine-growing that the area had in the
remote past.
We leave the palace and take Manuel Montero street, which leads us
directly to the Town Hall Plaza. Art lovers can admire the Iglesia de Santa
María la Mayor (Grand Saint Mary's Church), with its Mozarabic
architecture.
Here we finish our first route, but we will continue visiting Ronda again in the
following suggested routes, as there is still much in this city to see and feel.
We continue our route around this beautiful city and arrive at the popular
Puente Nuevo (New Bridge), built in the 18th century to cross El Tajo, a
canyon formed by the Guadalevin river. Take a look: it is amazing, and
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THE MARRIAGE ROUTE: ART-WINE AND WINE-TOURISM
ITINERARY
Cortijo Los Aguilares
El Baco
El Juncal
Theodor Conrad
Descalzos Viejos
Benaoján
Ronda
The history of wine starts at the beginning of human civilisation, and it has
accompanied men in many of their activities: art and tourism, for example.
On this route we are going to visit an old Trinitarian convent, now revived as
a bodega: Descalzos Viejos (Old Discalced Friars). But we start by getting
to know the latest expression of modern man customs: tourism. Here, once
again, with a particular approach: wine tourism reflected in the HotelBodega El Juncal****.
We will also visit other vineyards and wineries raised by foreigners who
have trusted in the land of Ronda: Cortijo los Aguilares and Theodor
Conrad. Our route is finished off with a visit to El Baco, whose owner, Juan
Manuel Betas, was one of the main driving forces of wines from Ronda
current trend.
We leave Málaga on road A-357, and then we take the road heading to
Ardales (A-367), which takes us to Ronda. Five kilometres before arriving in
the city, before crossing the bridge, we take the turn on the left signposted
"Campo de Maniobras Las Navetas". We continue on this road, passing a
tunnel and then a bridge.
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Just crossing the bridge, we take the dirt road to the left and drive straight
on to Cortijo los Aguilares. When compared to the other plantations in the
area, we find that this is a very large one. An amazing landscape surrounds
the estate, and both are in perfect harmony, as well as the vineyard, the
buildings, some of which are old, while others are new. Its owner, José
Antonio Itarte, who hails from Donosita, has changed the Cantabrian mists
for the Mediterranean warm and sun. The place boasts harmony and a
refined taste. Itarte has rescued the old farmhouse (cortijo), and raised a
new building that houses the cellar for ageing wines, the place for
production and his own house. If there is something outstanding in this
winery, that is Itarte's choice for decanting wine without the necessity of a
mechanical pump: the must runs by gravity to the barrels where it is
fermented, and from there it passes, also by gravity, to the oak barrels to go
through the ageing process.
After our visit, we bid farewell and
continue our path towards Ronda. We
return to the road and, on reaching a BP
petrol station, we take the right hand dirt
track, known to be one of the few that
takes us to El Baco. This small estate is
surrounded by the Grazalema hills and
the Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park
and it is near Cortes de la Frontera and Serranía de Ronda Natural
Reserves. The plantation lies in the middle of the route across the white
villages, in a marvellous environment.
Far from urban centres, the place has the peace and tranquillity wine needs.
Its owner, Juan Manuel Vetas, is a viticulturist expert, educated in Bordeaux,
and well known in the area for his commitment to make the wines from
Ronda enjoy the prestige they have gained.
We leave El Baco behind and continue on the road towards Ronda.
Before entering the city, at the first traffic lights, there is a roundabout from
which several roads depart. We take the one ahead towards El Burgo.
Passing the hospital, there is turn that takes us to El Juncal, a hotel-winery
that has made the marriage of wine and tourism a reality. The building also
houses a tasting room and a laboratory. It is located in a dream spot for wine
and tourism lovers, who will certainly want to relax a few days in this hotel
which offers various leisure activities.
El Juncal is a small hotel that has 12 suites with the comfort and top quality
service a hotel of this category must offer; besides, its guests are warmly
welcomed. One of the suites is located outside the main building, and it has,
thus, an independent access. The hotel's exterior is typical of Andalusian
farmhouses, but its interior is completely different, decorated in a modern
style along minimalist lines. Outside, there is a garden covering 9,000 m2,
surrounded by vines.
You can access the winery from the hotel's check-in desk area. Although the
winery is not big, it has introduced the most up-to-date technology for
making wine. Its first wines were launched in April 2002. During September,
visitors that stay in El Juncal can see the reception and stemming of the
grapes after the harvest. We recommend that you make a stop and spend
the night in this unique place.
We leave El Juncal to continue on the road to El Burgo towards another of
the wineries on the mountains: Theodor Conrad. It is a little further on and
its eye-catching strawberry colour is quite striking, which makes it a stopping
place for many visitors. Its owner was born in Switzerland, but he has lived
in Málaga since long ago. He is always telling interesting anecdotes of how
he came to know Málaga Wine (the sweet one) when he was a child in
Switzerland. There, as in many European countries, they used to toast with
this wine in Christmas, before the cava and champagne's boom. He ended
up coming here, and rediscovered the warmth that the wines from Málaga
had brought to his cold homeland many years before.
We leave this extraordinary winery and return towards Ronda. We arrive at
the roundabout where previously we had taken the road to El Burgo, but this
time, we take the road to Seville, to reach our next destination: Bodega
Descalzos Viejos. In roughly half a kilometre, we should be aware of a dirt
road going uphill that runs parallel to our road, to the left. In just a hundred
metres we arrive at the entrance gate to Descalzos Viejos. We can park the
car there.
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The panoramic view from the top of El Tajo (in
Ronda) is spectacular, and the views from the
bottom of El Tajo, where this winery sits, are
equally breathtaking. The revolution in wine
making in Ronda has, in a short time,
sprouted numerous wineries that offer, in
addition to high quality wines, carefully
designed premises for visitors to enjoy.
Los Descalzos follows this line. This old
Trinitarian convent, built at the beginning of
the 16th century, was completely renovated to
establish the winery. Its owners, architects as
well as viticulturists, managed to respect the
spirit of the old building, returning it to its original aspect whilst introducing
the newest architectonic ideas and materials, like the glass skin placed a
metre from the exterior wall both for protection and illumination. The
production area, equipped with cutting-edge technology, is located in what
was originally the church, a building with only one nave in Gothic style.
The day has been passing and left innumerable sensations in our souls. We
leave the Trinitarian convent and return to the road to Seville, A-367, to head
towards Benaoján. We take the turning on the left hand side towards this
town and enter a county road. In a few kilometres, we stop at a passing
place, where we can admire the exit of La Cueva del Gato (The Cat's Cave).
Our route is related to wine, but we cannot miss visiting this cave, in case
amongst wine lovers of the world, there are also those who like speleology.
The Cueva del Gato, by the Guardiaro river, has 4-kilometre long galleries
with gorges and waterfalls, and the Gaduares river flows within the cave.
After crossing the bridge, we take a turning on the left towards Benaoján
Estación and stop at a heavenly place close to the Molino del Santo hotelrestaurant, where a river rises.
In the interior of the church, in the
presbytery, they have restored the
frescos from the 17th and 18th
centuries, and some from the 16th
century, so that they came back to life
relatively well preserved. Nowadays,
Descalzos Viejos is a must in wine
tourism and represents the perfect
marriage between art and wine.
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After a nice moment listening to the babbling of water, we go back to the car
to travel to Benaoján, on the same road as before up to this town, 17 km
away from Ronda.
There are two main reasons to visit this village: Benaoján basically lives on
its rich cold-meat industry, and in fact, if we look at the village from above,
it has the shape of a string of chorizos (sausages). There are shops where
you can buy tasty cold meats and homemade products of the highest
quality. The other reason is that here you find the Cueva de la Pileta, a cave
declared a Cave Painting National Monument in 1924. the cave will be
highly appreciated by those who are interested in archaeology or by anyone
who likes to see traces of ancient civilisations. Within the cave, there are
paintings from diverse periods that are unique in Andalusia. For one reason,
or the other, or for both, the place is worth a visit.
We leave this pretty Andalusian village and go back to Ronda, where there
are still many wonderful places we should see.
In the cake shops we can buy yemas del Tajo, a typical cake from Ronda
that we can try when we get back home.
Now we cross the bridge that was constructed after the Reconquest, in the
16th century, to link the Islamic medina, which we have just left, with the
Christian neighbourhood; it is the area of the flea market that is now known
as Padre Jesús.
There are some small bars in which we can have a Málaga Wine and chat
a while. We make a stop at the Fuente de Ocho Caños (Fountain with Eight
Pipes) in the Iglesia del Padre Jesús square, which is the oldest and the
only monumental church that has been preserved.
Taking the stairs on Escolleras street we reach the Jardines de Cuenca
(Gardens of Cuenca), where protected species live, like Spanish fir. There
is a beautiful viewing point from which you can see the other part of the city
and the final section of the passage where a group of tourists have arrived
after descended hundreds of steps.
It is late now, and we go back to the bullring. If we have time, we take José
Aparicio street, where we can taste another Málaga Wine in any of its bars
or dine at a good restaurant, where they serve good DO Málaga and DO
Sierras de Málaga wines.
From the plaza runs Espinel (or La Bola) street, leading to the Puente Nuevo
(New Bridge). On this trip, as soon as we cross the bridge, we take the
turning to the left towards the Cuesta de Santo Domingo to see the old
quarter. We can see the mansion known as Rey Moro (Moorish King), the
Palacio de Salvatierra (Salvatierra Palace), the Arch of Philip V, and at the
end the Wall Ruins that defended Ronda so many times throughout its
history, and the Iglesia del Espíritu Santo (Church of the Holy Spirit). From
there, the old Arab Baths can be seen, all surrounded by the Sierra de las
Nieves Natural Park.
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SERRANÍA DE RONDA
THE MARRIAGE ROUTE:
ART-WINE AND WINE-TOURISM
ECOLOGICAL WINE ROUTE
1
2
ARRIATE
The small villages in the
province of Málaga, as is
the case for Arriate, owe to
its churches much of its
artistic heritage.
Bodega de
Federico Schatz
Ruinas de
Acinipo
1
2
3
Cortijo
Los Aguilares
Hotel-Bodega
El Juncal
Bodega
El Chantre
3
4
Bodega
Theodor Conrad
Bodega Descalzos Viejos
5
BENAOJÁN
The church of Nuestra
Señora del Rosario (Our
Lady of Rosary), built in
the 17th century and
remodelled in the 18th and
20th century, is a
wonderful building.
La Cueva del Gato
(El Gato cave)
RONDA
The Serranía de Ronda has
an extraordinary natural
heritage thanks to the
diversity in its ecosystems
and the impressive
geological formations.
SYMBOLS
End of the route
Suggested route
Suggested route
0
5
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WESTERN COAST
The most attractive part of the route is to appeal to your imagination and relive times when men worked beneath a mild sun that fed their vines and
bronzed grape bunches, the sea breezes bringing relief to vines and vinegrowers alike. We are going to travel around a viniculture region that was
large and rich in the past in relation to wines. However, since the 19th
century it has suffered economic setbacks and transformations in farming
that left wine production in second place.
On our trip, we will see how tourism boom in the area has displaced the
vineyards to small strongholds, the majority of which, with an extraordinary
beauty, encircle Manilva.
The Western Coast is proud of its past and does not reject its vineyard
vocation, inherited from the Romans. We will go to the Wine Museum in
Ojén and will taste some good traditional Málaga Wines. We will also see
art and culture, and we will pass through beautiful vineyards that slowly
advance on the hillside until almost touching the sea.
ROUTE ALONG THE GOLDEN REGION
ITINERARY
Ojén: Málaga Wine Museum
Manilva: Route along vineyards and Castillo de la Duquesa
Casares: Baños de la Hedionda
We leave Málaga on the N-340 to Marbella but we can also take the toll
motorway A-7. From the Marbella exit (184) the road A-355 takes us to Ojén.
This town houses the Málaga Wine Museum, an important tourist attraction
for the thousands of visitors that come here every year.
It is located in an 18th century building that had previously housed the old
eau-de-vie distillery. Completely restored, it is one of the most extraordinary
architectonic gems of Costa del Sol.
Visitors, besides getting to know the old distillery with its old still, can see a
collection of old eau-de-vie bottle labels and bottles made in Ojén.
A brief explanation allows us to understand a little better the history of the
famous dry, off-dry, sweet, lágrima, and the rest of the wines made from
muscatel and pedro ximén varieties, and also to try them. The museum
shop sells all the existing types of Málaga Wines.
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Routes: Western Coast
Before leaving Manilva we can see the 16th-century Iglesia de Santa Ana
(Church of Saint Ann), and if we travel towards the beaches of Sabinillas or
the Duquesa Baja, there is the Castillo de la Duquesa (Castle of the
Duchess), by the N-340 road, Km. 149. The Castle stands over the place
where a Roman villa rose in ancient times, part of whose materials were
used in the construction of the castle. Recent excavations have unearthed
remains, hot baths and a necropolis. Surrounding the castle is the district of
the same name.
The place where the Castillo de la Duquesa rises, also known as the Fortín
de Sabinillas (Sabinillas Fortress), has had a long lasting history of coastal
surveillance and defence because from this location, one has a wide view
of the area, very close to the African coast and the Strait of Gibraltar.
Ojén's roots go deep into the Muslim culture, which is apparent in the design
of its narrow and steep streets. We can take a walk around the town after
our visit to the Wine Museum because, as Ojén is on the mountains but very
close to the coast, it has a good number of rivers that cross the district: Real,
Almazán, Del Tejar and Ojén, together with the Gálvez stream and the
ravines of Castillo and El Tajo, which are really charming. As for its
monuments, a large fountain of five jets in the centre of the town and the
church, with a beautiful Mudejar coffered ceiling, stand out.
We leave this place and continue towards Manilva, the core of the vineyards
in the Western Coast. We go along our route to Manilva on foot, feeling the
earth and enjoying the beauty of some vineyards that rise up from a golden
and whitish soil.
We leave the town of Manilva by what is known as "Cuesta del Molino", now
called Padre Mariano street (signposted). If we look towards the left, we see
the hills of Sierra de la Utrera and Hacho de Gaucín. The path narrows as
we get further away from the town. It is not long before we come across the
farmhouse of Padre Mariano, an old building of mellow and unsettling
beauty. Little by little the landscape fills up before our eyes: the end of the
Alcabaleta stream, an abandoned house and some beehives, the peaks of
the Matanza mountains, some old winery, the farmhouse of Linares and the
Sierra Bermeja. Most probably, we will come across a vineyard worker with
whom to talk for a while.
From anywhere in the district of Manilva there are appealing routes to take,
but we have chosen one of the prettiest, the one which allows us to enjoy
the beauty of this region in Málaga.
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We continue on our steep path, and on both sides we can see a rich
vegetation: almond and fig trees, vines, pitas and wild olive trees. A
little afterwards, the path curves sharply to the right, following the
cut of a river terrace that indicates that we have arrived to the
plains. The vegetation is quite different here: canes, blackberries,
ferns and some old poplars. We cross the old irrigation canal,
passing on our left a beautiful entrance flanked by mimosas and
bougainvilleas which is the access to an old flour mill, a lovely
building that has now been remodelled and turned into a house.
In either case, from here we enter the district of Casares. The path
is much narrower. We pass between the pillars of the motorway and
go on driving. Now we can see big flowering oleanders that
separate us from the river, and on the other side, a little wood of
eucalyptus and carob trees. If we want to get to know the
magnificent defile of Canuto de la Utrera and Las Mesas, a little
before arriving at the San Adolfo's Chapel, we have to turn off to the
left. On the rocks lying on the Sierra de la Utrera hillsides sleep,
silent, the memories of past cultures.
When arriving at the crossing of paths by the river, again there are
old poplar trees. From this place the views are lovely: the Sierra de
la Utrera and the Canuto, the narrow but striking defile: it is all calm
and silence. On the other bank of the river, continuing on the old
path of Casares, we pass "La Bodega" and "Ingenio Chico". La
Bodega or "Recreo" is a large construction that gives character to
the environment. It is located to the right of the path to Casares. We
can see its home, still and winery, and on its southern façade there
is a high outer limit wall which creates a beautiful terrace with
palms and other huge trees: the view is impressive. Besides, El
Ingenio Chico (Small Sugar Refinery), a sugar refinery that
belonged to the dukes of Arcos, lies on the left of our path, although
very little is kept: the remains of some of the walls and the aqueduct
for the water that powered the machinery for grinding cane.
We continue on our path by the chapel and some abandoned
holiday houses. Our itinerary is drawing to a close. From here, to
the right it is possible to see the cupola of "Los Baños de la
Hedionda" (La Hedionda Baths), which was a spa whose origin is
uncertain, for history and legend alike have added to its knowlege.
A magnificent place for some relaxation, which keeps some of his
original beauty, rather ruined though.
Arriving here, we can continue the path towards Casares or divert
to the left for the path of Molino towards Hedionda.
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WESTERN COAST
ROUTE ALONG THE GOLDEN REGION
1
3
Málaga Wine
Museum
OJÉN
Visiting the old quarter is a
must, for its architecture is
quite peculiar, its Moorish
streets are charming and
its viewpoints afford
magnificent views.
Baños de la Hedionda
(La Hedionda Baths)
CASARES
It is one of the most
beautiful villages in Spain.
2
SYMBOLS
2
MANILVA
The most outstanding
monument in the district is
the Castle of the Duchess or
Fortín de Sabinillas.
Castillo de la Duquesa
(Castle of the Duchess)
End of the route
Suggested route
Suggested route
0
5
km.
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We are about to consider some aspects related to the Málaga Wine
culture from the religious to the profane: its relation to the popular culture,
gastronomy, health and wisdom, carefully kept in the museums
honouring Málaga Wine.
RELIGIOUS CULTURE:
HOLY WEEK AND HERMANDAD SACRAMENTAL
DE VIÑEROS (WINE-MAKERS SACRAMENTAL
BROTHERHOOD)
The Hermandad Sacramental de Viñeros (Wine-makers Sacramental
6.
Brotherhood) is among the oldest of its kind in the province of Málaga.
Founded in the 17th century, it has been one of the most important
tokens of popular culture concerning the world of wine.
mÁLAGA WINE CULTURE
Wine-makers, apart from being a business trade established by Isabella,
the Catholic Queen, in 1502, are part of a brotherhood devoted to Jesus
of Nazareth. Their saint patron is Saint Lawrence and they also seek the
Holy Grail -the chalice used by Jesus to drink his wine during the Last
Supper- for protection.
RELIGIOUS CULTURE:
HOLY WEEK AND HERMANDAD SACRAMENTAL
DE VIÑEROS (WINE-MAKERS BROTHERHOOD)
WINE AND HEALTH
The Virgin's Thrones and the Christ of Wine-Makers take the streets of the
villages in the province during Holy Week, particularly on Maundy Thursdays.
Both icons can be seen in the Iglesia de las Dominicas (Church of the Dominican
Sisters), in Andrés Pérez street, at the heart of the provincial capital.
MÁLAGA WINE MUSEUM
POPULAR FIESTAS
The Málaga Holy Week has been declared of Tourist National Interest and is among the
most wonderful to see in the whole country.
GLOSSARY
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Wine Culture
From Holy Monday to Easter, Holy Week procession floats representing
scenes of Jesus Christ's Passion and Death are taken into the streets on
"thrones" carried by the so-called "Throne Men" on their shoulders.
Alexander Fleming, during a visit to Andalusia, at the moment when he was
promoting his most renown scientific achievement, said: "These wines have
saved more lives than penicillin."
The floats are beautiful, expressive figures wearing clothes richly
embroidered with golden threads, sitting on mahogany and embossed silver
thrones illuminated by hundreds of candles. The artisans who create the
figures are known as imagineros in Spain, a country that has provided the
world with many great imaginero masters, Salzillo being one of them.
There are many brotherhoods in Málaga. Their "brothers" participate in
religious processions that symbolise faith, devotion and popular feelings.
People from Málaga are joined by visitors in these processions so that the
streets swarm with people in Holy Week.
Luis Pasteur, the founder of modern bacteriology, commented: "Wine is the
best and healthiest drink in the world."
This cultural and religious expression to which the Málaga Wine is linked,
brings us close to it along an almost sacred path.
WINE AND HEALTH
Vine cultivation has walked
along
the
history
of
civilisations, and so wine has
been part of men's life since
many centuries before the
Christian Era. As wine and
men have lived together for so
long, many important men in
history have commented on
the generosity of wine. We will
include some quotations here:
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Hippocrates, recognised as "the father of medicine", claimed that "wine is
perfectly useful to men, both in health and in sickness, when it is
administered at the appropriate times and in the right quantities according
to the individuals' bodily dimensions."
Plato, the Greek philosopher, stated: "Wine may renew our youth, and
through forgetfulness of care, the temper of our souls may lose its hardness
and become softer and more ductile, as iron does over the flame."
Many beneficial effects on health have been attributed to traditional wines
from Málaga. Many believed that wine stimulates appetite and help sick
people to get better.
From the 19th century to mid 20th century, once it was shown that wine was
good for people's health if drunk moderately, laboratories and wineries in
Málaga promoted it among patients, stating that laboratories and prestigious
doctors recommended wine to recover from illness. It was during this period
when wineries started to stick labels on Málaga Wine bottles for the
consumer to know what the benefits of drinking wine were.
Wine Culture
MÁLAGA WINE MUSEUM
T he Palacio de Biedmas (Biedmas Palace), a Neoclassical building
PERMANENT COLLECTION: Labels (1850-1950)
The museum's first floor is dedicated to Málaga Wine. It has
exhibition rooms and an interpreting centre. The collection fo 19th
century labels, donated by Manuel Martínez Molina, and the
collection of bottles are two historic highlights in the museum.
from the 18th century located in the square of the same name, is
home to the Málaga Wine Museum. The museum has 800 m2
distributed in four floors, and it was founded with the aim to share
all the accumulated knowledge on wine, a historical and cultural
heritage that has been linked to the city of Málaga since its
foundation.
Labels mirror their time and, in many cases, are the only witnesses
of the mid-19th-century wine-making business that have come down
to our days. Many labels were created by such prestigious artists
from Málaga as Mowbray, Jiménez Niebla or Bono, which clearly
shows how wine and art are closely related.
The museum's façade is the Palacio de Biedmas's original one, but
the building's external sidewalls were built later. In spite of this, the
whole construction is homogeneous and harmonious. The exterior
structure is the spitting image of wine's history, whose tradition has
been kept as time passed by, leaving its lees and offering its
tradition and old age to contemporary wines.
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The period between 1850 and 1950 was lithography's golden age.
This artistic technique arrived in Málaga only in the second half of
the 19th century, and it soon became a flourishing activity making a
leap and landing on the steps of art.
Wine Culture
LABELS:
Promoting Málaga as a tourist destination
The fact that the first tourism promotions
appeared on wine labels is quite
revealing. When reviewing the history of
Málaga Wine, we mentioned that Málaga
was first known as a name for wine, not
as a city. This is the reason why the first
promotions of Málaga and Andalusia as
tourist destinations appeared on wine
labels.
In fact, there is more than one reason.
First, the main product exported by
Andalusia was wine. Second, there were
anonym artists who stamped a special
seal on labels, a very Spanish one indeed our beautiful women, our villages and customs. Wine and its labels,
exquisitely artistic, transformed Spain into an exotic tourist destination.
People from abroad wanted to see flamenco women and bullfighters in
person, and also to check if the tablaos flamencos (clubs where flamenco is
performed) really were as they were depicted on the labels.
Many artists have left their artistic creation on labels, the most prolific being
Fausto Muñoz, Párraga, Berrocal y Gutiérrez.
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Málaga Wine as healing wine
The vast collection of labels (1850-1950), a permanent collection exhibited
at the museum, is a summary of all the virtues attributed to Málaga Wine.
Even if the collection does not reflect a scientific survey, it is a historical set
of documents, and a curious one, indeed.
Among the virtues attributed to Málaga Wine that appear on the labels we
can see: it warms, feeds, brings joy, keeps sickness and sorrow away,
accompanies cyclists and hunters, alleviates pain, stimulates appetite,
sharpens your vision, heals, softens your skin, promotes kindness, purifies
thick blood, increases men's strength and vigour, heals women after
childbirth, improves business skills, is an effective remedy to treat heart
palpitation, eliminates bad breath… The labels also read that the bottle
content has healing effects on sadness, typhus fever, rickets, gastric
disorders, flu, hysteria, appetite loss, fever, indigestion, dizziness, malaria,
stomach ache, migraine, anorexia nervosa, war trauma… quite a
comprehensive list!
COLLECTION OF WINE BOTTLES
The rich and vast collection of wine bottles, the majority of which date back
to the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, were
donated by wineries and private collectors. Their historical value lies in the
fact that Málaga Wine was one of the few bottled wines at that moment.
Wine Culture
INTERACTIVE POSTERS
In this area in the museum, you can look at the interactive posters
explaining the different methods to make Málaga Wine and its relation to
history, literature, music and arts in general.
SENSORY WORKSHOP
In the interactive sensory workshop you can feel the different aspects of
wine through your senses.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
In the Museum's upper floor there is a training area. The museum's staff
promote courses in wine tasting, wine and food matching, viticulture and
enology, targeted at the following sectors: hotel and catering trade, students
and the general public; in short, these courses are aimed at training anyone
who is interested in going into the sophisticated world of wine.
In sum, the Málaga Wine Museum is a place to show the richness of our
wines, from Málaga to the world.
SHOP
In the museum's shop you can buy Málaga Wine, books and accessories
related to the world of wine.
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Wine Culture
MÁLAGA WINE AND POPULAR FIESTAS
MOLLINA (CONORTHERN REGION)
Wine participates in everyday activities and culture of villages in the
province of Málaga. There are numerous fiestas throughout the year which
prove that this is so.
MÁLAGA:
August Fiesta
In the Málaga Fiesta celebrations, Málaga Wine
is one of the main characters, an honour guest,
in fact. In these days, Málaga triples its
population. The city's streets swarm with people
wearing polka-dot dresses and dancing
sevillanas (popular dance originated in Seville),
who, together with flamenco clapping, bring joy
to the city. Casetas (marquees where you can
eat tapas, have lunch or dinner while watching a
show) are built in the fair premises, which you
can reach by taking route N-340 from Málaga to
Torremolinos.
We will transcribe here the words pronounced in the 2000 Fiesta opening
speech by Antonio Garrido Moraga:
"Málaga is our wine, the glory of the Mountains, famous the world over,
mentioned by Shakespeare, a wine that benefited from tax exemption in
Russia (…). Wine, which has the sun enclosed in the grape it is made from,
the grape in its perfect and infinite circle, an eternal figure which leaves its
intoxicating flavour forever. Our wine is here to toast honouring the fiesta
and bringing joy to everybody's hearts."
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Feria de la Vendimia (Fiesta of the Vine
Harvest): by mid September, Mollina, a
village which spends most of its time in
viticulture all the year round, celebrates a
magnificent Fiesta de la Vendimia (Fiesta of
the Vine Harvest). The harvest is
particularly important to vine-growers, for it
is the culmination of the efforts made during
so many months, a moment when they can
see the land bearing the fruit that men pick
through hard work. This is why the harvest
is celebrated with great joy. During the
Fiesta, visitors can taste wine, watch the
process of grape crushing and listen to
poems which take wine as their poetic
theme and are presented at a poem contest.
The history of Mollina is a history of wine days that can be learned by
reviewing the opening speeches of the fiestas celebrated in recent years.
The following are some examples:
Antonio Gala, who inaugurated the 1990 event, said: "Yours is a stimulating
wine, generous, with a lovely aroma, sweet and sometimes dry. In other
words, it resembles a kiss. Its colour ranges between the light colour of
topaz and the darker colour of amber. Your wine serves well people of all
trades, it is useful to drown our sorrows as well as to highlight our
happiness. I remember it very well, since it was the first wine I drank when
I was young, and it has never ever brought bitter feelings to my soul."
Juan Cobos Wilkins, the writer who inaugurated the 2003 event, wrote in
his own handwriting on one of the vats belonging to the Cooperativa Virgen
de la Oliva wine nursery: "Wine is liquid poetry".
Wine Culture
CÓMPETA (AXARQUÍA)
Lagar de Torrijos: Fiesta of the Wine Harvest and the first must.
The fiesta is celebrated on a Saturday in late September, depending on
when the harvest is carried out. It is busy day which starts very early in
the morning. At 6 o'clock in the morning, some bakers start preparing
cateto bread (rustic bread) which is baked before the visitors' eyes. It is
usually eaten after soaking it in olive oil. At noon, the grape is crushed
in the press by foot and then, the press of Lagar de Torrijos comes back
to life, as active as it used to be in the old days, to make the must that
visitors can taste.
Verdiales (traditional singing and dancing from Málaga) are performed
to the sound of tambourines, guitars, violins, and the big paella for
lunch is prepared on burners.
The event has not a fixed day every year, this is why you need to phone
Lagar de Torrijos or the Consejería de Medio Ambiente (Ministry of
Environment): 95 204 11 00.
The Noche del Vino (Wine's Night) is celebrated on 15 August within the
context of the Axarquía's Folk Festival. The Fiesta lasts all day long: in the
morning, grapes are foot-crushed and then, the more than six thousand
visitors are asked to taste bread with grape and cod. Flamenco singers
provide entertainment and a music show is performed in the evening.
EL BORGE (AXARQUÍA)
The Día de la Pasa (Raisins' Day) is celebrated on the third Sunday of
September.
ATAJATE (RONDA)
The Fiesta of the Must is celebrated on the last Saturday of November.
Atajate, a village in the Serranía de Ronda, is the smallest in the
province of Málaga, with a population of only 187. During the Fiesta, the
population increases four-fold due to the visitors who come over from
nearby villages and to tourists visiting Ronda in November. A festival is
held in the village's square; everybody is invited to taste the musts
produced by the different vines, and wine is sold in the streets.
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The village has a population of 1,000, but on the village's fiesta day, more
than 5,000 people come over to enjoy the festivity. They are served wine
and gazpacho (a chilled soup made with chopped tomatoes, peppers,
cucumbers, onions and herbs). There is also a demonstration of how the
vine harvest is gathered: how the baskets are carried to the paseros (sundrying trays) where they are laid for dehydration. Dance and music pervade
the village for the visitors delight.
Wine Culture
GLOSSARY
Aroma: Set of volatile substances that contribute to the complex fragrance
of wine, must or grape.
Grape syrup (arrope): a dark brown syrup obtained by partial dehydration
of must through direct heating.
Sun-drying (asoleo): ancient tradition preserved in Málaga consisting in
laying grapes in the sun for dehydration and concentration of sugar. Sundried grapes are used in Málaga to make several traditional wines.
Barrel (bota): vats in which DO Málaga or traditional wine is stored for
ageing.
Maceration: a technique for producing red wines through contact of the
must or wine with grape skins in order to extract colouring, flavour and
aromas from them.
Pago: plot of land or estate, especially with vines or olive orchards.
Paseros: farming building used to lay grapes for sun-drying.
Overripen grape: grape that has been dehydrated to increase sugar
content. It can be obtained on the vine, by delaying the moment of
harvesting, or by sun drying.
Soleras: when ageing wine, it is periodically drawn from the lower barrels
or soleras which never move, and refreshed with an equal quantity of wine
from a criadera or barrel above. The name solera is derived from the fact
that traditionally the last casks used in this phase are those nearest to the
ground (suelo in Spanish).
Bouquet: aged wine aroma.
Blending (ensamblaje): mixing of base wines to make DO Málaga wine.
Alcoholic fermentation: transformation of the sugars in the grape must
into alcohol, carbon dioxide, and smaller quantities of many other
substances.
Author wine or exclusive wine: exclusive wine elaborated in a winery at a
low total case production.
Malolactic fermentation: transformation of malic acid into lactic acid
through the action of certain bacteria.
Base wine: wine that can be used for consumption or to blend and obtain a
different final wine.
Lágrima Must (literally, tear must): grape juice obtained naturally from
bunches without external pressure. It is used to make lágrima wine.
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Wine Culture
Málaga Wine displays all its potential when combined with food, a notion
that we need to understand in order to know what the concept of
gastronomic culture means and to enjoy better a human common
activity: eating.
Eating is a primary function shared with animals, but men can learn
how to enhance the senses involved in eating and drinking (tasting,
touching, smelling and seeing) in order to delight in them.
m
7. ÁLAGA WINE AND
GASTRONOMY
HOW TO DRINK MÁLAGA WINE
MATCHING MÁLAGA WINE AND FOOD
MÁLAGA WINE IN THE KITCHEN
SHOPPING GUIDE:
WHERE TO BUY AND WHERE TO DRINK
MÁLAGA WINE
For instance, wine tasters, or sommeliers, will know how to determine
the quality of a product and will perceive more features through their
senses than a lay person. There are some important factors that affect
how we perceive wine and food, such as food and wine matching, the
flatware, the glassware and also the people who share the table with
us, for eating is a social activity.
In sum, the more we train our senses and care about the details, the
more we will enjoy our food and wine, something that is better appreciated
by those with a certain gastronomic culture. Gastronomic culture can be
ranked down up to the animal status, where eating is not aimed at delighting
oneself on but only at using it as a means of survival, and is usually done
alone and without any flatware or elements of the sort. Maybe we will find it
difficult to try to explain this to someone who does not care about cultural forms;
we could compare it with the attempt to explain a symphony to someone who is
hearing impaired.
PICASSO AND MÁLAGA WINE
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Wine and Gastronomy
Málaga Wine is made with complex, traditional methods that have been
handed down for centuries. In order to get acquainted with this wine, you
have to know it, come closer to it and let your senses, namely, seeing,
tasting, touching and smelling, receive the corresponding stimuli.
We will provide some advice for visitors who have already arrived in this
sophisticated world of wine can enjoy what they have learned once the go
back home.
HOW TO DRINK MÁLAGA WINE
When drinking a DO Málaga Wine, you should use a catavinos, a sherry
glass that is an elongated glass with a long stem. However, when tasting a
DO Sierras de Málaga Wine (white, rosé or red), you should use a standard
crystal wineglass. These are the perfect glasses to keep the wines' magical
flavour.
Another aspect you should pay attention to is the serving temperature,
which varies according to the wine ageing: the younger the wine, the cooler
the serving temperature.
Dulce Pálido or sweet Pale wine (young), Málaga (6 to 24 months ageing),
and Málaga Noble (2 to 3 years ageing) are served at between 50 and 53º
F. Málaga Añejo (3 to 5 years ageing) and Málaga Trasañejo or fully mature
Málaga (over 5 years ageing) are best served at 57 up to 64º F.
As for the DO Sierras de Málaga dry wine, young white wine is served
at 43 to 46º F. If they have been aged in wood barrels, they are served
a bit warmer, at 50 to 53º F. Red young wine is best served in the 53 to
57º F range, whereas aged red wine requires a serving temperature of
59 to 64º F.
When tasting many different wines, it is better to start with the younger
wines and drinking the aged wines after.
A nice alternative drink consists of sweet Málaga Wine served with soda on
the rocks in a standard soft drink glass.
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Wine and Gastronomy
MATCHING MÁLAGA WINE AND FOOD
Matching wine means looking for the perfect liquid - solid pair, that is,
for a good combination between what you drink and what you eat. For
quality wine should match nicely with food, as we already mentioned
when we discussed gastronomic culture.
There are some general rules to be followed: wine and food colours
should belong to the same chromatic range. This is why we take white
wine with fish and red wine with meat.
We will make a few suggestions on Málaga Wine and how to match it
with food:
DO Málaga pale muscatel (young) matches appetisers, foie gras or
canapés. The contrast between sweet wine and salty food works well
on your palate.
This wine can also be drunk with desserts that are not too sweet,
especially light coloured ones, such as fruit crepes, fruit salad, ham and
melon or milk cream mille feuilles.
DO Málaga pedro ximén, aged wine, marries the following desserts:
chocolate cake, chocolate crepe, chocolate truffle, blue cheese or goat
cheese from the Serranía de Ronda.
DO Sierras de Málaga
young white wine is the
perfect match for a wide
variety of dishes from
Málaga,
such
as
ajoblanco (a creamy soup
made with almonds,
bread crumb, garlic, olive
oil and vinegar), porra
antequerana (similar to
ajoblanco
with
the
addition of tomato, ham
and
boiled
eggs),
boquerones (anchovies in
vinegar),
cachorreña
(soup made with bread
crumb, orange, and
garlic) or Málaga salad
(potato, cod, onion,
orange, olives and olive
oil).
The following recipes are true Málaga's gastronomic gems, easy to
prepare and excellent to accompany Málaga Wine:
DO Málaga añejo and trasañejo (with no residual sugar) are made
from pedro ximén and muscatel varieties. They are good after-dinner
drinks with high alcohol content that can be drunk instead of distilled
liqueurs; besides, they are healthier.
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Wine and Gastronomy
AJOBLANCO
PORRA ANTEQUERANA
BOQUERONES MALAGUEÑOS
Ingredients:
-150 g (5 oz) raw almonds
-3 garlic cloves
-300 g (10 oz) breadcrumb
-1 cup olive oil
-vinegar, salt
-muscatel grapes
Ingredients:
-1 kg (2 lb) skinned red ripe tomato
-1 garlic clover
-½ large round loaf
-olive oil
-lemon
-salt
-hard-boiled egg
-cured ham
Ingredients:
-1 kg (2 lb) anchovies
-vinegar
-garlic
-parsley
Preparation:
Soak breadcrumb and blend together with
almonds, oil, vinegar, salt and some water until
creamy. Add cold water, chill in the refrigerator or
add some ice cubes. Serve with muscatel
grapes.
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Preparation:
Scoop out tomato seeds. Put them in mixer
together with chopped peppers, garlic, oil lemon
and salt. Mix until creamy. Chill and sparkle
some ham and egg finely chopped on top
editorial
. Málaga
Wine and Gastronomy
Preparation:
Clean anchovies, cut off head and spine. Soak
anchovies in vinegar for 12 to 24 hours. Drain
and put on a tray. Season with finely chopped
garlic, parsley, lemon juice and olive oil.
CACHORREÑAS
(one of the oldest dishes of Málaga cuisine)
MÁLAGA SALAD
Ingredients:
-1 tomato
-1 pepper
-½ onion
-½ kg (1 lb) cod (desalted)
-1 kg (2 lb) potatoes
-cumin, pepper, clove, garlic
-soaked bread
-olive oil
-paprika
-sour orange (cachorreña)
Preparation:
Cook tomato, onion, pepper and cod in a casserole with water, 10'. Add
sliced potatoes. Leave until potatoes are tender. Grind cumin, whole pepper,
clove and garlic in a mortar. Mix tomato, bread, ground species, olive oil and
paprika in the blender. Pour the blender content in the casserole and cook
for a short while. Serve warm with sour orange (cachorreña) juice.
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Ingredients:
-1 kg (2 lb) tomato
-½ kg (1 lb) cod (desalted)
-2 oranges
-1 tomato
-spring onions
-olive oil
-broken olives
Preparation:
Cook cod for 10'. Add sliced potatoes. Cook until tender. Drain off. Place
potatoes and flaked cod in a salad bowl. Sprinkle chopped tomato, spring
onions, cut orange and olives. Season with olive oil, slat and lemon juice.
Wine and Gastronomy
There are many types of málaga wines, which brings you the possibility
of choosing the one you prefer to open or close your meal.
You will find suggest some interesting wine and food pairings below:
Málaga Boquerones (anchovies) with baked peppers can be
eaten accompanied with a DO Sierras de Málaga young white
wine made from slim-berry muscatel (70%) and chardonnay
(30%) grown in the Northern Region.
DO Málaga pale (young), naturally sweet (no alcohol added)
single-varietal Muscatel from Alexandria made in Axarqía
goes well with foie gras served as an appetiser, and also with a
dessert called leche frita (a kind of flan). The colour and texture
combination is superb.
Cabbage with black pudding and sausage is perfectly paired
with DO Sierras de Málaga young red single-varietal syrah.
Vin de liqueur made from pedro ximén grapes (85%), vino
tierno (partially fermented) muscatel and grape syrup (5%) is
delicious with fruits.
Dry, fully mature single-varietal (pedro ximén) vin de liqueur
tastes beautifully when accompanied by truffles.
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Wine and Gastronomy
MÁLAGA WINE IN THE KITCHEN
PEARS AU VIN
A glass of wine can make you recall all the happy moments you had when
travelling around Málaga. We dedicate the recipes that follow to the
thousands of visitors coming to Málaga every year. All these dishes are easy
to prepare and they include Málaga Wine as their main ingredient, and can
be accompanied with the same type of wine used to prepare them.
Certainly, a bottle of Málaga Wine is a perfect souvenir to bring back home.
Ingredients:
-6 skinned pears
-150 g (5 oz) sugar
-½ cup Málaga Wine
-½ cup water
For the cream:
-¼ cup Málaga Wine
-100 g (3.5 oz) icing sugar
-6 yolks
-2 cups milk
-1 cup milk cream
-1 tablespoon butter
-1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
MELON AND RAISINS SOUP
Ingredients:
-2 kg (4 lb) melon
-1 cup milk cream
-100 g (3.5 oz) Málaga raisins
-salt
-sugar
-1 glass pedro ximén wine
Preparation:
Put sugar, Málaga Wine, water and pears in a casserole over the flame.
Cook until pears are tender.
Preparation:
Cut melon in two halves, scoop out the meat. Soak raisins in wine. Chop
melon. Add milk cream. Sprinkle salt and sugar. Mash the mix.
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To prepare the cream, mix all the ingredients in a casserole. Cook for 7',
stirring continuously. Pour cream on a serving dish and place pears in a fan
shape on it.
Wine and Gastronomy
BORRACHUELOS DE MÁLAGA (BRANDY PASTRY)
ROSCOS DE VINO DE MÁLAGA (MÁLAGA'S DOUGHNUTS)
Ingredients:
-1,250 kg (2.8 lb) flour
-90 g (3 oz) sugar
-1 teaspoon sesame seeds
-1 teaspoon fennel seeds
-2 cups brandy
-1 ½ cups Málaga Wine
-1 cup olive oil
Ingredients:
-1 kg (2 lb) lard
-300 g (0.7 lb) sugar
-1 cup sweet Málaga Wine
-500 g (1 lb) praline
-sesame seeds
-toasted almonds and hazelnuts
-2 kg (4 lb) plain flour
-200 g (0.5 lb) self raising flour
Preparation:
Knead flour and the other ingredients until dough is soft (add wine and
brandy if necessary).
Leave at room temperature for a few minutes. Prepare small balls 15 or 20
g (0.4 to 0.5 oz) each. Extend with a rolling pin to make strips 12 cm long
and 3 mm thick, leaving the ends somewhat thicker.
Preparation:
Knead flour and the other ingredients until dough is compact.
Make small balls 15 or 20 g (0.4 to 0.5 oz) each. Prepare rings. Bake in
preheated oven 160ºC (290ºF) until done.
Leave until cold. Sprinkle with icing sugar
Put some sweet pumpkin filling on the strips and roll, joining the ends. Deep
fry in hot oil.
Sprinkle with sugar or honey dissolved in water.
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Wine and Gastronomy
SHOPPING GUIDE:
WHERE TO BUY AND WHERE TO DRINK MÁLAGA WINE
PICASSO AND MÁLAGA WINE
DO Málaga Wine can be purchased at wine shops, department stores, bars,
chapter on gastronomic
culture without mentioning
the Málaga-born genius
Pablo
Picasso.
He
considered Málaga Wine
as an element that linked
him closely to his
homeland, despite his
living far from it. When
Málaga celebrated the
opening of the Picasso Museum in 2003, Málaga Wine was present at the
toast.
restaurants and wineries that sprinkle the wine routes in Málaga.
Málaga Wine has always had its bad copies which will be of lower quality
and will fail to please your taste buds. Whenever you order a Málaga Wine
at a restaurant, check it is bottled, for all DO Málaga Wines come in bottles
with labels providing precise information. However, taverns along wine
routes may offer wine they store in barrels.
Some people refer to some other drinks as Málaga Wine, but this is just a
misleading term to refer to them, for the drink they refer to is a very sweet
aromatic muscatel juice which has nothing to do with the true DO Málaga
Wine.
The places recommended in the wine routes' section offer the Málaga Wine
that is worth tasting.
We could not close this
Among Picasso's memories, there is a letter (published in Buena Mesa
magazine, a publication for gourmets) where we can read about the
gastronomic secrets of this painter in love with light, the most universal of
the artists born in Málaga. The following passage is an excerpt from this
letter, which shows Picasso's deep feelings for Spanish culture and,
particularly, for Andalusian perfumes and colours. Quitapenas, a type of
Málaga Wine is also mentioned in it.
You know, we never speak in Spanish at home, but when we came back
from Spain, some friends of us, smelling of jasmine and citrus fragrance,
brought some delights with them: a Quitapenas, ham, chorizo, del Mono
anisette, Málaga raisins… We learned some words full of aroma, of
flavour…
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. Málaga
Wine and Gastronomy
Out of the 5,000 ha vineyards in the province of
Málaga, 1,200 produce the grapes that are used to
make the wines classified as DO Málaga and DO
Sierras de Málaga. All of them are supervised by the
Control Board, whose aim is to check quality and
promote the image of Málaga Wines.
The first case of a control board for both Designations was included in
the 1502 Royal Bond sealed by the Catholic Kings, acknowledging the
prerogatives of the wine-growers of Málaga, and which constituted the
first regulations for the Málaga Wine. The current Control Board was
created in 1933.
Recent Changes in the Control Board's Regulations
The most recent revolution in the Málaga's vinicultural sector started to
develop in the 1980's when new varieties were cultivated that gave rise
to the birth of the DO Sierras de Málaga in 2001, in which dry wines are
included: quality red, rosé and white wines. The wines made from grapes
cultivated in Ronda come under the Serranía de Ronda subdesignation.
So now, the DO Málaga, with its traditionally liqueur and naturally sweet
wines, is no longer the only DO in the province.
t
8. HE CONTROL BOARD FOR
DESIGNATIONS OF ORIGIN
MÁLAGA AND SIERRAS DE
MÁLAGA
The regulations of the Control Board were modified in 2001, allowing wine to be
aged in the area of production, and not only in the district of Málaga, as had been
required previously. This meant more flexibility, so some wine producers have moved
their establishments to the interior of the province, closer to the vineyards.
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. Control
Board
DO MÁLAGA AND DO SIERRAS DE MÁLAGA
The Málaga Designation of Origin includes liqueur wines with alcohol
levels from 15 to 20% vol. and the naturally sweet wines over 13% vol.,
produced from overripe grapes and whose alcohol comes exclusively from
fermentation.
The Designation of Origin Sierras de Málaga includes white, rosé and red
wines with alcohol level lower than 15% volume.
ACCEPTED GRAPE VARIETIES
The varieties accepted by the Control Board for Málaga and Sierras de
Málaga Designations of Origin are:
Pedro ximén: It is the most widespread variety, and its annual production
totals nearly 5 million kilos. This variety is also known by other names that
have evolved from the original: pero ximén or pedro jiménez. The areas of
production are the Northern Region and the Mountains.
Pedro ximén is a variety of Vitis vinifera. Its trunk is vigorous with upright
thick and branchy shoots. Its leaves are small and the bunches are
numerous. The grape is meaty, small and very sweet, covered by a thin skin.
Muscatel: The cultivation of this variety gives an annual production of
1,500,000 kg. There are various types of muscatel. First, the muscatel of
Alexandria, also called muscatel of Málaga, which predominates in the
Western Coast, the Mountains and Axarquía. Remarkable for its aromatic
qualities, it can be used either for making wine, to eat as a dessert or for
making raisins.
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. Control
Second, the Moorish muscatel, that of a slim berry, which grows mainly in
the Northern Region. From this variety strongly perfumed wine is produced.
There are also other varieties appropriate for wines under the status of DO
Málaga: lairen, doradilla and rome.
For the production of DO Sierras de Málaga wines, in addition to the
traditional grapes used to make DO Málaga wines, the following varieties
are used: chardonnay, macabeo, sauvignon blanc and colombard (lightskinned grapes) and rome, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah, tempranillo,
garnacha, cabernet franc, pinot noir and petit verdot (dark-skinned grapes).
Board
w
9. INERIES AND WINE
TASTING
WINERIES FROM AXARQUÍA
WINERIES FROM THE MOUNTAINS OF MÁLAGA
WINERIES FROM THE NORTHERN REGION
WINERIES FROM THE SERRANÍA DE RONDA
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. Wineries
and Wine Tasting
WINERIES FROM AXARQUÍA
BODEGA DIMOBE S.L.
Address: Ctra. de Almáchar, s/n
Moclinejo (Málaga)
Phone: 952 400 594
Fax: 952 400 743
Owners: Muñoz Family
Production volume: 50,000 l
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GRAPES:
Light-skinned varieties: Muscatel
Purchased Grape: Yes
Summary background
This winery is located in the urban area of Moclinejo. It was founded in 1927
by the current owners' grandfather.
The vineyard
The winery has 8,000 vines in its own vienyard, bordering Almáchar, and
some paseros nearby the winery. The firm purchases grapes from many
estates in Axarquía because it has traditionally been a wine producer
winery.
Related information
Next to the producing area there is a Wine Museum, with singular items on
display. It also has a shop where visitors can buy bottles of the brands
traded by the winery
The winery
Dimobe is in full blossom, launching new brands into the market and caring
about the facilities' updating. Apart from providing it with cutting-edge
technology, in line with modern wineries, its owners are focusing on wine
tourism, and have renewed its external looking for this reason. Inside the
winery, whose walls feature such traditional materials as exposed bricks and
wood, visitors will see a huge press 800 kg in weight that had been
abandoned in a vineyard in the Mountains.
WINES:
DO Sierras de Málaga Brands:
El Lagar de Cabrera, young white
DO Málaga Brands:
Señorío de los Broches, pale
Zumbral and Valmoclin
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. Wineries
from Axarquía
BODEGA ALMIJARA
Address: Ctra. de Canillas de Albaida, s/n
29754 Cómpeta (Málaga)
Phone. 952 553 285
Owners: José Avila
Production volume: 25,000 l bottled wine
GRAPES:
Light-skinned varieties: Muscatel
Purchased Grape: Yes, to local vine growers
The vineyard
Grapes are selected by José Avila himself from different vineyards, since
muscatel vines are not always the same even if they grow in the same
vineyard. They vary depending on the height, the sun light or shade, etc.
Grape selection adds complexity to the wine
The winery
Wines produced in Almijara are author wines. All four brands produced in
this winery have something unique, as explained below. Here, everything in
the production process is made with great care. Cutting-edge cold pressing
technology is used with a very old press to obtain the must.
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Summary background
The rich and complex history of this winery has had its up and downs, in line
with the historical events that marked the 20th century. In the 80's, after
several attempts, José Avila decided to focus again on wine production.
After a lot of hard work in the winery, and just by chance, Jorge Ordóñez, a
Málaga-born gastronomy expert residing in Boston, visited the winery and
found one of its wines excellent. Ordóñez then returned accompanied by
Telmo Rodiguez, a winery owner from La Rioja, who quickly realises that in
that remote village of Axarquía he had just discovered a milestone in the
world of wine. José Avila and Telmo agreed upon making good wine,
whatever the cost was, and thus established a partnership. Following this
philosophy, Bodega Almijara discarded several harvests before launching its
four star brands with the quality it was seeking since its foundation.
Related information
There is a shop to purchase wine and other products from the Axarquía
region.
WINES:
Jarel, dry young white
DO Málaga Brands:
Jarel, naturally sweet; Molino Real; and MR (Cía. de Vinos Telmo
Rodríguez)
from Axarquía
fichas
BODEGA ALMIJARA
files
Molino Real DO. Sierras de Málaga
Variety: Muscatel.
Ageing: In oak barrels.
Characteristics: This is a yema (Spanish word, literally "yolk", for the
first portion of must obtained through a straining process without the pulp
being subjected to any mechanical pressure), almost lágrima wine,
which means that the grape pressing is very gentle. A novel method has
been introduced to make this wine, trying to recreate the wine produced
before, but caring for its quality with the use of new technologies and
letting it age for some time. Tradition lies in the selection of grapes from
very old vines, between 100 and 150 years old, grafted after the
phylloxera infection. Then, the asepsis involved throughout the
elaboration process allows the aroma and limpidity to linger in the mouth
and ensures the production of a flawless wine.
Marriage: Molino Real marriage is very wide, and is still open to further
possibilities. This wine is recommended for foie, blue cheese, modern
cuisine, magret.
87
Jarel seco DO. Sierras de Málaga
Jarel and MR. DO Málaga
Variety: Muscatel.
Ageing: Young.
Characteristics: This wine was the first dry muscatel wine produced in
Málaga. The 2000 vintage was the first one. This is a young wine that
keeps the typical aroma of muscatel.
Marriage: Fish and seafood.
The two naturally sweet wines of Bodegas Almijara are Jarel and MR,
produced with an ensamble of grapes exposed to the sun. No
naturally sweet wines are produced (adding alcohol to stop
fermentation). These are tasty, citrus wines that offer freshness to the
palate.
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. Wineries
from Axarquía
WINERIES FROM THE MOUNTAINS OF MÁLAGA
ANTIGUA CASA DE GUARDIA
Address: Ctra. Olías-Comares s/n. Finca El
Romerillo (Bda. De Olías). 29197 Málaga
Phone: 952 030 714 y 679 752 718
Fax: 952 252 150
Owners: Garijo Family
Production volume: 5,000 l bottled wine and
40,000 l for distributing in taverns in the city of
Málaga
GRAPES:
Variedades: Pedro ximén, muscatel, sauvignon blanc and
chardonnay (light-skinned grapes); cabernet-sauvignon and syrah
(dark-skinned grapes)
Purchased Grape: Yes
The vineyard
The production in Romerillo and Letría, the two vineyards belonging to
Antigua Casa de Guardia, totals 10,000 kg. Letría covers 6 ha and is 30
years old. Some parts of the terrain are vertical, with slopes over 80%.
Romerillo has an area of 7 ha and the slope is not as steep as Letría's.
In 2003, one hectare was seeded with other varieties: cabernet sauvignon
and syrah (dark-skinned grapes), and sauvignon blanc and chardonnay
(light-skinned grapes). A portion of the muscatel and pedro ximén vines are
head trained, thanks to the construction of specific plots. The remainder is
heroic or steep slope cultivation, that is, grapes are picked by hand, and are
transported to the premises on beasts of burden.
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The winery
After stemming and crushing the grapes, the must is put in underground
containers. Then it is transferred to stainless steel deposits for controlled
fermentation. Ageing takes place in red oak barrels for a period of 10 to 15
years. The reason for this is that wines in this area do not require so much
wood, and the barrels are used mainly as containers where the wine is
gradually and slowly oxidised. Ageing is carried out through the static aging
system, and wine remains for 6 to 24 month in the barrels. For more mature
wines, the system of criaderas and soleras is used. In this way, the quality
of the product launched into the market is always the same.
Summary background
Antigua Casa de Guardia was founded in 1840, but the premises as they
stand today are from 1965, when the current owners' grandfather acquired
Romerillo and Letría, two very old vineyards that had survived the fateful
phylloxera that arrived in the late 19th century. Then he planted new vines
with native varieties: pedro ximén and muscatel.
Related information
The former labour house now hosts a Wine Museum. The winery has a shop
where wines produced there can be bought.
WINES:
DO Málaga Brands:
Málaga moscatel; Pajarete 1908; Pedro Ximén 1908; Dulce Garijo;
Moscatel Guinda; Isabel II; Verdiales Seco; Verdiales Cream.
No
. Wineries from the Mountains of Málaga
fichasMoscatel Málaga. DO Málaga
ANTIGUA CASA DE GUARDIA
files
Varieties: 75% big-berry muscatel or Alexandria muscatel, and 25%
pedro ximén.
Alcohol: 16º vol.
Aging: Noble.
Tasting: This is a dark amber-coloured wine, with an intense golden
tone, transparent. It has a wide intensity, and it is harmonious and
persistent in the nose, with aroma of fine wood and raisins. It is velvety
in the nose, with a great balance between sweetness and a fine acidity.
It feels good in the mouth. Persistent.
Marriage: This wine perfectly matches pasta and chocolate desserts.
Serving temperature, between 16°C and 18°C.
Pajarete 1908. DO Málaga
Pedro Ximén 1908. DO Málaga
Origin: Olías.
Varieties: 100% pedro ximén.
Alcohol: 16º vol.
Ageing: Fully mature.
Tasting: This wine is dark amber and transparent. It has an intense
bouquet with the aroma of fine wood and raisins. It has a smooth
aftertaste.
Marriage: Pedro Ximén 1908 perfectly matches blue cheese and foie.
Serving temperature, between 16°C and 18°C.
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Origin: Olías.
Alcohol: 16º vol.
Aging: Fully mature.
Tasting: This is a dark amber-coloured wine, transparent. It has an
intense bouquet with aromas of dried figs and prunes. It is velvety and
smooth in the mouth, balanced. The flavour of raisins re-emerges at the
retronasal passage.
Marriage: The combination of quince jelly and goat cheese with
Pajarete 1908 is perfect. Serving temperature, between 16°C and 18°C.
BODEGAS QUITAPENAS
Address: Ctra. Guadalmar nº 12, polígono
Industrial Villarosa. 29004 Málaga
Phone: 952 347 595
Fax: 952 105 138
Owners: Suárez Family
Related information
This winery was awarded the gold medal for the 10-year-old fully mature
Viejo Abuelo in the 2002 International Wine Fair. It was the first winery to
open its doors to visitors during the 1960's tourist boom, thus occupying a
niche in the tours offered by tourist agencies.
GRAPES:
Varieties: Muscatel and pedro ximén
Purchased Grape: Yes, all of it
The vineyard
This winery makes wine but it does not own any vineyard.
The winery has a wide variety of wines and other typical products from the
Málaga region for sale: raisins, dried figs and olive oil.
The winery
Bodegas Quitapenas produces Málaga Wines from the following
varieties: muscatel from Axarquía, and pedro ximén from the
Northern Region. The premises to produce the wine are located in
the Northern Region, and then the wine is aged in Bodega El Palo
through the criaderas and soleras dynamic system. This winery
produces young, pale wines, traditional Málaga Wines, and quality
mature wines.
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Summary background
The current owners' grandfather -an expert wine producer- went bankrupt
when the phylloxera came to the region. He settled in Málaga and opened
a restaurant in El Palo. With his good mood and experience, soon he started
producing wine from grapes grown in the Mountains. In 1880 he founded the
winery, which nowadays is one of the emblematic companies in El Palo.
Before having its current name, the winery was called Hijos de José Suárez
y Villalba.
editorial
WINES:
DO Málaga Brands:
Moscatel Dorado, Moscatel Málaga, Málaga Oro Viejo,
Málaga Dulce, Viejo Abuelo and Lagrima Christi
DO Sierras de Málaga Brands: Vegasol
BODEGA LÓPEZ HERMANOS
Address: Canadá, 10 -Polígono El Viso
29006 Málaga
Phone: 952 319 454 / Fax: 952 359819
Owners: Rafael and Juan Ignacio de Burgos
López
Production volume: 3,5 million l per year
Summary background
The current owners are Salvador López López's grandsons. Salvador and
his brother Francisco were the founders of this winery, closely linked to the
Málaga Wine history.
Investment on the premises and smart marketing strategies have led the
company to the highest production and trading levels since the 60's.
Related information
Visitors can buy all the wines produced in the winery.
GRAPES:
Varieties: Pedro ximén and muscatel (light-skinned grapes)
and syrah (dark-skinned grapes).
Purchased Grape: Yes.
The vineyard
The vineyard consists of 500 hectares belonging to Finca Vista Hermosa,
located in Fuente de Piedra (the Northern Region).
The winery
López Hermanos is a symbol in the Designation of Origin. The winery
receives the base wines that have been made in Inversiones Santa Ana, a
subsidiary company located in Fuente de Piedra (in the Northern Region).
Once in the Málaga premises, wines are blended and enter the maturing
and ageing processes. This winery was founded in 1885 and has been
passed through generations, growing steadily but not losing the familiar
atmosphere that has been its characteristic feature since it was born.
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WINES:
DO Málaga Brands:
Málaga Virgen, Cartojal, Moscatel Iberia, Tres Leones, Sol de
Málaga, Trajinero, Chorrera, Pedro Ximén Reserva de Familia,
Moscatel Reserva de Familia; and fully mature wines: Seco
Trasañejo, Don Salvador Moscatel and Don Juan Pero Ximén
Barón de Rivero
fichasMálaga Virgen. DO Málaga
BODEGA LÓPEZ HERMANOS
files
Varieties: Pedro ximén (with different degrees of exposure to the sun).
Alcohol: 17% vol.
Ageing: Two years in oak barrels.
Tasting: It is golden, transparent. It is strong, with a long, elegant
sweetness in the end. Expressive in aromas and ageing tones, in which
pedro ximén can be tasted.
Marriage: Chocolate desserts.
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Cartojal. DO Málaga
Barón de Rivero. DO Sierras de Málaga
Cartojal. DO Málaga
Varieties: Muscatel.
Alcohol: 14.5% vol.
Ageing: Pale.
Tasting: This muscatel wine is attractive, yellow coloured, with slight
greenish tones, transparent. It has floral aromas, with a pinch of honey
and citrus. The flavour of raisins as well as a slight smoked hint can be
tasted. Elegant and sweet, not sickly sweet though, it features balance
and harmony.
Marriage: Ideal for accompanying appetisers, or main courses, such as
foie or seafood.
Varieties: Moorish muscatel (85%) and chardonnay (15%)
Alcohol: 12.5% vol.
Ageing: Young.
Tasting: This is a pale yellowish white wine, translucent, with greenish
shades. It has the aroma of flowers and dried fruits, very intense, light,
silky, balanced, with a long aftertaste.
Marriage: Fish.
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BODEGA LARIOS PERNOD RICARD
Address: Polígono Guadalhorce, César Vallejo,
24. 29004 Málaga
Phone: 952 247 056
Fax: 952 240 382
Owners: Larios Pernod Ricard S.A.
Production volume: 200,000 l, bottled. 700,000 l
DO Málaga for export, which then the different
importing companies name with their own brands.
The vineyard
This winery does not own any vineyards. It purchases grapes to vinegrowers from the Northern Region; however, it controls the vines until the
harvest is over.
The winery
Larios PR, in the city of Málaga, is a maturing, ageing and bottling winery. It
receives the grapes and makes the blending in Mollina, in a winery that has
a capacity for storing 3 million kg of grapes, and there the pressing,
fermentation and typification processes take place. The cellar in Málaga has
2,000 red oak barrels 500 l each, used for the ageing process. The majority
of its production is exported to countries in the European Union.
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Brandies and spirits are matured through the dynamic process, also known
as the criaderas and soleras process. The casks used are previously wined
with Málaga Wines that provide their quality and a remarkable, unique
character.
Summary background
The origin of this winery dates back to 1875. The volume of Málaga Wines
made here is rather reduced as compared to other products produced by
this company, but the owners still want to produce the traditional wines that
were once the driving force of their business.
GRAPES:
Varieties: Pedro ximén
Purchased Grape: Yes, all of it
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This company is also known for its brandies and spirits. Ageing of wines and
spirits is made through two processes: the static and the dynamic systems.
The former is used to mature wines, which remain for 3 or 4 months in new
barrels, and then they are transferred to the old barrels, where they
complete the maturing process.
editorial
Related information
The Manager of the Production Centre in Málaga is Antonio Santana. Visits
to this winery must be booked in advance.
There is a shop where all the products elaborated by PR Larios can be
bought.
WINES:
DO Málaga Brands: Málaga Larios
DO Sierras de Málaga Brands: No
fichasMálaga Larios. DO Málaga
BODEGA LARIOS PERNOD RICARD
files
Varieties: Pedro ximén (90%), Málaga muscatel exposed to the
sun (10%).
Alcohol: 17% vol.
Ageing: Noble (2 years in red oak barrels through the ageingby-year system).
Tasting: Golden mahogany in colour. Aromas of ageing, with
hints of sun-exposed grapes, liquorice, toffee candy, dried fruit.
Tasty, silky, coffee sensations, balanced and with a long and
elegant aftertaste.
Marriage: Millefeuille and not too sweet desserts.
Other features: Málaga Larios is produced by blending two base
wines: naturally sweet pedro ximén wine (85%), vino tierno
muscatel (10%) and grape syrup (5%).
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BODEGAS GOMARA
Address: Diseminado Maqueda Alto
nº 59. Apd. 121
29590 Campanillas, Málaga
Phone: 952 434 195
Fax: 952 626 312
Owners: García Family
GRAPES:
Varieties: Pedro ximén and muscatel
Purchased Grape: Yes, but to a lesser extent, since the winery has
started cultivating its own vines.
The vineyard:
The vineyard covers an area of 60,000 m2, on which production and ageing
are integrated.
The winery
This winery is equipped with state-of-the-art technology for producing DO
Málaga Wines. Ageing takes place trough the criaderas and soleras
process. This winery was the first in launching fully mature wines into the
market.
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Summary background
Bodegas Gomara is a family-run business aimed at producing and ageing
wines. In 2003, it started its own vineyard when moving its premises close
to the Andalusia Technological Park.
Gomara has been growing steadily, especially pushed by exports, and has
cemented business relations with Japan, Canada, Italy, France, the Czech
Republic and Slovenia.
Related information
If Bodegas Gomara has an outstanding feature, that is innovation. In 1994
it was the first ever to develop the souvenir concept applied to quality wines.
This is the reason why this winery has developed a small industry to make
barrels and to decorate bottles with paintings and leatherwork.
The winery is oriented to tourism. Visitors can buy all types of wines there.
It also has a tasting room and some meeting rooms as well.
Manager: José Manuel García López
WINES:
DO Málaga Brands:
Málaga Dulce, Moscatel Málaga, Pedro Ximén, Lacrimae
Christie, Málaga Cream, Pajarete, Fino Seco, Seco Añejo, Gran
Gomara, Málaga Trasañejo.
No
fichasSweet Málaga. DO Málaga
BODEGAS GOMARA
files
Varieties: 90% pedro ximén and 10% muscatel.
Alcohol: 15º vol.
Ageing: 12 months in red oak barrels.
Tasting: Dark-amber coloured, this wine has aromas of cocoa and roast
coffee, it is sweet, transparent, with vanilla notes. It combines the
intensity of pedro ximén and the fragrance of muscatel, which provide
this wine a delicious and light taste. This wine stimulates appetite, it is
invigorating and relaxing.
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Moscatel Málaga
Pedro Ximén
Varieties: 100% Alexandria muscatel.
Alcohol: 15º vol.
Ageing: This wine is matured for 12 months in red oak barrels.
Tasting: Golden amber-coloured, this wine has a strong aroma of mature
muscatel; it is sweet, fresh and tasty. When tasting it, pay attention to the
aroma of pure muscatel, then enjoy the taste left by its smooth taste.
Marriage: Cream millefeuille, profiteroles and candies.
Alcohol: 15º vol.
Ageing: Three years in red oak barrels.
Tasting: Mahoney coloured, this wine of toasted aromas of vanilla and
dried fruit is balanced, complex and persistent. At that ageing stage, the
owners of the winery have succeeded in balancing the characteristic of
a young pedro ximén with the first steps of ageing. Outstanding features
are its smoothness and aroma, still fresh, with notes of solera and the
vanilla flavour, typical of oak.
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BODEGAS LOPEZ MADRID
Address: Ctra. de Campanillas, km. 7,5
29196 El Tarajal (Málaga)
Phone: 952 433 189
Fax: 952 437 647
Owners: Family-run company
GRAPES:
Varieties: Muscatel and pedro ximén
Uva comprada: Yes
Summary background
López Madrid founded this winery in 1946, in the Málaga quarter called
Cerrado de Calderón, and at the very beginning he traded his wines by the
litre. The winery moved to its current location in 1975, when a bottling
assembling line was installed. Its products are commercialised in the
domestic market.
The vineyard
Part of the grapes come from the vineyard in Zalea.
The winery
López Madrid is a winery that produces and matures Málaga sweet and dry
wines. Ageing is carried out through the criaderas and soleras system,
because of the reliability and homogeneity secured by this method through
the years. Besides, this is one of the few wineries equipped with the
technology required to produce grape syrup, a product that López Madrid
supplies to other wineries in the province.
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Related information
The CEO of this winery is Pedro López. Visits must be booked in advance.
WINES:
DO Málaga Brands:
Maestro, Málaga del Abuelo, Pedro Ximén, Soliviña, Son de Mar,
Viña Pescaíto, Zar.
No
fichasMaestro
BODEGAS LOPEZ MADRID
files
Varieties: 100% Alexandria muscatel.
Alcohol: 15º vol.
Ageing: Pale.
Awards: Silver medal in the 2002 International Wine Fair.
Tasting: Pale yellow-coloured, translucent, with green shades, this wine
has an intense aroma of fruits (apple and banana) and flowers,
characteristic of this variety. It tastes balanced, fresh and light.
Persistent.
Marriage: Ideal with appetisers, accompanying a foie or seafood.
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Málaga del Abuelo
Soliviña
Varieties: 70% pedro ximén and 30% muscatel.
Alcohol: 15º vol.
Ageing: Matured in 30-year-old soleras.
Tasting: Mahogany coloured with golden shades. Intense aroma,
caramel, toasted. Strong, tasty, ample, balanced and persistent.
Marriage: Desserts and candies.
Varieties: 100% muscatel.
Alcohol: 15º vol.
Tasting: Yellow coloured with golden tones. Lively intense fruity aroma,
characteristic of this variety. Balanced, it resembles raisins.
Marriage: Desserts and candies.
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editorial
WINERIES FROM THE NORTHERN REGION
BODEGAS LÓPEZ GARCIA
Address: C/ Sevilla nº 27, 1º C
29009 Málaga
Phone: 952 306 593
Fax: 952 306 593
The winery
López García winery buys DO Málaga pedro ximén and muscatel wines.
These wines are aged in red oak barrels and then different types of sweet,
off-dry, cream and dry wines are produced and commercialised.
Summary background
Bodegas López García, founded in 1954, is a traditional winery whose
owners and their forefathers have been always linked to the world of
Málaga Wine.
Related information
Wines made in this winery are top quality ones because their production
volume is not too big.
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. Wineries
from the Northern Region
INVERSIONES SANTA ANA
Address: Finca Vista Hermosa
Fuente de Piedra (Málaga)
Phone: 952 111 681
Fax: 952 111 447
Propietario: Filial de López Hermanos
Production volume: 3.5 million l
GRAPES:
Purchased Grape: Yes, to local vine-growers
Light-skinned varieties: Muscatel and pedro ximén
Dark-skinned grape varieties: No
The winery
Inversiones Santa Ana produces base wines (naturally sweet, tierno and
maestro), which are finally mixed and aged in the López Hermanos maturing
cellar in the city of Málaga. After its renovation, the winery introduced highend technology to produce wines in all its sections: stainless steel deposits,
cooling equipment to control the temperature throughout the fermentation
process, new technologies to clean the must before entering the
fermentation process, and new crushing systems (press and pumps). The
objective of all these novelties is to make top quality wines.
This is one of the few wineries with an area for making grape syrup.
Summary background
López Hermanos runs this winery since the company bought it in 1989,
when it first focused on growing vines on their own vineyard.
The vineyard
Vista Hermosa has 500 ha of land where extensive vine growing has
become a handmade work throughout the whole process: winter pruning,
green pruning, harvesting and exposition to the sun.
Related information
This winery does not trade wine brand names of its own, for its wines are
those aged and blended by López Hermanos.
Vine harvesting is still hand-made, in spite of the fact that since the vineyard
has been adapted for head trained cultivation, harvesting could have been
mechanised. Harvesting has been effectively improved, preventing a lot of
grape from rotting on the floor. Afterwards, a meticulous selection is made
for wine-producing purposes, and then, the selected grape is transported
either to the paseros or to the press.
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. Wineries
SOCIEDAD COOPERATIVA AGRÍCOLA "VIRGEN DE LA OLIVA"
Address: Avda. de las Américas, s/n
29532 Mollina (Málaga)
Phone: 952 740 100
Fax: 952 741 090
Owners: Cooperativa
CEO: Francisco Campaña
Production volume: 5 million l
LA
GRAPES:
Purchased Grape: Yes, to its cooperative members
Light-skinned varieties: Muscatel, pedro ximén, doradilla
Dark-skinned grape varieties: Syrah
The vineyard
The grape comes from the vineyards belonging to 350 vine-growers,
members of the cooperative who supply approximately 7 million kg grapes
(more or less, depending on each year's harvest).
The winery
Virgen de la Oliva produces wine since it was founded, and in 2003 the
ageing cellar moved from the city of Málaga to Mollina. Grape selection is
rigorous and is carried out upon reception, when the sugar content is
assessed, and the pH and acidity are controlled. After the assays, the grape
is sent to the hopper for bottled quality wine or to other two for the
production of wine to sell by the litre or of sulphur-added must, for which
only pedro ximén grape is used.
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. Wineries
Summary background
Virgen de la Oliva was founded in 1977 as a cooperative for vine-growers
from the district of Mollina. Nowadays, wine making is just one of the six
activities carried out by the cooperative. The remaining five include: making
of olive oil, dressings (olives as pickles), granting loans, supplying farming
implements, and providing other services.
The cooperative policy is to gradually increase production of bottled quality
wine of the DOs Málaga and Sierras de Málaga, which nowadays account
for 20% of the business.
Related information
The focus on tourism in the Northern Region of the province of Málaga
opened a new business opportunity for the cooperative some years ago,
when it opened a shop and a Wine-Winery Museum for the tourists visiting
the cooperative.
The marketer Tierras de Mollina, created by Virgen de la Oliva cooperative,
launched the first young wines of the new DO Sierras de Málaga: Gadea
(red) and Montespejo (white) in 2003. These well structured wines have
been considered as excellent in specialised publications. Besides, fully
mature Carpe Diem trasañejo was awarded the gold medal in the "DO still
wines" category, in Vinitalia, an International Wine Fair held in Verona.
WINES:
Montespejo, young white, DO Sierras de Málaga
Carpe Diem, naturally sweet, DO Málaga
Carpe Diem, fully mature, DO Málaga
Carpe Diem, mature Málaga, DO Málaga
Gadea, young red, DO Sierras de Málaga
Montelobo, noble dry white wine, DO Málaga
fichasMontespejo. DO Sierras de Málaga
"VIRGEN DE LA OLIVA"
files
Varieties: Produced with yema must from carefully grown native vines
doradilla and muscatel.
Alcohol: 11% vol.
Produced by: Virgen de la Oliva Cooperative.
Ageing: Young.
Marketed by: Tierras de Mollina.
Tasting: Montespejo is a pale, translucent yellow young wine. With
muscatel fragrance, transparent and intense, elegant with exotic notes,
tasty and persistent.
Marriage: Fish and seafood; ideal for other dishes with fish, vegetables,
vegetable stews, soft and fresh cheeses. Serving temperature: chilling.
Carpe Diem Trasañejo. DO Málaga
Gadea. DO Sierras de Málaga
Varieties: Syrah, single-varietal wine.
Alcohol: 13.5% vol.
Ageing: Young.
Tasting: Intense purple-red. Fine fragrance, transparent, with aroma of
ripen red fruit and characteristic smell of violets. Meaty, with great
structure due to its sweet and ripen tannins, which make this wine
surprisingly velvety with a nice aftertaste sensation.
Marriage: Appetisers, and dishes with meat and cheese.
Serving temperature 16 - 17°C.
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. Wineries
Varieties: Sweet wine made from overripe pedro ximén and
muscatel grapes.
Alcohol: 15% vol.
Ageing: Over five years in red oak barrels.
Tasting: This wine is black coloured with red and golden shades
resulting from its very long maturing period in oak barrels. It has the
characteristic scent of raisins, developed together with the other
bouquet components of this wine: candied fruit, coffee, cinnamon,
chocolate and plum. Dense, tasty and profound, with a long, smooth
aftertaste.
LARIOS P.R.
Address: C/ Archidona, nº 1
29532 Mollina (Málaga)
Phone/fax: 952 740 251
Owners: Larios P.R
Enologist: Enrique Carballás
Production volume: 200,000 l bottled
700,000 l for export of DO Málaga wine that
afterwards is named with the brand names of the
different importing companies
The winery
This winery purchases pedro ximén grapes from nearby vine-growers, and
muscatel from Axarquía and Manilva. With these grapes, the winery
produces two base wines: naturally sweet with overripe pedro ximén
grapes, and muscatel tierno, with grapes exposed to the sun.
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editorial
Related information
Traditionally, Larios has produced in Molina liqueur wines for export.
Málaga Larios. DO Málaga
The vineyard
The company does not own any vineyards, but it has a close relation with
the vine-growers who supply the fruit, so the grape is controlled directly in
the vines. The winery's enologist decides the best time for picking the fruit,
as well as when exposition to the sun must begin and for how long.
Summary background
The P.R. Larios production centre in Mollina is the oldest winery in The
Northern Region. It dates back to 1875.
WINES:
Brand: Málaga Larios DO Málaga
GRAPES:
Purchased Grape: Yes, all of it.
Light-skinned varieties: Pedro ximén and muscatel.
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Then they are blended to produce the traditional Málaga Larios wine, to
which 5% of grape syrup is also added. Once the base wines come together
into an ensemble, the wine is taken to the premises the winery owns in the
city of Málaga, where it is matured for two years through the static system.
. Wineries
Varieties: Pedro ximén (85%), Málaga muscatel (10%) and grape syrup
(5%).
Alcohol: 17% vol.
Ageing: Noble (two years in oak barrels).
Tasting: Light-mahogany with golden shades. Tertiary aromas
(developed during the ageing process), with notes of sun-exposed
grapes, liquorice, toffee candy, nuts. Tasty, silky, with coffee sensations,
balanced and with a long and elegant aftertaste.
Marriage: It makes a perfect pair with chocolate desserts and is great
for drinking after lunch.
WINERIES FROM SERRANÍA DE RONDA
BODEGAS Y VIÑEDOS EL CHANTRE
Address: Bodegas y Viñedos El Chantre S.L.
Apartado de Correos 380. 29400 Ronda (Málaga)
Phone: 670 851 480 / 7236
Fax: 954 181 818
E-mail: elchantre@telefónica.net
Owners: José Manuel Ramos Paúl and Pilar
Martínez
Production volume: about 200,000 kg grapes a
year. In good years, 500,000 kg, DO Sierras de
Málaga, bottled
These features, however, bring about some advantages, since the clayey
soil keeps moisture and the rock prevents water evaporation. The high
density of the vineyard (4,700 vines per hectare) is perfect for selecting
grapes of the highest quality.
The winery
This newly built winery is a symbol of architectural talent. Located in the
vineyard itself, it penetrates 140 m through tunnels in the mountain. The
production and maturing sections are inside. At the back, in the heart of the
mountain, there is the shrine where wines of highest quality are kept. 35%
out of the total production consists in young wine, 60% in mature, and the
remaining 15% in vintage wine.
Surrounding the winery is a big garden looking on the impressive vineyard
and the Serranía de Ronda, crowned by Grazalema.
GRAPES:
Varieties: Tempranillo, syrah, cabernet-sauvignon and merlot
Purchased Grape: No
The vineyard
El Chantre's geographical location is a privileged one for vine growing.
Its 25 ha go up to 1,000 m above sea level, facing the Sierra de Grazalema
from the Roman ruins of Acinipo. The vineyard welcomes the cool Atlantic
wind, and features the highest rainfall in Ronda and a nice temperature
difference between day and night.
El Chantre is one of the biggest estates in the area. The head trained
cultivation is made manually. The steep slope and the rocky ground do not
allow for mechanisation.
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Summary background
The first wine produced by this winery was launched in 2003. It was a
symbolic production of less than 1,000 bottles of a wine that was not traded
but was highly praised. The construction of the winery ended in 2004.
Related information
El Chantre has a tasting room and meeting rooms. It has been declared "of
public and social interest" and is open to visitors.
WINES:
DO Sierra de Málaga: Ramos-Paul
DO Málaga: No
from Serranía de Ronda
FINCA DOÑA FELISA
Address: Cª Alquejigal km. 2,5
Ronda (Málaga)
Phone: 606 945 936
Owners: José María Losantos
GRAPES:
Varieties: Cabernet-sauvignon and tempranillo
Purchased Grape: No
All the vineyard's production is used to make high quality bottled wine.
The vineyard
Doña Felisa is a 5.5-ha family-owned property where vines occupy 4.3 ha.
It is 700 m above sea level, sheltered by the Sierra de Grazalema, and is
densely planted (5,000 vines per hectare). The small production of one kilo
per plant allows the owners to make a good selection and thus make high
quality wine.
Vines are head trained, and the ground allows for mechanisation. The loamy
sand soil features the adequate drain and goes 1 m into the earth. There is
clay below, which helps retain moisture.
The winery
This winery has a production area equipped with a cooling system and an
underground maturing cellar with oak barrels. It also has a tasting room.
Summary background
Doña Felisa is located in a place that resembles other areas of the west of
Spain, since it is surrounded by cork oaks, holm oaks and olive trees, and
cattle and pigs are bred in the place.
Vines were planted for the first time in the year 2000. The maturing cellar
was opened in 2004.
WINES: (Not available in the market)
DO Sierras de Málaga: Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
At the end of each aisle, there is a rose plant. This is a custom originated in
southern France. Not only does it add beauty to the plantation but it also
alerts vine-growers if there is a pest, for it will infect the rose plant first.
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. Wineries
BODEGA LOS DESCALZOS VIEJOS
Address: Partido de los Molinos del Tajo. Ronda
(Málaga)
Phone: 952 874 696
Owners: Francisco Retamero and Flavio Salesi
Production volume anual: 50,000 l
GRAPES:
Varieties: Cabernet-sauvignon, syrah, merlot, petit verdot
and garnacha (dark-skinnned grapes)
Purchased Grape: No
The vineyard
The Descalzos Viejos vineyard spreads over 5.75 ha within a 15 ha
property. The most surprising feature is the microclimate: an area where the
Tajo de Ronda is not so vertical. Vines are protected from the northern wind
and have a favourable sun exposure, so the climate is good for vine
growing. From the vineyard, visitors can enjoy a fantastic view of Ronda
crowning the Tajo, and at its feet, the Guadalevín -a movie-like landscape
with its steep, undulating terrain.
The vineyard is densely cultivated, with 4,500 vines per hectare, and
harvesting is carried out ecologically. Rainfall volume is perfect for vine
growing, and there is a spring coming down the mountain.
The winery
TAn old convent, Los Descalzos Viejos, was renovated and now it houses the
winery, specifically at the place where the church was. It has a cellar for ageing
wine and a tasting room in the first floor. The pressing room and the bottling plant
are located outside. The whole production is used to make high quality bottled
wine.
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Summary background
Five centuries after it was first built, the Trinitarian convent of Nuestra Señora de
los Remedios (Our Lady of Remedies), known as Descalzos Viejos (Old
Discalced Friars), was remodelled keeping the original style. The Trinitarian
monks founded the convent in 1505, thanks to a chart granted by Joanna the
Mad, already imprisoned in Tordesillas. The monks lived there for more than 80
years, until 1596, when there was a reformation of the religious order. Then they
decided to move to Ronda, to the Iglesia de Santa Cecilia (Saint Cecil's Church),
and the convent was abandoned. Those who did not accept the reformation were
converted to Descalzos (Discalced) and went through all kinds of difficulties on
their way back to the convent, which they could only reach in 1608. They
remained there until 1664. Many of the eldest monks remained there due to the
region's good climate. This is the story that explains the name Descalzos Viejos
(Old Discalced Friars).
The monks' cells and gardens still stand there, built in terraces and protected by
a huge rock. The scent of lemon and orange and the murmur of water make
walking around the gardens a delightful experience.
Nowadays, wine matures in Bodega Descalzos Viejos in the same quietness and
peace as Trinitarian monks sought for their spiritual life.
Related information
Visitors can also enjoy the beautiful mural paintings in the winery and the old
convent.
WINES: (Not available in the market)
DO Sierras de Málaga:
Coupage Cabernet-sauvignon, syrah and garnacha 2002
Monovarietal Cabernet-sauvignon, young single-varietal garnacha
wine
HOTEL-BODEGA EL JUNCAL
Address: Ctra. Ronda, El Burgo, km 1
29400 Ronda (Málaga)
Phone: 952 161 170.
Fax: 952 161 160
Owner: Manuel María López Domínguez.
Production volume: 6,000 bottles. The first
vintage, 2002, was launched in April 2003
GRAPES:
Varieties: Cabernet-sauvignon, syrah, cabernet-franc, petit verdot,
garnacha and merlot (dark-skinned grapes)
Purchased Grape: No
The vineyard
The estate covers 100 ha, 10 out of which are used for vine growing, the
third widest vineyard in Ronda. It has a privileged location, surrounded by a
natural reserve that has been declared Biosphere Reserve.
The winery
The winery is integrated into the hotel structure, and they both form a typical
Andalusian country estate. The cellar at El Juncal has the characteristic
bull's eye and a singular wooden roof. It has been equipped with high-end
technology, particularly in the stainless steel deposits and cooling systems.
The tasting room is located in the upper floor.
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Summary background
The owner belongs to the tourism business. El Tragabuches and El
Escudero are his other two estates in Ronda. Ramón María López
endeavoured in this hotel-winery development, for he has always believed
that the marriage between wine and tourism is very promising. The number
of professionals who have visited the winery confirm he is right.
Related information
The Andalusian estate, surrounded by the woodland and vineyard, was
opened as a 4-star hotel in 2002. This peculiar hotel combines a trendy
minimalist style and the most genuine tradition of Andalusian country
estates, surrounded by meadows and attached to a winery. This blending of
styles is amazingly perfect.
The hotel 12 suites (one of them with an entrance independent from the
main building), a 9,000 m2 garden, jetted tubs, golf court, swimming pool,
and many recreational activities ranging from archery, canoeing in the
Zahara de la Sierra marsh and other sports to wine-tasting lessons. The
reception of grapes during the harvesting days is a spectacle that makes
visitors come back once and again.
WINES:
DO Sierras de Málaga: El Juncal
LA SANGUIJUELA
Address: Finca La Sanguijuela. Aptdo de
correos 131. 29400 Ronda (Málaga)
Phone: 952 871 313
Fax: 952 161 825
Owners: Federico Schatz
Production volume: 15,000 bottles a year
Production per vine is quite limited: between 1 and 1.5 kg per plant,
according to the variety and the weather, which ensures an optimum
balance between foliar mass, number of berries and quality. This low yield
is achieved through laborious manpower. Protection of vines against pests
and diseases is done by means of ecological products.
Some outstanding details: the scent of aromatic plants, the roses planted at
the end of each line of vines, and the solar panes used to supply clean
electric power.
GRAPES:
Dark-skinned varieties 70%: Merlot, lemberger, petit-verdot,
pinot-noir, tempranillo, syrah and cabernet-sauvignon
Light-skinned varieties 25%: Riesling, chardonnay
Rosé varieties 5%: Muskattrollinger
The vineyard
La Sanguijuela is located on a plateau 600 m above sea level, between
Sierra de Grazalema y Sierra de las Nieves. These hills protect the vineyard
from strong winds and guarantee a yearly rainfall of 500 l. The microclimate
of the area features warm days and cool nights, ideal for wine production.
The soil is deep, with a silty-sandy, clayloam texture.
High quality ecologic wine production begins in the vineyard itself. Vines are
head-trained in 1 by 2 by 2.3 m espaliers. To provide the soil with nutrients,
legumes are planted in the aisles (broad beans, clovers, peas, etc.).
Besides, grape stems, the branches that are pruned and marc are returned
to the soil.
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The winery
After the harvest, which is done manually, grapes are quickly transported on
20-kg capacity boxes to the winery, where crushing and alcoholic
fermentation of the three varieties -white, rosé and red- are carried out.
Once the alcoholic fermentation is over, a second fermentation, malolactic
this time, is carried out (unusual in white and rosé wines). In some cases,
this second kind of fermentation is done in barrels, resulting in softer wines,
since the strong malic acid is naturally transformed into weaker lactic acid.
Ageing takes place in new French oak barrels. Thus, wines are balanced,
with mature tannins and weak acidity. They are famous for keeping primary
aromas and fruit aromas characteristic of each variety. Ageing in new
barrels makes wine last longer: white and rosé wines can be kept for 10 to
15 years, while red wines, for 15 to 25. The last stage includes ageing in
bottles.
LA SANGUIJUELA
Summary background
Federico Schatz is son to a family that used to grow vines in southern
Germany. After assessing the different wine-producing areas in the
Mediterranean region, he settled in Ronda in 1982, since he believed this
area had the best soil and climate for vine cultivation. He started with
experimental plantations of riesling, chardonnay, Trollinger, Spätburgunder
(or pinot-noir), Lemberger and tempranillo. It took Schatz some time before
he could make a living out of wine, so he lived on selling the plant flowers
he grew in his property.
This is the first ecologic winery in Málaga, which, given the difficulties in the
growing, production and marketing, is a worthy achievement. A convinced
ecologist, Federico Schazt believes that many important things can be done
regarding ecologic agriculture.
Related information
Visits to La Sanguijuela must be booked in advance. His owner and author
of its wines likes to fully explain their qualities through a tasting session that
takes over one hour. There is a shop where all the wines produced in the
winery can be acquired.
fichas
Chardonnay 2001. DO Sierras de Málaga
Variety: 100% chardonnay.
Alcohol: 14.5% vol.
Ageing: Four months in new French oak (Nevers) barrels sur lie with
batonnage (over grape lees); then eight months in stainless steel
containers, and finally, twelve months in bottles.
Tasting: Straw-like coloured, this wine has a wide fruity aroma, with
many complex notes where smoked hints blend with exotic fruit. It has
light scents of apple, citrus, and herbs: subtropical fruits (papaya,
mango, lichi and pineapple). It tastes fatty, tannins are very well covered
with alcohol (glycerine), it is very tasty, warm, earthy, salty, slightly sour,
and very mineral.
Marriage: Seafood
WINES:
D.O Sierras de Málaga: F.Schatz
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fichasPinot Noir 2001. DO Sierras de Málaga
LA SANGUIJUELA
Variety: 100% Pinot Noir.
Alcohol: 14.5% vol.
Ageing: Four months in stainless steel containers. Twelve months in
new barrels (80% French oak, Allier, Troncais, and 20% red oak) (sur lie
with batonnage). Nine months in bottles.
Tasting: Cherry-coloured, this wine is very fruity, fine and complex.
Ripen blackberries, plum. It has a leather note, spicy (pepper, vanilla)
and a touch of fennel, somewhat flowery (violets). There is a mix of
vigour and fruitiness in the mouth; it dry, fleshy, rounded, ample, well
balanced, with light chocolate and coffee toasty notes, and sweet and
mature tannins. The aftertaste is elegant, very aromatic, mineral and
persistent.
Marriage: Game meat.
files
Petit Verdot 2001. DO Sierras de Málaga
Variety: 100% Petit Verdot.
Alcohol: 14% vol.
Ageing: Three months in stainless steel containers. Twelve months in
new barrels (80% French oak, Allier, Troncais, and 20% red oak) over its
fine lees (sur lie with batonnage). Nine months in bottle.
Tasting: Dark-cherry colour with a violet tint. It has a very intense aroma
of blackberries, strongly herbaceous (eucalypt, mint, fennel) and
somewhat flowery (violet and jasmine). Its body is full, creamy, tasty
(sweet fruit), potent, full of very ripen tannins. Quite oaky, with a mineral
hint, slightly bitter, with toast elements (cedar wood, cigar box), spicy
(vanilla, liquorice).
Marriage: Red meat and stews.
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CORTIJO LOS AGUILARES
Address: Ctra. Ronda-Campillo
Puente de la Ventilla
Ronda (Málaga)
Phone: 952 855 561
Owner: José Antonio Itarte
Production volume: 80,000 l a year
GRAPES:
Varieties: Pinot noir, tempranillo, cabernet sauvignon, merlot
and petit verdot
Purchased Grape: No
The vineyard
Three vineyards occupying a total of 17 ha produce grapes for this winery,
which uses head-trained cultivation. A watering system has been installed to
prevent plants from suffering hydric stress. Vines were planted in 2001, and
the 2003 vintage was the first to be traded, at a local level, though.
The whole yield is used to make quality wine; this is why production is
restricted to 1 kg per vine.
The winery
In the vast land of Los Aguilares, its owners, José Antonio Itarte and his wife,
have chosen to refurbish the old manor, although both the production and
ageing areas are new and conceived to produce excellent wines. That is
why at the moment grapes arrive, they are carefully selected from a
conveyor belt. Then they go to a stalk separator placed in such a way that
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the must deposits, by gravity, in the stainless steel deposits. Temperature is
continuously controlled. Once wine has fermented, it is sent to the ageing
cellar (decantation also takes place by gravity), placed just below, where it
starts its rest and ageing period.
To maintain optimal temperature in the ageing cellar, the roof is covered with
water (following the Arab tradition to freshen rooms), looking like a
beautifully lit pond.
Summary background
José Antonio Itarte is a businessman from Donostia who has changed the
melancholic beauty of San Sebastián's mists for the bright sun of southern
Spain. Eager to devote himself to the world of wine, when he put his days
in the industrial sector to an end, he had to choose between a vineyard in
La Rioja and the challenge of a newly born wine-land: Ronda.
The climate, the favourable results obtained in the Ronda's soil assays, the
possibility to produce more wine varieties than in La Rioja, and the strength
of tourism linked with commercialisation made him decide to settle in
Serranía de Ronda.
Related information
The beauty of the place is worth a visit. Apart from the old manor and the
winery, there are other buildings and a patio with arches, where tasting
sessions are held.
WINES:
DO Sierras de Málaga: Cortijo Los Aguilares
BODEGA THEODOR CONRAD
Address: Ctra. del Burgo, km. 4
Ronda (Málaga)
Phone: 952 114 411
Owner: Theodor Conrad
Production volume: 40,000 l a year
GRAPE:
Varieties: Tempranillo, cabernet souvignon, cabernet franc
and merlot.
Purchased Grape: No
The vineyard
The first vines were planted in the vineyard in 2001, and then the number of
plants were gradually increased up to the current 7 ha with vines. Headtrained vines make harvesting, made by hand, easier. The whole yield is
used to make quality wine. This is why the harvesting process is carefully
monitored and each plant yields only 1 kg; grapes are subsequently
selected and only the best are used.
The winery
The construction of the building where Theodor Conrad's winery stands
today started in 2002. The winery is equipped with high-end technology to
produce quality wines, and the decoration and architectural style in the
ageing room is outstanding.
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The faint light, the arches and the French and red oak barrels ensure that
great wines will be born to this winery, wines with strong personality which
reflect their author's.
Summary background
Theodor Conrad is a Swiss businessman who moved to Ronda in the late
80's. Throughout his life, Conrad has had commercial links with Spain, and
maybe the country's sun, good weather and joy made him decide to move
to Málaga and live there. At the beginning, he used his property to cultivate
olive and almond trees, and to breed horses as well, but it was only in 2001
that he decided to start with wine-making activities.
Related information
The building also hosts a tasting room and a laboratory.
WINES:
DO Sierras de Málaga: Soleón
BODEGA EL BACO
Address: Camino Nador "El Baco"
29350 Arriate (Málaga)
Teléfono/Fax: 952 870 539
Owner: Juan Manuel Vetas Martín
Production volume: between 4,000 and
5,000 bottles a year
LA UVA:
Varieties: Petit verdot, cabernet-sauvignon, cabernet franc.
Purchased Grape: No
The vineyard
The vineyard covers one hectare in the El Baco estate, at 750 m above sea
level, on a clayey calcareous soil, with a continental climate and average
yearly rainfalls between 500 and 600 l/ m2. Petit verdot is the most important
vine variety, occupying 80% of the vineyard. The vineyard has a plantation
frame of 2x1 and 1x1, with 5,000 vines per hectare, in Bordeaux style.
The winery
The first selection takes place in the vineyard at the beginning of the
veraison, (French term used for the growing period when the grapes take on
their colour), when only the best bunches are kept, and then a second
selection takes place when the grapes arrive at the winery.
After the stemming, the grapes go to stainless steel containers where
alcoholic fermentation and maceration takes place at a controlled
temperature for three weeks.
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Ageing takes place in new French oak barrels, depending on the variety.
The time the wine will rest in wood is determined through constant tasting.
Once ageing is over, the fining of the wine is made with egg white, and the
liquid is bottled, unfiltered. After bottling it, the wine continues resting for one
year and is launched into the market three years later.
Summary background
Juan Manuel Vetas was born in Ávila, and he studied in Margaux, Bordeaux,
in France. He acquired experience when he established the first vineyard
and winery in Ronda, "Cortijo Las Monjas", for which he was awarded the
most prestigious medals. He is also one of the promoters of the viticultural
movement whose boost can be seen nowadays in Ronda. Apart from his
own vineyard, he runs and advises other vineyards in Ronda.
Related information
Vetas's wines have been recommended in the specialised press. His winery
is open to the public.
WINES:
DO Málaga: No
DO Sierras de Málaga: Vetas and Vetas Petit Verdot
fichasVetas. DO Sierras de Málaga
BODEGA EL BACO
files
Varieties: Cabernet-sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot and tempranillo.
Ageing: Between 16 and 18 months in French and red oak new barrels.
Tasting: The complexity, resulting from the varieties used, and its
balanced ageing give this wine an intense colour, with fruity aroma and
a long taste. Its strong fruit notes prevail over toasty ones.
Vetas Petit Verdot. DO Sierras de Málaga
Varieties: 100% Petit verdot.
Ageing: 18 months in new French oak barrels.
Tasting: This is a complex wine with a strong personality which needs
to be left a few minutes in the glass and would need further rounding in
bottles. It is dark red, with the aroma of blackberries, mint, chocolate,
and also wood and coffee. It is smooth in the mouth, but with many
tannins, profound and fleshy.
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index...olive
oil
OLIVE OIL IN MÁLAGA
TOURIST BOARD &
CONVENTION BUREAU
0.
1.
Olive Trees
2.
Olives
3.
Tourist Routes
4.
Gastronomic Culture
5.
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Introduction
editorial
Useful Tips
. Index
introduction
MÁLAGA AND OIL
T ravellers arriving in
Málaga will be welcome by a dual
landscape, with two distinct areas:
the coast, an open window to the sea
and its breeze, and the inland
region, with its open fields and its
wild mountain ranges sheltering
against the plateau's cold weather.
In this rural landscape, where olive trees recur geometrically and
accurately, there are buildings and objects that make a rich heritage
for industrial archaeology, for they have become true relics.
Encouraged by the increasing tourist demand, many of Málaga's
businessmen have repaired old olive presses and refurbished
country estates one hundred years old, making them apt for leisure
and rest. These are the places where we would like to take you with
this guide.
It is in these lands, in the north and
central region of the province, that
olive is cultivated. Planted in neverending lines, it creates a geometric
and dotted picture. This thousandyear-old tree is used to produce an essential ingredient of Málaga's
cuisine, as well as one of the staples of the region's economy: olive
oil.
This guide does not just provide advice to visitors on the routes that
can be taken to visit interesting places to their sight, taste or
leisure: it also explains how important olive cultivation and the
exploitation of its fruits have been for the inhabitants of Málaga
throughout history.
Thus, the oil routes suggested combine ethnological and
gastronomic aspects, art and history, peace and quietness with a
discovery of Málaga villagers' roots.
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. Introduction
HISTORY
The long history of this tree begins a long time ago. The olive tree is one
of the accomplishments of the Neolithic revolution, and the result of
man's domestication of a wild species: the acebuche. This species still
grows in the hills and mounts of Andalusia, yielding very small olives with
little pulp and a big stone and having small clustered thorny leaves.
1.
The first olive tree plantations were grown in the Eastern Mediterranean
more than five thousand years ago. Evidence suggests it was cultivated
in areas occupied by the most ancient civilizations: the Egyptians, the
Babylonians and the Assyrians. Later, the Phoenicians introduced it to
the Western world, and then the olive tree accompanied the expansion
of the cultures that laid the foundations of the Mediterranean civilization:
the Greeks, the Romans and the Arabs.
oLIVE TREES
The province of Málaga, especially the fertile lands overlooking the sea,
was either the final destination or an obligatory stopover for peoples in
transit. Proof of this melting pot is the ancient recipes and customs that have
survived to this day. Who would dare deny that pescaíto frito (fried fish) dates
back Phoenician times? The city of Mainake, founded by the Phoenicians near
the site occupied by Málaga City today, witnessed the development of the first olive
trees brought from distant lands with great care, and and offered a favourable soil for
them to grow.
HISTORY
A SACRED TREE
THE LIFE OF THE OLIVE TREE
CULTIVARS
OLIVE TREE GROWING
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Archaeological data confirm that olive growing and oil making and trading were one of
the bases of Málaga's economy in Roman times also.
editorial
.
Olive Trees: History
From the port of Mainake,
and from other ports of the
Bética, set off ships loaded
with
clay
amphorae
containing the precious
liquid. It is said that Mount
Testaccio was formed with
the discarded fragments of
those broken amphorae
(tiestos).
The arrival of the Arabs at the beginning of the 8th century would bring
olive growing and oil production to their greatest splendor.
Experts in the art of agriculture, the Arabs modernized the old Roman
cultivation techniques, and turned meadows and riversides into rich
orchards. They developed many of the methods used in olive growing and
oil extraction, and introduced a preservation system involving big glass jars
since they were, and still are, masters in the art of pottery. The importance
that the olive had for the Arabs mirrors in the language, because most of
the vocabulary related to it is Arabic. For instance: the word 'aceite'
(Spanish for oil) comes from 'az-zait', which means 'olive juice'; 'almazara'
(an oil press) comes from the root 'ma'sara', 'to squeeze or press'; and
'alpechín' (the vegetable waters obtained during pressing) from 'alpechín',
meaning 'dregs', 'black'.
After the Catholic Monarchs conquered Málaga in 1487, olive growing
continued to be one of the pillars of the life and economy of the province.
The hardest times for our agriculture came after the Moorish expulsion,
when plantations were abandoned by their traditional farmers, thus leading
to a general backward step in the activity. In the North of the province, the
division of land into large states did not favor intensive farming. We have
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to wait until the 17th century, when large forests were ploughed up and
these fertile and virgin lands were covered with olives, cereals and
vineyards. Later on, in the 19th century, the phylloxera plague forced many
of the farmers that live by growing vines to replace their vineyards for olive
groves, even though the soil was not the most adequate for this crop. As a
matter of fact, olive growing is in jeopardy in most of these lands.
More recently, the vast olive regions located in the North of Málaga have
become the base of the economy of many of its villages. The technological
advances that improved the cultivation, harvest, and grinding of these
fruits, as well as the extraordinary quality of our oils have promoted the
expansion of Malaga's olive groves, which enjoy a more than promising
future.
Traditionally used as
raw material in
hygiene and lighting,
olive oil, the 'green
gold' extracted from
the olive, gives
Mediterranean gastronomy a unique flavor. Whereas people from the
North of Europe used animal fat for cooking, those from the South cooked
with oil, a healthier vegetal fat. The use of oil is one of the reasons that
account for the virtues of the so called Mediterranean diet, to which Málaga
oil deservedly belongs. In the trilogy formed by bread, oil, and wine, the
green juice of the olive plays the tastiest role, since there are hardly any
dishes that do not include it among their ingredients. If bread and wine help
walking the road, the smoothness of oil makes it less hard.
Olive Trees: History
A SACRED TREE
The Greeks had one of the most beautiful legends to explain the
mythical origin of the olive tree. In the mount Olympus, Zeus, the
father of all the gods, called Jupiter by the Romans, mediated a
dispute between two of his children.
Poseidon, later identified by the Romans with Neptune, and Athena,
the Roman Minerva, worshiped as the goddess of wisdom, fought for
the honor of being chosen protectors of the most beautiful and
prosperous city of Attica. To settle such a delicate question, the
venerable Zeus proposed to the contenders that each of them should
present a gift to the city. The winner would be the one that gave the
most worthwhile creation to its inhabitants.
With a terrible stroke of his trident, Poseidon made a crystalline spring
flow from a stone of the Acropolis, and from the spring emerged a
spirited white horse, so far an unknown animal in Greece.
The olive is so beneficial to humankind that it has been revered as a
sacred tree. The Bible, the Greco-Roman mythology, Christianity and
Islamism make continuous references to its qualities and virtues: a
symbol of peace, an image of immortality, and the representation of
holiness.
In the Bible, the olive is mentioned in several occasions. A dove
carrying an olive branch announced to Noah that the Flood was over
and that the land was solid and dry. In the New Testament, Jesus
prayed in a mount of olives, Gethsemane, which in Hebrew means 'a
place in which oil is produced'.
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.
In her turn, Athena caressed the ground beneath her feet, and from it
an olive shoot emerged. The goddess presented the shoot to the city,
saying that it would soon become a strong tree that would live for ever
and ever. The fruits of this tree not only would be suitable for eating,
but also they could be pressed to obtain a precious liquid to be used
by men to season their food, heal their wounds, strengthen their
bodies, and light up their nights, since used as fuel it could keep a fire
burning for many hours. She was chosen to protect the fortunate
inhabitants of the city that, from then on, would be known as Athens in
honor of their deity.
Olive Trees: A sacred tree
In Christian liturgy, the body is anointed with olive oil blessed by
the priest, and known as holy oil, in two crucial moments of life:
the Baptism, and the extreme unction or last rites given to those
who are about to die. In Catholic churches, an oil lamp burns night
and day to light up the tabernacle.
Islam also praises the virtues of oil.
In a sura from the Koran, Mohammed says:
"God is the light in heaven and earth.
His light is like a niche on which there is a lamp.
The lamp is in a glass vessel that resembles a bright star.
It burns thanks to a blessed tree, the olive,
which is neither oriental, nor occidental,
and whose oil glitters even untouched by fire.
Light from the light"
There must be something sacred about oil if we are blessed with it.
Olive oil has been revered by all the ancient
Mediterranean peoples. The Greeks rubbed it
on their bodies after the bath, and athletes used
it to keep their muscles flexible in the
gymnasium. Roman gladiators covered their
skins with oil before fighting on the arena of the
Colosseum. To anoint a person is a way to
revere and honor him; as Mary Magdalene did
with Jesus Christ.
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Olive Trees: A sacred tree
THE LIFE OF THE OLIVE TREE
and twists and becomes rough, knotty and even cracked with age. The
base of the tree, called stump or foot, is a wooden mass that store
reserves and grows shoots ('varetas') that will regenerate the plant. With
the passing of time, the core of the short trunk of the olive dies, sometimes
leaving it hollow, whereas the bark remains alive. This is why the thick
trunks of old olives have a knotty, twisted and stunted appearance so
characteristic.
Olive trees are one of the most long-living trees known. They can live up
to a thousand years and, thus, since the first crops were grown in the
Oriental Mediterranean, they have always been revered as a symbol of
eternity.
Olive tree growth is slow because it only stays 'alive', feeding on sap, from
April to the end of October. However, as from August, its development is
restrained due to heat and lack of sap. In November, the olive enters a
winter pause. Fruits will not develop in the branches that sprout in the
spring, but in those grown during the previous year.
During its life, the period of optimum production of an olive tree is
estimated between its ten and fifty years old. There is a saying related to
this: Olive groves, from your grandfather; fig trees, from your father; and
vineyards, from yourself.
Its age does not reflect on its height (that can reach a maximum of 12 to
15 m), but on the size of its trunk, which is smooth and grey during youth,
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From ancient times, the olive has also been a symbol of immortality due to
its ability to rise, like a Phoenix, from its ashes. According to the legend,
when the Persian burned the Acropolis and everything was left in ruins, the
only thing that remained alive in the middle of such desolation was the
sacred tree, the olive planted in the temple of Erechtheion. Even though its
trunk was carbonized, very soon the tree grew new shoots that turned into
slender branches.
In Málaga, the most interesting hundred-year-old specimens can be found
in the area of Periana, in the Axarquía, and in Alameda. It is highly
probable that some of these trees bear their fruits in Arab times, and that
their tops gave shelter to people from different cultures, religions and
races.
Although it is not farmed, the olive remains alive without becoming wild.
Pruning, fertilization and hoeing are enough for the tree to be reborn and
to recover its lushness. Since it is an evergreen tree, it will maintain its dark
green leaves for centuries, creating an immutable landscape.
Climate conditions its growth, and though this is a crop that typically
develops in the warm temperatures of the Mediterranean area, it can
endure frosts, provided that temperature does not drop below -7ºC.
Olive Trees: The life of the olive tree
CULTIVARS
which are thus called 'veceros'. This is illustrated in the saying: Olives and
money; sometimes plenty, sometimes any.
Modern plantations grow olive trees of a single variety; the one that best
adapts to the local conditions of soil, temperature and rainfall pattern.
In a simplified distribution, the province of Málaga can be divided into three
areas according to the olive cultivar that predominates in each one. It is
worth mentioning that some of these varieties are native of this region.
Thus, in the North preponderates the Hojiblanco, in the West (Axarquía),
the Verdial de Vélez; and in the Valle del Guadalhorce, the Manzanillo
aloreno.
There are almost three hundred olive varieties in the world. The effect of
climate, soil composition, and the type of growing system applied, among
other conditions, contributed to its diversification and adaptation. And
although to the layperson all olives may look alike, each variety has
botanic characteristics of its own and produces a specific type of fruit, both
in shape and in color. Likewise, the oil extracted from each olive cultivar
has distinct organoleptic characteristics.
Traditionally, olive groves were composed of different olive varieties.
Among other reasons, this was made to guarantee annual harvests, since
olive trees has alternate bearing of fruits. In Spanish, this phenomenon of
yielding a high amount of fruits one year and significantly less production
the following year is called 'veceria' and is characteristic of olive trees,
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However, these species with 'origin denomination' coexist with others that
have been introduced throughout the years. In the North, together with the
Hojiblanco there are important plantations of Romerillos and Gordalillos,
the latter in the area of Archidona. Something similar occurs in the
Axarquía, in which some Nevadillos can be found together with the typical
Verdial.
From the bordering provinces of Málaga (Jaén, Córdoba, Granada and
Sevilla) and even from other regions of Spain, new varieties have been
adopted due to their resistance to low temperatures or to the quality of their
olives. Such is the case of the Marteno, the Lopereno or the Picual, which
is native to this town of Jaén, or the Arbequino, originally cultivated in
Cataluña. Foreign varieties such as the Gordal and the Lechin are also
widely popular.
The oil extracted from the different olive cultivars, though of the same
quality, has distinct organoleptic characteristics (taste, smell), which allow
tasters and gastronomes to identify its origin.
Olive Trees: Cultivars
OLIVE TREE GROWING
Olives, which are evergreen trees, need regular pruning to
regenerate and renew the branches that will grew olives on the
next harvest. This practice must be carried out in due time and
without fear of being radical, because, as an old and wise saying
goes; Make me poor in wood, and I'll make you rich in fruits. In
Spanish, pruning is sometimes called 'tala' and the experts that
perform it, 'talaores'.
Firewood coming from olive trees has been used as fuel for
traditional stoves. Moreover, carbon production, once a traditional
industry that has almost disappeared, took advantage of this wood
that, together with that from holm oak, provided the best quality
carbon. Nowadays, many thermal centrals that use biomass as
fuel are being built. Most of this fuel comes from our olive trees.
A s in the case of many fruit trees, olives can not be propagated
by seed, since they would revert to the original wild variety.
Usually, the method applied by growers and nursery owners
consists of burying a green leafless branch that, after a while, will
grow shoots. Then, with proper pruning, these shoots will form a
foot. Not long ago, olive trees were grown with three feet or trunks
to ensure an annual harvest. Due to the introduction of new
technology, plantation owners now prefer single-trunk trees. By
the way, in Spanish, the verb 'to plant' ('plantar') derives from the
fact that the ground is pressed with the sole of your foot ('planta')
to make sure that the seeds will grow.
Olive groves must be planted keeping a fixed distance between
trees in order to improve their growth and make manipulation and
harvest easier.
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Although olives grow in dry soils, either flat or in slope, and that a
regular rain is enough for them to develop, nowadays trees are
watered during the dry seasons to enhance their growth and
increase their productivity. However, they do not need much
irrigation, since they will not develop in swamped soils.
Today, fertilization is carried out with chemical products, and
organic fertilizer coming from manure is only used in the
increasingly numerous plantations that manufacture biological oil.
To fight pests that affect olives, their leaves, or their fruits, farmers
use pesticides less and less harmful for the surrounding fauna and
flora.
Olive Trees: Olive tree growing
An olive grove demands a lot of work, since olive growing is a
labor-intensive process: to fertilize and plough the soil, to cut off
the suckers, to prune the trees to let them breathe…
Olive trees blossom in the beginning of spring, producing a
number of tiny flowers (known as trama in some places of
Andalucía) from which yellowish pollen is spread.
Frosts and strong winds may cause the crop to fail. On the other
hand, only some of the flowers are pollinated, since the tree would
not be able to bear fruits from all of them. And though they seem
a few at first, as time goes by, they will form beautiful bunches. As
the saying goes: One in midsummer, a hundred in Christmas.
Olives set in the beginning of summer and fully ripe before winter.
The history of olives and the oil extracted from them is
summarized in the old riddle:
(En verde rama nací,
entre piedras me mataron,
en un pozo me caí
y del pozo me sacaron
y a todo el mundo serví.)
I was born from a green tree
Between stones they killed me
Into a pit I was thrown
And from it, later withdrawn
Useful I am and always will be.
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.
Olive Trees: Olive tree growing
EARLY HARVEST OLIVES
O lives (called aceitunas or olivas in Spanish) are the fruit of olive
2.
trees. Depending on cultivars, e.g. manzanilla, verdial, romerilla,
picual, hojiblanca, arbequina, or lechín, they can vary in colour,
shape and size. In regions where winter is very cold, olives are
ripe in late January, and if they are harvested before, they do not
yield as much as they could. This is where the popular saying
comes from: "If you reap olives before January, you will leave the oil
in the tree."
oLIVES
EARLY HARVEST OLIVES
In October, when the fruit is still green, olives are harvested for
consumption. These are called fresh olives, and they can be served as
an appetiser or garnish. This early harvest is called verdeo, and it is done
very carefully to prevent olives from being damaged. The procedure is
called ordeño (milking), since olives are picked entirely by hand as if
labourers were milking cows or goats. As the olives should not fall on the
soil, they are stored in baskets that reapers carry round their necks, which
are called macacos in some places.
PICKING OLIVES
CRUSHING OLIVES
PRESSING OLIVES
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. Olives:
Early harvest olives
Many villages in the province of Málaga (Álora, Antequera, Vélez, to name
but a few) elaborate and commercialise delicious, high-quality table olives.
Since the beginning of time, olives have been prepared for domestic
consumption in different ways: whole, broken, pitted, stuffed or as snacks.
Nowadays, pickled olives make a blossoming industry as well.
The first procedure
to treat green olives
to be used as a
gourmet produce is
to draw out the
alpechín, a residual
watery liquid. If it is
not removed, olives
keep their natural
acrid and bitter taste.
There are two different "sweetening" procedures, depending on
whether the final product will be whole or broken olives. For the latter,
we need to hit olives with a wooden tenderiser on a wooden surface;
some, extremely patient, curers, use a knife or penknife to cut them in
halves. After breaking or cutting them, olives are soaked in water
without chlorine for eight to ten days, the water being changed on a
daily basis. In the case of whole olives, they are treated with a quick
procedure, soaking them in alkaline solutions of soda or potash for
some hours, and then proceeding to salt them. The salting process is
the same for both broken and whole olives.
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. Olives:
Apart from salt and vinegar, table olives are salted and cured with aromatic
herbs such as thyme, rosemary and oregano, garlic, orange peel, clove or
lemon. Seasoning techniques do not vary much among fresh olive
producers.
What follows is an Antequera recipe to make seasoned olives, which
illustrates the process:
Ingredients: green olives, garlic, salt, oregano, ground pepper, red pepper
and oranges.
Preparation: Break olives with a wooden mallet. To sweeten them, soak
them in water and leave them to rest for several days, changing the water
every day. Once they are sweetened, prepare a marinade with raw garlic,
oregano and ground pepper, all of them crushed. Then, remove the water
were the olives have been sweetened, and pour the olives in fresh water
with the marinade. Leave them to rest for two or three days, so that they
acquire the taste of the marinade. You can also add cubes of red pepper,
(wild) orange peels and uncrushed raw garlic cloves.
When seasoned using these homely techniques and packed in large glass
jars, olives can be kept without turning white or being spoiled until summer
has set in. If you need some of the olives, remove them with a wooden
ladle and place them in a small saucepan, and try to leave the rest of what
is in the jar as intact as possible.
Seasoned olives can be served as bar snacks or as a garnish
accompanying salads. In old times, they used to be a dessert, which is
reflected in the popular saying "to arrive for the olives", meaning "to arrive
to taste the desert", i.e. to arrive late.
Early harvest olives
PICKING OLIVES
Olives have always been picked by hand. In small, family-run olive
orchards, all the members of the family take part in olive picking.
Women pick soleras, i.e. olives that have fallen to the soil. This
are sent to the mill separately, since they produce an inferior oil.
The most difficult task fall on the shoulders of men, who use sticks
to beat olives down from trees. The size of the stick depends on
where the olives are in the tree: for bajeras, i.e. olives in lower
branches, shorter sticks are used, whereas for fruits in the higher
branches, men use longer sticks. When beating olive trees to pick
the olives, careful attention is paid not to damage tender shoots
(the talón, meaning "heel"), for they will bear fruit the following
year. Picking olives by hand is a slow process, but olive trees are
said to feel grateful for that, as in the proverb: "Olive trees are not
convicts, so do not treat them with a stick: use your hand."
F rom the time olives appear as small green balls on the branches
of olive trees, in late spring, until they are fully ripe, there is the
passing of summer, dry and hot. Olive trees can resist droughts
and heat. In fact, their fruit can be damaged if it rains after spring.
This is captured in the saying: "If there's water by Saint John's
day, no wine, no bread and no oil." Instead, autumn rains are
beneficial, and they ensure that good fruits will be reaped.
Olives used for oil production need to be ripe before they are
harvested. This happens in mid November, when they turn bright
purple black.
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. Olives:
Picking olives
To make harvesting easier, straw bales are placed surrounding the
tree for olives to fall on them. Mechanical harvesters (rakes operated
manually or incorporated into tractors) have made picking much
easier. In the past, a team of olive pickers used to pick 500 kilos of
olives. With the new technology, this number has increased tenfold.
As was already explained, new technology and sophisticated planting
systems have made olive picking easier and more profitable.
Nevertheless, this stage still requires a great many labourers. This is
why seasonal workers, especially immigrants, are hired to help in
picking tasks.
Moreover, in the past, olives had to be pruned before being taken to
the mill. To remove leaves, twigs and dirt, olive pickers had to fan
them. Later, sieves came to be used: metal nettings separating olives
from leaves and dirt, the former being put in baskets and the latter
falling on the floor. Nowadays, these complicated procedures are no
longer necessary, since in modern mills olives are automatically
pruned and washed before being weighed and crushed.
The time elapsed between picking and crushing the olives must be
short, for if they are stored for too long, they can ferment and this can
affect the quality of the oil produced.
Once picked and stored in sacks, olives are sent to the press, a job for
which horses used to be essential. Nowadays, however, this picture of
horses carrying olive sacks can only be seen in Axarquía, whose
broken lands still make it necessary to resort to these animals for
transportation. Technological progress has changed things so much
that now olives need not be stored in sacks to be transported. They
are just poured in tractor trailers and directly placed in press hoppers.
This results in less bruising and fresher crushing.
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. Olives:
Picking olives
CRUSHING OLIVES
In the past, horses were used to take olives from the fields to the mills.
Nowadays, however, this practice is still common only in steep lands such
as those of Axarquía and Serranía de Ronda,
whereas in the rest of the regions olives reach
the mills in modern tractors or powerful offroad vehicles. In the mills, they are weighed,
cleaned and sampled to calculate their yield.
Then, they are taken to the press itself.
The first step to extract oil from the olives is to
grind them. Pruned and cleaned olives, free of
twigs, leaves or the dirt they might carry, are
crushed until the oil comes out of the cells
were it is kept in the fruit.
Since it was first invented, olive crushing has gone a long way. The first
mills were manually operated and they served quite distinct purposes,
such as crushing olives or grinding wheat or corn. Later on, horse-drawn
mills were introduced, and they were used in many mills until recently.
Animals, especially horses, were used to turn the millstone round. For the
animals not to get dizzy, millers used to blindfold them. Those primitive
mills, many of which can be traced back to Roman times, had enormous
millstones. They could be cylindrical, conical or truncated cones. They
were fixed to a central pillar, and with their weight, they crushed the fruit at
a relatively high speed rate.
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. Olives:
The Arabs were real experts
in using the power of water,
and they built magnificent
aceñas (mills on the banks
of rivers that used the flow
and ebb of water for
grinding). This was how
watermills were born. In
Málaga, they could be
counted by the thousands,
taking advantage of the flow of water of the province's numerous streams
and rivers. Olive crushing seasons have traditionally been autumn and
winter, and this is because this is the time of the year when rivers have
more water in them.
With the industrial revolution of the 19th century, new oil mills were
invented, powered by internal combustion engines or, later on, by electric
engines. However, most of Málaga's mills continued using animals or
water power well into the 20th century.
After crushing, the
homogeneous mass
of crushed olives has
to undergo pressing.
Crushing olives
PRESSING OLIVES
Until new technologies were
introduced, pressing crushed
olives to extract as much oil as
possible was a Herculean task.
Primitive techniques to separate
the liquid phase (oil and alpechín
= vegetable waters) from the solid
phase (orujo = broken olive skin,
pulp and pit) were entirely manual:
sacks were filled with the crushed
mass and the precious liquid was
extracted by pressing or twisting
with one's hands.
The Romans created a system
similar to the one used for
crushing grapes: wearing heavy
wooden clogs, labourers stepped
on a trough were they pressed the olives, and the liquid went along a
channel to the settling tanks. Manual screw presses have also been used,
in which two labourers had to wring the olive paste layered over straw
mats.
Magnificent beam presses have been kept to date in Las Pilas mill, in
Teba, or in Antequera's Olive Oil Museum. Such big machines required
large buildings that could house their enormous components, since their
functioning relied on height (the beam went upwards and downwards).
Those buildings were mill towers, typical of Málaga's countryside, which
can still be seen today.
The last mechanical invention which preceded modern centrifugation
systems was the hydraulic press. There are hydraulic presses still working
in some old mills. The most well-known in Málaga are in the Molino de las
Pacas, in Alhaurín de la Torre, and the one in Mondrón's mill, in Periana.
The finest components for these iron presses have been forged at Heredia
blacksmith's, located near the
Misericordia beaches. Now, the
only remaining icon of
Heredia's is its huge chimney,
which is visible from every
corner of the province. New
mills, on the other hand, are
technological prodigies: clean,
effective and fast.
These techniques were slow and could only be used with a small amount
of paste. Therefore, new and more effective systems emerged as products
of human ingenuity. One of these useful inventions was the beam press,
based on the lever law, which allowed for a huge amount of paste to be
pressed at once. This system made it possible to press together taller piles
of straw mats which were traversed by a stick, with paste between them.
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. Olives:
Pressing olives
Olive oil is extracted from olives by crushing and pressing them in a process
that results in three separate phases: oil, vegetable waters or alpechín, and
pomace or orujo. The separation can be done by traditional methods or by
using more modern techniques.
3.
Pomace or orujo, which is used to produce inferior varieties of oil or fuel,
comes from the solid phase of olives (including the pit and the skin) and
makes up to 23% to 35% of the whole produce, depending on the kind of
olives.
Alpechín, a blackish liquid with a peculiar smell, is almost entirely
vegetable water, with some other substances. It represents almost 40%
to 55% of olive weight. Nowadays, its use as a fertiliser is being tested,
with positive results.
Oil proper, "the liquid gold of the Mediterranean", as it was referred to by
Homer, the result of so much work and zeal, is less than a third of the
original olive weight, accounting for 18% to 32%.
oLIVE OIL
Every olive oil grower believes the oil he makes is the best on Earth, maybe
because they have never tasted somebody else's or perhaps they have, but
they found it funny, different from their own. This is why the best way to
assess the quality of olive oil is to resort to the objective judgement of a
professional olive oil taster, for they can point out the weaknesses and
strengths of each type of oil by evaluating how they taste and smell. The oil's
"flavour" is the combination of its smell, taste and texture. How these factors are
combined depends on olive ripening degree, which affects oil composition. Early
harvest olives, for instance, produce a greenish, somewhat fruity and hot oil. Fully
ripened olives, on the other hand, result in a golden, sweet and less fruity type of oil.
TYPES OF OIL
STORAGE IN MILLS
COOPERATIVES
OIL-PRODUCING REGIONS
Most extra virgin olive oil available has undergone coupage, a blending process of
oils from different cultivars and olive types or varieties to obtain a highly
homogeneous and top-quality oil.
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. Olive
Oil
TYPES OF OIL
To avoid marketing fraud and
provide consumers with
information on oil quality, retail
labels have to show the oil's
grade clearly. The standards
are complicated, but according
to the regulations in force, there
are the following oil grades:
1. VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
It is the oil produced by mechanical processes, such as pressing or
centrifugation, which do not alter the product.
Virgin olive oil keeps the taste, smell and nutrients such as vitamins of the
original fruit. Oil characteristics depend on such factors as growing region,
cultivar, olive ripening degree, picking system, and storage.
There are the following types of virgin olive oil:
1.1. Extra virgin olive oil. Its acidity is lower than or equal to 1%. An oil's
acidity depends on how much oleic acid it contains.
1.1.1 Single-varietal virgin olive oil. It is obtained from a single variety
of olives: hojiblanca, picual, romerillo, or others.
1.1.2 Coupage virgin olive oil. It is obtained from a combination of
several varieties of olives. The result is a blend homogeneous in taste and
smell.
1.1.3 Oils with protected designations of origin. These oils are made
from olives with a specific geographical origin, such as Antequera.
1.2. Fino olive oil (fino = fine) / Virgin olive oil (fine). Oleic acid is lower
than or equal to 2%.
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. Olive
1.3. Ordinary virgin olive oil. Its acidity is
lower than or equal to 3.3%.
1.4. Lampante virgin olive oil. It contains
more than 3.3% of oleic acid.
2. REFINED OLIVE OIL
This is oil obtained from virgin oil by refining methods, such as using
chemicals. Some of these procedures use a special type of earth for
bleaching and decolourising, and then filtering systems. Refined olive oil
can also be obtained by physical distillation and vacuum-heating.
3. OLIVE OIL
This is a mix of virgin (non lampante) oils to which refined olive oil is added.
Its acidity has to be lower than or equal to 1.5%. It is the most widely type
of oil in Spain for consumption purposes.
4. CRUDE OLIVE-POMACE OIL
This type of oil is obtained from pomace by using solvents.
5. REFINED OLIVE-POMACE OIL
It is the result of refining crude olive-pomace oil. Oleic acid in it is lower
than 0.5%.
6. OLIVE-POMACE OIL
This oil is obtained by mixing refined olive-pomace oils and virgin olive oil
(non lampante varieties). Its acidity is never higher than 1.5%.
Oil. Types of oil
To summarise all this and provide consumers with all necessary information
at a glance, we offer the following chart:
OLIVES
Virgin olive oil
(obtained from olive juice)
Suitable for consumption
(without further processing)
Extra virgin olive oil
Virgin olive oil (fine)
Ordinary virgin olive oil
Not suitable for consumption
Lampante virgin olive oil
FILTERING
REFINING
Refined olive oil
BOTTLING
CONSUMER
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. Olive
Oil. Types of oil
STORAGE IN MILLS
I n old mills, oil, which is lighter
than water, floated on top of
olive vegetable waters. This
made extraction in buckets
easier. The oil was stored in
terracotta jars, which were
prevented from bursting with the
oil's pressure by half burying
them underground and covering
them with a large wooden lid.
This system is virtually the
same as that used in Roman
times. In fact, pieces of doliae
(large earthen jars) have been
found near the rural villages of
Roman
Málaga,
probably
serving the same purpose as
our old jars.
Modern mills, on the other hand, have enormous stainless steel
cellars, which ensure a perfectly safe storage.
Oil, however, is not like wine: it looses its properties as time goes
by. This is why experts suggest that it should be consumed within
the year of production.
In the 19th century, ironpanelled cellars began to be used. However, they had a serious
disadvantage: the oxide forming in the walls could pervade the oil
stored, resulting in an unpleasant flavour.
But the houses of Málaga, where several litres of oil had to be
stored for direct consumption, stuck to burying the jars, typically in
the coolest places.
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. Olive
Oil: Storage in mills
COOPERATIVES
I n the province of Málaga, there are over 120,000 ha olive tree
orchards producing 250 million kg olives each season. Once
crushed, these olives produce around 100 million kg olive oil,
involving a lot of labour and machinery. Málaga's farmers use the
province's 70 active mills, most of them organised in cooperatives,
to crush their olives. Most mills are located in Antequera and the
north-eastern region, where the largest amount of oil is produced.
In Serranía de Ronda, Sierra de las Nieves, Guadalteba and
Axarquía, there still are small mills, which account for just 10% of
the province's oil production.
Until the 1960s, only owners of big olive plantations had their own
mills. Small farmers had to take their olives to a nearby mill and
pay their dues or maquila for olive crushing and oil extraction.
This system was disadvantageous, unfair and costly. Thus, after
the boom in production of olives, farmers gathered in cooperatives
with their own mills after the first olive trees bore fruit. And even
though some small independent companies have survived to date,
especially in Axarquía, Guadalteba, Ronda and the Guadalhorce
Valley, where they crush and press the owner's olives as well as
those of other farmers, they are doomed to failure, so they will
have to close down or make ecological synthetic oil.
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. Olive
Cooperatives have their own systems of oil distribution and
marketing, a crucial point for the farmers' economy. Spain is the
first olive oil producer in the world, followed by Italy, Greece,
Algeria and Tunisia. And even though most of the oil is produced
for domestic consumption, the exports have been increasing
steadily in the last few years, mainly due to the more widespread
inclusion of this beneficial vegetal fat in dietary habits.
Oil: cooperatives
COOPERATIVES IN THE PROVINCE OF MÁLAGA
S.C.A. S. JUSTO NTRA. SRA. CARMEN
Barrio Albaicín, 47
29310 Villanueva de Algaidas
Phone: 952 74 31 80
S.C.A. OLIV. SAN JUAN BAUTISTA
San Juan Bautista, 106
29220 Cuevas Bajas
Phone: 95 272 95 29
S.L. FERNÁNDEZ RUIZ Y AGUILAR
c/ Partido de Sta. María, 3
29400 Ronda
Phone: 95 287 13 74
S.C. AND. OLIV. SAN BENITO
Extramuros, s/n
29320 Campillos
Phone: 95 272 22 62
RAFAEL MOTA RODRÍGUEZ
Finca la Paca, s/n. Ctra.C-366 km. 74
29120 Alhaurín El Grande
Phone: 95 249 06 17
S.C.A. AG. OLIV. S. COSME S. DAMIÁN
Ctra. del Saucejo, s/n
29330 Almargen
Phone: 95 218 23 14
S.C.A. OLIV. LA PURÍSIMA
Paraje San José, s/n
29300 Archidona
Phone: 95 271 40 81
S.C.A. NTRA. SRA. DEL CARMEN
Avd. Juan XXIII, 1
29210 Cuevas de San Marcos
Phone: 95 272 80 78
S.C.A. LA PURÍSIMA CONCEPCIÓN
DE ALAMEDA
Plaza de la Constitución, 10
29530 Alameda
Phone: 95 271 01 55
S.C.A. NTRA. SRA. DEL ROSARIO
Pol. Ind. c/Alcarabán, s/n
29531 Humilladero
Phone: 95 273 70 77
S.C.A. AGR. VIRGEN VIRTUDES
Ctra. Alameda, 1
29520 Fuente de Piedra
Phone: 95 273 51 74
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Oil: cooperatives
S.C.A. DEL CAMPO NTRA. SRA. DE
MONSALUD
C/ Eguidillo, 25
29194 Alfarnate
Phone: 95 275 90 52
S.C.A. OLIVARERA DEL TRABUCO
Paraje Las Coronillas s/n
29313 Villanueva del Trabuco
Phone: 95 275 11 96
S.C.A. AG. NTRA. SRA. DE LOS REMEDIOS
Ctra. Córdoba, s/n
29200 Antequera
Phone: 95 270 28 38
S.C. SALVA. JOSE ORDÓÑEZ MARTÍN
Escamilla, 17
29100 Coín
Phone: 95 245 03 27
S.C.A. OLIV. NTRA. SRA. ROSARIO
Llano de la Estación, s/n
29327 Teba
Phone: 95 274 82 21
S.C.A. AGRÍCOLA ALMAZARA DE RONDA
Ctra. Sevilla-San Pedro, km.121,600
29400 Ronda
Phone: 95 287 30 35
S.C.A. SAGRADO CORAZÓN
Ctra. Zumaque, km. 1,5
29566 Casarabonela
Phone: 95 245 66 21
S.C.A. OLIV. NTRA. SRA. CANDELARIA
El Pilar, s/n (Ctra. Riogordo)
29170 Colmenar
Phone: 95 273 01 02
S.C.A. MANZANILLA ALOREÑA
Pol. Ind. La Molina, parcela 51
29500 Álora
Phone: 95 249 89 60
ALCAZARÍN REUNIDOS FP, S.L.
Ctra. Coín Paraje La Teja
29110 Monda
Phone: 95 243 12 70
S.C.A. COTRACON
Puente de Málaga s/n
29420 El Burgo
Phone: 95 216 02 51
S.C.A. OLIV. S. JOSÉ ARTESANO
Barriada de Mondrón, s/n
29710 Periana
Phone: 95 253 79 15
C.B. HNOS. JIMÉNEZ MARÍN
Los Ventorros de la Cruz, s/n
29195 Comares
Phone: 95 239 32 70
S.C.A. AGR. SAN JUAN
Rivera del Río Cerezo
29312 Villanueva del Rosario
Phone: 95 274 21 10
S.C.A. OLEOALGAIDAS
Polig. Industrial, Parcela 38
Phone: 95 274 45 02
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Oil: cooperatives
S.C.A. OLIV. NTRA. SRA. DE GRACIA
La parrilla, 156
Phone: 95 274 32 77
S.C.A. AGRO OLIVARERA RIOGORDO
Noguera, 41
29180 Riogordo
Phone: 95 273 22 07
GIL PÉREZ, ANTONIO
Ronda, 6
29420 El Burgo
Phone: 95 216 01 79
S.A.T. Nº 8064 EL LABRADOR
Los Villares
29520 Fuente de Piedra
Phone: 95 273 50 94
SÁNCHEZ SÁNCHEZ, JOSÉ LUCIANO
Finca La Ermita
29492 Jubrique
Phone: 95 280 19 84
S.C.A. EL MOLINO DE GUARO
Ctra. de Guaro a Coín, km.1
29108 Guaro
Phone: 95 211 29 76
S.C.A. AGRO OLIVARERA RIOGORDO
Pozo, 60
29180 Riogordo
Phone: 95 273 22 33
LÓPEZ MARTÍN, FRANCISCA
Mesones, 22
29410 Yunquera
Phone: 95 248 27 29
S.C.A. OLIV. FRUT. SAN ISIDRO
Carrascal, 1-3
29710 Periana
Phone: 95 253 60 20
S.C.A. PURÍSIMA SANTIAGOCOPUSÁN
Molinos, 8
29567 Alozaina
Phone: 95 248 00 46
ANDRÉS RUÍZ URBANO
C/ Paseo de la Villa, 2
29110 Monda
Phone: 95 236 06 02
138
S.C.A. NTRA. SRA. DE LA ESPERANZA
Daire, 39
29715 Sedella
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. Olive
Oil: cooperatives
139
S.C.A. AGR. SAN SEBASTIÁN
Puente de don Manuel,1
29711 Alcaucín
Phone: 95 251 08 07
S.C.A. AGR. DE FRIGILIANA
Santo Cristo, s/n
29788 Frigiliana
Phone: 95 253 30 37
S.C.A. SANTA CATALINA MÁRTIR
C/ Calvario, 2
29717 Arenas
Phone: 95 250 90 03
S.L. ACEITES AXARQUÍA
Explanada de la Estación, 3
29700 Vélez-Málaga
Phone: 952 50 04 98
PÉREZ GONZÁLEZ, PEDRO IGNACIO
Juan Bravo, 2
29738 Benagalbón-Rincón de la Victoria
Phone: 95 239 42 10
S.C.A. OLIV. SANTA RITA
Iglesia, 52
29315 Villanueva de tapia
Phone: 95 275 00 08
S.C.A. AGR. SAN ISIDRO
Calvario, s/n
29716 Canillas de Aceituno
Phone: 95 250 45 50
CANO BRIONES, JESÚS
El Molino, n.1-Valle Niza
29700 Vélez-Málaga Valle Niza
Phone: 95 251 46 11
S.C.A. AGR. NTRA. SRA. NIEVES
Ctra. Cómpeta, km 0,9
29770 Torrox
Phone: 95 253 80 22
S.C.A. AC. SANTA TERESA DE JESÚS
Los Romanes, s/n
29713 La Viñuela
Phone: 95 255 44 12
CAMPOS PENDÓN, JESÚS
C/ Río, 5
29750 Algarrobo
Phone: 95 255 27 88
RAFAEL TOLEDO MARÍN
El Zao Polígono 2 p-81,95 y 96
29410 Yunquera
Phone: 95 248 28 58
S.A. OLEOLIVA
C/ Matagallar s/n
Phone: 95 274 40 40
S.C.A. AGR. SAN ISIDRO
Carretera de Cómpeta, s/n
29752 Sayalonga
Phone: 95 253 50 15
S.C.A. VIRGEN DE LA OLIVA
Ctra. Alameda, 17
29532 Mollina
Phone: 95 274 01 00
S.L. ACEITE PRENSA
Real Alto, s/n Trapiche
29719 Vélez Málaga
Phone: 95 254 26 99
S.C.A. VEGA DE ARCHIDONA ARVEGA
Ctra. Jerez-Cartagena, km. 175
29300 Archidona
Phone: 95 271 43 73
S.C.A. AGRÍCOLA DE CÓMPETA
Avd. de Torrox, 33
29754 Cómpeta
Phone: 95 251 63 01
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. Olive
Oil: cooperatives
S.C.A. SANTA CATALINA MÁRTIR
C/ Calvario, 2
29717 Arenas
Phone: 95 250 90 03
S.L. ACEITES TAPIA
Ctra. Comarcal C-334 pk. 44
Phone: 95 275 01 22
S.L. BRAVOLIVA
Paraje de los Llanos de Belén, s/n
29550 Ardales
Phone: 95 245 81 93
S.C.A. OLIV. SANTA RITA
Iglesia, 52
Phone: 95 275 00 08
S.L.U. ACEITES BARRANCO
Barriada El Pilar, s/n
29210 Cuevas de San Marcos
S.L. RAPUNZEL IBÉRICA PROD.
ECOLÓGICOS
Finca la Torre
29540 Bobadilla
Phone: 95 211 16 19
LÓPEZ ORTÍZ, FUENSANTA
Paraje "Puente Zahala"
29120 Alhaurín El Grande
Phone: 95 259 57 96
S.C.A. AGR. NTRA. SRA. NIEVES
Ctra. Cómpeta, km 0,9
29770 Torrox
Phone: 95 253 80 22
S.L. ACEITES SANTAMARÍA C
Camino de Remanente, 12
29700 Vélez-Málaga
Phone: 95 250 66 30
RAFAEL TOLEDO MARÍN
El Zao Polígono 2 p-81,95 y 96
29410 Yunquera
Phone: 95 248 28 58
S.L. RIOLIVA
Pol. Ind. La Amarguilla
29530 Alameda
Phone: 95 271 11 44
S.C.A. VIRGEN DE LA OLIVA
Ctra. Alameda, 17
29532 Mollina
Phone: 95 274 01 00
S.L. NTRA. SRA. DEL CARMEN
Avd. Torrox, 43
29754 Cómpeta
Phone: 95 240 74 28
S.C.A. AGRÍCOLA DE CÓMPETA
Avd. de Torrox, 33
29754 Cómpeta
Phone: 95 251 63 01
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Oil: cooperatives
ANGEL MERINO MARTÍN
Polígono ind. de Yunquera
29410 Yunquera
Phone: 95 248 29 54
S.L. CAÑERO ALFARNATE
Ctra. de Alfarnate a Periana, s/n
29194 Alfarnate
Phone: 95 275 90 71
S.C.A. ACEITES SIERRA DE YEGUAS
Ctra. Sierra de Yeguas-La Rosa, km.3
29328 Sierra de Yeguas
Phone: 95 211 10 90
OIL-PRODUCING REGIONS
There are three distinct olive growing
regions in the province of Málaga, with
different topographic and climatic
characteristics, and therefore producing
different olive cultivars: Axarquía or the
Eastern Region, Antequera or the
Northern Region, and the West,
comprising Ronda, Guadalteba and the
Western seacoast.
In the outskirts of the city of Málaga,
including La Hoya and The Mountains,
olive trees are rather scarce, but they are
a testimony to the abundance of olive
orchards in the past.
REGION 1: AXARQUÍA OR THE EASTERN REGION
La Axarquía es una extensa comarca malagueña situada en la Costa del
Sol Oriental. El topónimo Axarquía o Ajarquía, como muchos de los
elementos culturales y económicos que la caracterizan, tienen raíz árabe,
lengua en la que significa 'El Oriente'.
El terreno es de naturaleza arcillosa, ondulado y abrupto, sin llegar a ser
agreste, y está formado por cerros y colinas que bajan hasta el mar desde
las sierras del Jobo, Camarolos, Alhama, Tejeda y Almijara. SonAxarquía
is a large region on Málaga's Eastern Costa del Sol. The toponym comes
from Arabic, and it means "the East". In fact, there are many Arabic
elements in this region's culture and economy.
The soil is clayey, rolling and steep, without being wild. It is dotted with hills
and mountains reaching the sea from the Jobo, Camarolos, Alhama,
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Tejeda and Almijara Mountains. These mountains shelter the Axarquía
from the northern cold, surrounding it in a mild climate all year round. Thus,
it does not come as a surprise that many civilizations, as different as the
phoenicians, the romans or the arabs, have settled here.
At the same time, the uneven terrain and the ravines that make
communication so difficult have favoured the centuries-old isolation of the
people who live there, and who have thus kept their old customs, traditions
and culture intact over time. The Axarquía population is scattered in some
30 villages and towns, most of them with less than 1,000 inhabitants. The
most important population centres have
traditionally been Vélez-Málaga, near the
sea, and Colmenar, on the border.
In the Axarquía, there are 15,000 hectares
cultivated with over 1 million olive trees, 60%
of them of the verdial cultivar, 22% of the
nevadillo cultivar, and a bare 5% of the
picual cultivar. Hence, verdial is the king of
olive trees in the region; its name comes
from the colour of its olives ("verde" is the
Spanish word for "green"), which keep it
longer than other varieties.
Verdial olive trees are strong, mid-sized and
quite productive trees, although their vecería
is quite marked, i.e. they have cycles of
alternating good and bad years in terms of yield.
Because of the mountainous terrain, olive trees have to be grown in
traditional ways in this region. Besides, as smallholdings are the prevailing
form of farming, mechanical farming and picking methods are not
profitable. This is why we can still see teams of mules in some places,
ploughing the fields or carrying the crops in their backs.
Oil: Oil-producing regions
Axarquía produces between 6,000 and
8,000 hectares of oil. The region has 19 oil
mills, 14 of them being cooperatives and 5,
industrial mills. The main olive-growing
towns are Alcaucín, Colmenar, Periana,
Riogordo, La Viñuela, Arenas, Canillas de
Aceituno, Cómpeta, Frigiliana, Sayalonga,
Sedella and Torrox.
Why is Axarquía oil so highly-valued? First
of all, because the cultivar grown here,
which is not to be found in other olivegrowing regions, produces a kind of oil with
a special smell and taste: the verdial and its
twin, the nevaíllo. And it has already been
explained that oils made from a single olive variety are most suitable to
produce extra virgin olive oil.
Secondly, this oil comes from smallholding and limited harvests, and
therefore the time elapsed between harvesting and presssing is short,
which prevents acidity.
Thirdly, Axarquía oil is sold to consumers directly, so it is not unnecessarily
transported, subject to temperature changes, or stored.
In the region's presses, traditional pressing methods are being replaced
with modern centrifugation systems. Some mills (e.g. Alfarnatejo and
Trapiche) have kept and still use old stone mills, iron watermills or settling
by usind alpechineras.
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REGION 2: ANTEQUERA OR THE NORTHERN REGION
This is the most important oil-producing region in Málaga, since 90% of
the province's olive oil is made here. It is the natural land of the
hojiblanco cultivar. Its 23,000 mills, gathered under the name
"Hojiblanca" and joined by the mills in the province of Córdoba, are the
top oil-producing group in the world, in terms of both output and
commercialisation. The region has 90,000 hectares of olive orchards,
which produce an average of 40 million kilos of extra virgin olive oil. The
Designation of Origin "Antequera Oil" is a guarantee of quality and a
great incentive for olive-growers, who treat their olive with such great
care.
There are also some independent cooperatives in some towns (El Cerro
in Archidona, Guadalhorce in Villanueva del Trabuco), producing and
selling their own oil.
The region's climate is semi-continental, with very cold winters and long,
hot and dry summers. The soil is very fertile, the land is not too rugged and
thus ideal for the cultivation of olive trees. Two clearly differentiated areas
can be seen:
Antequera and the neighbouring towns (Campillos, Humilladero, Mollina,
Fuente Piedra, Alameda and Sierra de Yeguas). This natural region is plain
and protected by the Yeguas Mountains to the north, the Abdalajís
Mountains to the South, and the Ronda Plateau to the West. Here, fertile
orchards exist side by side with cereal fields and vineyards. Antequera is
undergoing economic expansion, which involves farming modernisation
and flourishin industrial activity, favoured by its strategic location in
Andalusia and its agile communications network. After the serious
demographic crisis related to the emigration of the 1970s, the region is
now heading the progress experienced by the province of Málaga. And
olive oil is one of its main sources of income.
From the historical and cultural point of view, this wide plain which has its
origin in the Guadalhorce River has been inhabited by many different
peoples, who have left their mark and beautiful sights in it.
The second big olive-growing area in this region is the north-eastern zone
(Nororma), adjacent to the provinces of Granada and Córdoba, rougher
than Antequera, with mountains and hollows among which there flow the
Guadalhorce and Genil Rivers. In a natural ravine between the Antequera
and Granada Meadows, it is surrounded by El Pedroso and Las Arcas
Mountains (in the central region) and the Gibalto, San Jorge, Jobo and
Camarolos Mountains (to the south). Historically, it has always been a
transit area in Andalusia, between the Guadalquivir and the Sierra Nevada,
and this has given rise to a rich and diverse culture.
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Olive trees were planted in meadows that were oak groves until the 17th
century. The now stretch over the undulating terrain, since the plains and
the river banks are used to plant cerals and grow vegetables. The towns
located in this area are Villanueva del Rosario, Villanueva del Trabuco,
Archidona, Villanueva de Tapia, Villanueva de Algaidas, Cuevas Bajas and
Cuevas de San Marcos. Antequera's geographic location, which combines
plains, lakes and wild mountainous zones, favours the existence of a rich
fauna (including partridges, wild boars, Spanish Ibex, and flamingos),
which attracts animal lovers and hunters.
REGION 3: THE GUADALHORCE VALLEY
REGION 4: RONDA AND THE SERRANÍA
The Serranía de Ronda is a large region in the province of Málaga,
adjacent to the provinces of Cádiz and Seville, with an impressive
landscape of valleys, woods and rivers. There are small villages
scattered and stting on the hillsides, intertwined with ravines.
Surrounded by nature reserves (Grazalema, Alcornocales, and
Sierra de las Nieves) and with a continental climate made milder
by humidity and heavy rainfalls, the Serranía de Ronda is one of
the greatest tourist, landscape and biological reserves in Málaga.
The Guadalhorce Valley is climatically and geologically similar to the
lowlands of the Axarquía. This is probably why the same cultivar, the
"aloreño" verdial, has prospered in both regions.
Over the last few decades, olive groves have become smaller, since
farming tasks have mechanised to make olive cultivation profitable. As is
the case in the Axaquía, olive orchards are here in steep terrain, and thus
farming can only be done with the help of animals. If one goes up to the
Casarabonela or Pizarra plains, olive groves with very little yield or
abandoned can be seen.
On the other hand, the Guadalhorce River bank offers flat lands and
irrigation systems that have favoured the cultivation of citrus fruits and
subtropical species at the expense of olive trees. Those olive trees that are
still cultivated, however, produce a top-quality oil.
The roughness of the land has made communications difficult, an
so the inhabitants have been forced to make great efforts to stick
to subsistence agriculture. And the cultivation of olive trees was,
of course, part of their plight. As time went by, however, olive
orchards receded in the mountainous landscape. At present, there
are only three mills in the region: two in Ronda and one in Cuevas
del Becerro, the latter recently opened.
Despite its scarcity, the oil produced in this region is top quality
oil. Smallholdings manufacturing ecological olive oil, welcome by
locals and visitors. This is the case of the mill in Ronda, where out
of the 6 million olives pressed, 12,000 kilos are ecological olives,
which yield 2,500 kilos of excellent oil sold in the mill itself.
The mild climate contributes to olive early ripening. Therefore, most of the
yield is not crushed but hand-picked and sold prepared to be sold as fresh
olives.
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MOORISH OIL ROUTE
(Eastern Costa del Sol and Axarquía)
t
There are so many routes that run around the Eastern Costa del Sol and
4. OURIST ROUTES
the Axarquía and so many places that are worth visiting… If you have to
choose just a few, we recommend two routes that pass through olive groves
and take you to two places linked to our olive oil for so many years: Comares
and Periana. Travellers will have the opportunity to visit towns that have
remained unchanged despite the passing of time and get to know the warmth
of hospitable and open people.
MOORISH OIL ROUTE
(EASTERN COSTA DEL SOL AND AXARQUÍA)
CENTENARY OLIVE GROVES' ROUTE
(MOUNTAINS OF MÁLAGA AND AXARQUÍA)
HOJIBLANCO OLIVE GROVES' ROUTE
The climate, the peace and the beauty of the landscape have attracted numerous
foreigners that, having got to know this corner of the province of Málaga, have
stayed to live and have left the mists and chillyness of their countries far behind.
(MOUNTAINS OF MÁLAGA AND ANTEQUERA)
VILLAS NUEVAS OIL ROUTE
(ANTEQUERA)
MEADOWS AND MARSHES' OLIVE OIL ROUTE
With bread and wine you hit the road. And with oil, even the curves seem smoother.
(ANTEQUERA AND GUADALHORCE)
ECOLOGICAL OLIVE OIL ROUTE
(SERRANÍA DE RONDA)
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. Tourist Routes: Moorish olive oil route
MOORISH OIL ROUTE
ITINERARY:
Valle Niza
Vélez Málaga
Benamocarra
Almáchar
El Borge
Comares
and agricultural development, it is a
welcoming and hospitable town despite
the weight of the changes.
You leave Málaga, taking the Mediterranean motorway towards Vélez
Málaga. On reaching Valle Niza, turn to the left. Before arriving at Cajiz
there is the mill called El Molino nº1. It is owned by Jesús Cano Briones
and produces a million kilos of Extra Virgin Olive oil per year. During the
grinding season, between December and March, visitors can follow the
whole process of the milling and observe how the oil comes out and
deposits in the large containers in which it is stored. All the production is
sold directly to the public who make the make the trip there to buy it. If you
have any queries before the visit the telephone number of Jesús Cano
Briones is 95 251 46 11.
Taking the motorway again, you arrive in a few minutes to the crossroads of
Vélez-Málaga. This city, the traditional commercial and administrative centre
of Axarquía, with a population of more than 50,000, has some interesting
places that are worth visiting: the Iglesia de Santa María la Mayor (Grand
Saint Mary's Church) in Mudéjar style, transformed into a church in 1489,
that of San Juan (Church of Saint John) and of San Francisco (Church of
Saint Francis). You can also visit the beautiful ermita de la Virgin de los
Remedios (chapel of the Virgin of the Remedies), situated on a promontory.
There are other buildings that also deserve a look: the Palacio de los
Marqueses de Beniel (Palace of the Marquises of Beniel), the House of
Cervantes, or Del Carmen Theatre. Close to the sea and with great industrial
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If you ask for the Aceites Axarquía mill
there will always be someone who can
show you the way. And if not, the
address is Explanada de la Estación, 3.
It is a modern mill, although some old
elements have been conserved as
exhibits: the press, the grinding stones…
Its oil, with a maximum acidity of
between 0.4 and 0.5 percent, and a total
production of around a million kilos, is
bought, like almost all of that of this
region, by individuals who travel
especially to the mill to get it.
Return to the car, leave Vélez towards
the north and make a left that leads you
to Benamocarra, the place where one of
Spanish music's great maestros,
Eduardo Ocón, was born. The name of
the town and the design of its streets and
houses have a Moorish flavour, a
constant theme that will be repeated
many times in this route. Places of
interest here are the Plaza del Calvario,
the Plaza de la Constitución and the
Iglesia de Santa Ana (Church of Saint
Ann).
Continuing the route you run into
Almáchar from which you have an
excellent view over almost all of Axarquía.
One of the most exquisite dishes of this
town is the ajoblanco, an unrivalled
gazpacho made with a base of almonds
or broad beans, garlic and oil. It
deservedly has a fiesta in its honour, the Fiesta of Ajoblanco, which draws
thousands of visitors on the first Saturday of September who share out
hundreds of litres of ajoblanco. Comforted by this gazpacho you can restart the route, but not without first visiting the Museo de la Pasa (Raisin
Museum) and the Iglesia de San Mateo (Church of Saint Matthew).
Soon, you arrive to El Borge, also know
as "the capital of the raisin". In this town
of a little more than one thousand
inhabitants, they have recently opened La
Posada del Bandolero (the Bandit's Inn),
the house where it is believed the famous
bandit, nicknamed "El Bizco del Borge"
(The cross-eyed man of Borge), was born
in 1837. This building was once a mill,
and the grinder has been kept along with
a few other architectonic elements.
You can also visit the Iglesia de Nuestra
Señora del Rosario (Church of Our Lady
of the Rosary) and visit the typical Barrio
del
Rinconcillo
(Rinconcillo
neighbourhood). After having a drink at
the inn or one of the bars or taverns,
continue on the same route towards
Comares on a road that is slightly
tortuous but surrounded by a landscape
that is well worth seeing.
On your route you will pass by Cútar, a
beautiful village with around seven
hundred inhabitants and a labyrinth made
up of narrow streets and corners
embellished with flowers and water. The
town derives its name from its interesting
antique Arab fountain, the word Cútar
meaning "Fountain of Paradise" in Arabic.
Then you pass through Benamargosa, a
village in which the traditional cultivation
of vines, almond and olive trees
combines with new plantations of
subtropical products.
The Town Council has been the promoter
of the museum and inn project. It has six
guest rooms with antique furniture and a
romantic air, each one bearing the name
of one of the members of the gang of "El
Bizco del Borge"
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Making a wide curve, the road rises up
towards the end of this route. Here you
have the opportunity of admiring the
beautiful panorama featuring the blue
of the sea and the ochre dotted with
green of the farms of Axarquía. Finallo
you arrive to Comares, a natural
bastion where Omar ben Hafsun and
the armies of the Umayyads from
Córdoba fought, and the Castle, which
crowns the highest rocks of the town,
bears witness to those battles.
In the main plaza of the town there is El
Molino de los Abuelos. The mill was
built at the end of the 19th century and
it was still in use until mid 20th century century. To
prevent the building and its installations from ruining,
as has happened with so many other similar
constructions, the Hermoso family has conserved
this heritage as much as possible. A few years ago,
they started the restoration of the mill and the house,
turning them into a restaurant and lodging. The part
of the house functioning as a hotel consists of five
double rooms and three apartments with views to the
plaza, the interior patio or the immense valley that is
visible from these heights.
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The restaurant has been set up in the
old mill. The dining room occupies the
former machinery room of which they
have conserved the stone mill, the
presses, the hydraulic pumps and the
oil tanks that are sitting on the ground,
covered with a transparent and
illuminated pane of glass.
The cellar is next to the restaurant,
where the oil was kept in earthenware
jars and the wine, in barrels. The
place is decorated with utensils and
instruments related with oil and wine
making, and is used as a bar or a
room for celebrations.
Those who stay the night can wake up
to a miller's breakfast: orange juice,
bread with oil, coffee and homemade
jam.
MOORISH OIL ROUTE
3
COMARES
La Tahona, one of the towers
of the Castle of Comares, is
worth visiting.
El Molino de los Abuelos
BENAMOCARRA
The only monument this
village boasts is the Church
of Saint Ann, built in the
16th century.
VÉLEZ - MÁLAGA
Vélez is the largest and
most populated town of
Axarquía. It has many
villages: Torre del mar,
Benajarafe, Triana,
Trapiche, Almayate, Cajiz
and Chilches, among
others.
EL BORGE
Borge is the village of raisins.
2 "Aceites Axarquía" mill
VALLE NIZA
It is located 3 km from Benajarafe. It is
historically important due to its stone
church used by Mozarabic hermits
between the 8th and 10th century.
ALMÁCHAR
The monument visitors cannot miss
is the Parish of Saint Matthew, in
central Almáchar.
1
"El Molino nº
1" mill
SIGNOS CONVENCIONALES
Comienzo de la Ruta
Fin de la Ruta
Itinerary sugerido
0
5
km.
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(Mountains of Málaga and Axarquía)
Although on the way you have to deal with numerous bends, this route
takes you to the Fuente de La Reina (Queen's Fountain) and the Puerto
del León (Lion's Port), almost a thousand metres above sea level, which
afford magnificent views of Málaga and its bay. On sunny days, you can
see the coast of Africa. We recommend this winding road because visitors
will have the opportunity to travel through beautiful landscapes and enjoy
unusual panoramas. The road that leads within this Natural Park leaves
from Fuente de la Reina.
ITINERARY:
Málaga
Colmenar
Riogordo
Mondrón
Periana
Alfarnatejo
Alfarnate
For this journey, that takes you to the most unique places of oil, you leave
Málaga by the old road of the Mountains. The peaks and ravines that were
previously fertile vineyards and extensive olive groves are now populated
with pines that were planted to avoid the terrible floods of the
Guadalmedina river. Olive trees, now barely present, shared the land with
vines and almond trees, the sustenance and the way of life for the locals.
Partío de Verdiales is very close, and the poem reads:
(Partío de Verdiales,
partío de muchas viñas,
entre pitas y olivares
estoy queriendo a una niña
y no me la da su mare.)
Verdiales, oh, my foe,
a place plentiful of vines,
among pitas, olive groves,
I love a girl divine,
but her mother won't let go.
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The first stop on this oil route is made at
Lagar de Torrijos. The access to this old
press is about two kilometres from Puerto
del León, in the direction to Colmenar, on a
forested road that you take on the left hand
side of the main road. Although it is well
signalled, visitors should pay attention and not get too distracted by the
beautiful views of the Axarquía, the Mediterranean sea and Sierra Tejeda.
This road, although a little narrow, is paved and runs boxed in between the
exuberant vegetation of the Montes de Málaga Natural Park. At present,
the building belongs to the Department for the Environment of the
Government of Andalusia, which has restored and transformed it. During
the first half of the 19th century until the arrival of the phylloxera that wiped
out the vineyards, it was the press where they made the famous wines
from the hills. After substituting the cultivation of vines for olive trees, two
wings were added to the building, in which they installed the olive oil mill,
the press and the cellar.
The construction is a clear example of the typical houses of the Mountains
of Málaga and also a good example of the economic boom of the first half
of the 19th century.
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. Tourist Routes: Centenary olive groves’ route
In the interior they have conserved the characteristic architectonic
elements of the agricultural life to which the building was dedicated. The
first thing that attracts our attention is a perfectly conserved beam that was
in use in the past. In the season of the wine harvest it was used to press
the grapes of the local vineyards.
You will also see a mill there, which was installed after the phylloxera crisis
and the changes in cultivation made in order to maintain an agricultural
economy.
With the exception of the alpechineras, which you will see outside the
building, the rest of the elements are in
the old premises, enlarged after the
change of cultivation and the introduction
of the olive trees. The oil mill, of three
rollers powered by animal traction, dates
back to the mid 19th century. The press
is made of piquera or black fig and is not
as old as the mill. It is constructed in iron
and steel from the factory of Ruperto
Heaton, located in the Huelin
neighbourhood, in Málaga. The water
boiler was also made at the end of the
19th century.
Lagar de Torrijos is open to the public at
the weekends.
Go back along the road and you will be
again on to the main road. You are
entering the Axarquía, which in this route
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you travel through the western part of, in search of the places in which they
produce high quality olive oil obtained from olives of verdiales, nevadillos
or picuales. The most cultivated variety is the verdial, from which an oil that
is distinguished by its aroma and its sweet and light palate is extracted.
After taking the last bend of this now quiet road, you arrive at Colmenar,
the town that was the centre of this zone, and is now a quiet place, isolated
but very welcoming.
Famous for being the birthplace of the
wine of the hills, in culinary terms, its
comforting plato de los Montes (dish
of the Mountains) stands out: cold
cuts, eggs and potatoes all fried in its
magnificent oil. From the marriage
between its wine and its cold meats,
the Day of Must and Cold Meats was
born, which is celebrated a few days
after Christmas.
You leave Colmenar towards
Riogordo. To get there, you take the
road that leads to Vélez-Málaga and
runs along a fertile valley bordered by
olive groves, fig trees and almond
trees. The town is situated on a hill
that looks towards the La Cueva river.
Many flour and oil mills were
constructed here to make use of the
force of the river's waters and some of
them are still standing there.
To learn further details, you can to visit
the Museo Etnográfico Municipal (City
Ethnographic Museum).
The present mill of Riogordo is called
the Olivarera San Jacinto and it
produces excellent extra virgin olive
oil, bottled under the designation
Rioliva.
To enjoy one of the most interesting
spectacles of Andalucían folklore, we
recommend that visitors see the
representation of the Paso de la
Pasión, a popular staging of the
Passion of Christ that takes place on
Maundy Thursday and Good Friday
every year.
can also buy oil cakes, magdalenas, mantecados,
palillos, borrachuelos… all typical cakes from this
village.
On September 7th, they celebrate the
Noche de las Candelas or the Fiestas
del Candil (Night of Candles), in which
they make bonfires and competitions
of candles.
Just to the side of the road there is the Olivarera San
José Artesano. In the same mill, which has 340
members and produces 300,000 litres of olive oil
from its 60,000 olive trees, you can buy extra virgin
olive oil of verdial or gold type. The cold extraction,
the selection of the olives, the daily grinding and the
rigorous quality control make it one of the most
valued olive oils for lovers of a good palate, so
families from all around come to buy it. Together with
the modern mill, they still keep the old mill with the
hydraulic press, stone mill and animal traction as well
as the old cellar.
Amongst the traditional dishes, we
should recommend the red pepper,
the chickpea stew, the green broad
bean gazpacho and the porra (similar
to ajoblanco with the addition of
tomato, ham and boiled eggs). You
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Leaving Riogordo you head towards Periana. Soon
you will start to see on both sides of the road ancient
olive trees, with wide trunks and capricious forms.
You are arriving to the village of Mondrón.
And if you want to try another culinary gem, don't leave without tasting the
magnificent goat milk cheese.
Just a stones throw from here we run into Periana. Of particular interest
here are the Iglesia de San Isidro Labrador (Church of Saint Isidore the
Farmer), the Lavadero de la Cruz (Sink of the Cross) and the Arab Baths.
Every year, the last Sunday of March, thousands of locals and visitors take
part in the Day of Olive Oil in which they taste the extra virgin olive oil that
is produced in its co-operative, San Isidro. Equally famous are the peaches
of Periana, a true synthesis of fruit that is attractive for its colour, its touch
and its flavour, and that deserves a holiday in its honour, the fair of the
Melocotón (peach), which attracts thousands of visitors during the third
weekend of August.
The end of your trip takes you to Alfarnate. To get there, you take a road
surrounded by abrupt crags and daring gorges, and in a few minutes, after
passing the Puerto del Sol at 1,100 metres above sea level, you arrive at
the little town of Alfarnatejo, a refuge for bandits during the romantic 19th
century. From the town you can enjoy the views of the Desfiladero del Río
Sabar (Sabar river ravine) and the impressive Tajo de Gómer (Gómer
Ravine).
You should visit the Ermita de Monsalud (Chapel of Monsalud), the Iglesia
de Santa Ana (Church of Saint Ann) and enjoy a stroll around the little
streets of this mountain town.
We have left the best of the route till last, the Venta de Alfarnate (Alfarnate
Inn), a few minutes away from the urban centre. Apparently, it was
constructed in 1690. Some experts believe that the Venta could have been
the origin for the town, as it was an obligatory stop for travellers from the
coast to the interior and where they would change horses. The story goes
that a royal messenger was robbed of its letters by Luis Candelas. There
are those that say that the bandit was kept in custody in this inn. Visitors
can see the room that served as his dungeon. Another bandit that passed
through here was José María el Tempranillo, about whom there are also
many legends that circulate by word of mouth in the form of popular
romances.
As time to eat has come, we recommend the typical dishes of the town:
setas de cardo al ajillo (mushrooms with garlic), chivo frito (fried goat),
migas (dish prepared with bread, garlic and olive oil), chicken… the
famous bread rolls of father Carrero come from Alfarnate.
Just 3.5 kilometres from Alfarnatejo is Alfarnate, a mountain town famous
for its chickpeas, with which they make their famous dish, seasoned with
olive oil. The production of oil is not abundant but it is of great quality.
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3
ALFARNATEJO
The most outstanding monument
in this village is the Iglesia
Parroquial del Santo Cristo de
Cabrilla (Parish Church of Saint
Christ of Cabrilla).
Almazara
"Olivarera San José
Artesano"
4
Venta de
Alfarnate
ALFARNATE
Alfarnate is near the border and
near Puerto de los Alhazores. The
first human settlements date back
to prehistoric times.
RIOGORDO
During Holy Week, on Good Friday
and Holy Saturday, Riogordo
represents Christ's Passion. Around
400 people take place in the
enacting.
2
MONDRÓN
The olive oil museum is
located in the oil village of
Mondrón. The museum was
created by the Cooperativa
Olivarera de San José
Artesano, whose aim was to
preserve the olive-oil-making
old custom to which the village
owes its fame.
Almazara
"Olivarera San
Jacinto"
PERIANA
Visitors can go on horseback tours and there
they will enjoy some of the most breathtaking
views of Axarquía.
COLMENAR
The archaeological sites found
in several places in the village
indicate that there were
prehistoric settlements in the
area.
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SIGNOS CONVENCIONALES
Comienzo de la Ruta
1
Lagar de Torrijos
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MÁLAGA
The historic district of the city boasts
almost all the monuments and tourist
attractions, except for the historic
gardens, which are in the outskirts.
Fin de la Ruta
Itinerary sugerido
0
5
km.
(Mountains of Málaga and Antequera)
The Antequera region is the most important olive-growing area in the
province. We suggest two different routes to visit it with ease. The first one
will lead us to Antequera (the city of Torcal) where we can visit the Oil
Museum; the other one goes through the North-Eastern area districts.
ITINERARY:
Casabermeja
Villanueva de Cauche
Antequera
Alameda
If we start from Málaga, we will take the road N-331 to Granada. This road
has been traced following the Guadalmedina River bed, surrounded by
hills that used to be fertile vineyards before the phylloxera took hold of
them. Now the slopes are populated with almond trees, carob trees and
scattered olive groves.
About 20 km away is Casabermeja. Its modern olive oil mill keeps
producing oils that are famous over the whole region: Verdiblanca and
Oleobio, an ecological oil. If you have time, you could visit the cemetery,
one of the most curious in Andalusia due to the constructions crowning the
tombs, a cemetery that was declared a Historic-Artistic monument in 1980,
when the Torre Zambra, a watchtower built by the Arabs in the 13th
century, was also declared of artistic interest. Other interesting places are
the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Socorro (Church of Our Lady of
Assistance), with its monumental tower built in the 16th century, and the
old quarter , where some of the typically Andalusian houses still stand.
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Regarding its festivities, two events are outstanding -the Corpus, which
lasts for several days, when streets are ornamented with flowers and
altars, and the Cante Grande Festival, a festival of flamenco singing, with
the participation of the most famous cantaores (flamenco singers).
Recommended foods include: the plato de los Montes, rabbit sautéed in
garlic, chivo en pepitoria (kid stew), the pipeo (dish made with broad
beans, almonds, and vegetables), the migas (dish prepared with stale
bread, oil, garlic and salt), the gazpacho or the olla de la era (stew with
chick peas, pumpkin, aubergine, haricot beans and French beans). Among
many exquisite homemade desserts,
oil cakes are worth noting.
Leaving Casabermeja, a few
kilometres away you will find
Villanueva de Cauche on the right, a
core of houses on a headland close to
the road. It is a small village in
Antequera, with only two streets.
Apart from the interesting Roman
remains of nearby Aratispi, you can
see the house of the Marquises of
Cauche. As an anecdote, the
neighbours in this village do not own
the houses they live in, since all of
them belong to the marquises. Every
year, the dwellers gave the marquises
a laying hen so as to have the right to
continue occupying the houses.
. Tourist Routes: Hojiblanco olive groves' route
On arriving in Puerto de las Pedrizas, we take the N-331 to Antequera.
Whether you go down the ancient Cuesta del Romeral or keep on the road,
after a turn, the splendorous Vega de Antequera will suddenly appear
before your eyes. This is an olive land par excellence, where one of the
most renowned varieties of Andalusian olive trees is grown: the
"hojiblanco" olive tree.
While not yet entering Antequera, you will follow up to the A-92 and, on
reaching the Córdoba detour, will turn towards Antequera. A few
kilometres away are the offices of the largest oil cooperative in the world:
Hojiblanca, a place you must stop by in this olive oil route. There you will
find the Olive Oil Museum, which reproduces an olive oil mill manor from
the 17th century.
By means of the extensive information in explanatory panels, visitors go
through the history of the olive and the methods used to obtain oils from its
origins in far Egypt, its subsequent expansion through the Mediterranean
by the Phoenicians, the Roman era and the Middle Ages, to the traditional
grinding methods in use prior to the modern machinery.
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At the end of this interesting visit, you will enter the Hojiblanca central
offices, a cooperative that coordinates and distributes oil produced by
some thirty olive oil mills in Northern Málaga and Southern Córdoba. At the
offices, you can see the prizes awarded to the olive oil produced in the
region and purchase bottles of one of the best extra virgin olive oils in the
world.
Promotion and advertising of the excellent qualities of the different types of
oil produced by Hojiblanca are achieved with the collaboration of the great
Spanish master chef Carlos Arguiñano and worldwide-famous actor
Antonio Banderas.
To complete this interesting day, you can go to the neighbouring city of
Antequera, which offers a varied and abundant cultural offers. You can
either choose the route of the historic dolmens of Menga, Viera and El
Romeral or tour the religious sites: the Real Colegiata de Santa María la
Mayor, whose 500 anniversary was celebrated in 2004, churches as San
Sebastián (St. Sebastian), San Juan y San Pedro (St. John and St. Peter),
del Carmen, de los Remedios (of the Remedies), Santiago (St. James),
Madre de Dios (Mother of God), San José (St. Joseph), Belén
(Bethlehem), and San Juan de Dios (St. John of God), as well as the
Iglesia Real del Monasterio de San Francisco (Royal Church of the
Monastery of St. Francis), a church that has been declared a national
monument.
There is another tour that leads you to the magnificent aristocratic homes
of the city. One of the most famous, the Nájera Palace, has been turned
into a Municipal Museum. You must not miss the house of the Marquis of
Peña; the house of the Marquise of the Escalonias; the Colarte Estate,
nowadays the Casa Museo de la Diputación Provincial (Museum of the
Provincial Government); the house of the Baron of Sabasona; the house
of the Marquis of Villadarías; or the Serrailler estate.
We can finish the urban tour
by approaching the Bullring,
featuring
the
Taurine
Museum. And if you still
have some time to spare, you
can travel to the splendid
world of whimsical shapes
offered by the rocks at the
Torcal. At the Convento de
las Descalzas (Discalced
Nuns' Convent) there is
another museum that is
worth visiting.
In order not to get lost and to
make the most of your time,
the best thing to do is call at
the Tourist Information Office,
where useful information will
be kindly provided.
After seeing so many things,
you will probably feel hungry,
but there is no problem in
this, for Antequera's gastronomy offers an assortment of dishes that will
make your choice quite difficult. Two impossible-to-miss suggestions are a
main course and a dessert: the porra antequerana and bienmesabe
(meaning it tastes good), whose recipes are explained in the gastronomic
guide.
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But if you have time (otherwise, you should find some), you can leave
Antequera towards Córdoba, and a few kilometres away turn on the detour
to Alameda. A few hundred metres from there you will find the Hamlet of
San Benito.
Surrounded by olive trees, adjacent to Vega de Antequera and framed by
the Torcal, this restaurant will take you to a carefully preserved rural
Andalusian atmosphere. To that end, a 17th-century building has been
recovered, preserving the traditional elements that give personality to the
Andalusian popular architecture: tiles, doors, floors, windows, bars,
fireplace… The exterior is a patio with cobble stone floor which leads to
an old gate that opens to the restaurant that occupies the two storeys of
the house. If it is cold, the fireplace will be lit to take the copa from -embers
in braziers that heat people sitting at a mesa camilla (small table) with the
corresponding refajo (an elegant tablecloth).
Gastronomy gathers the most typical dishes in the area: salads, porras,
migas, vegetable stew, rabbit, pork or sirloin with asparagus, and gachas
(porridge) or bienmesabe for dessert. In a separate building that used to
be a chapel, there is the Museo de Usos y Costumbres (Museum of
Traditions and Customs), where interesting objects are carefully exhibited.
Outside, in a vast esplanade, you will find many farming equipment,
machinery and objects used in agricultural tasks, as well as many mills
from old olive oil manufacturing establishments in a sort of open-air
museum. The place, the food, the warmth of its owners, and the peaceful
atmosphere will certainly arise the visitor's wish to return there for good
reasons.
2
Hamlet of San Benito
ALAMEDA
The figure of the Andalusian bandit,
which aroused so much interest in
the past, is symbolised by José
María Pelagio Hinojosa, known as
"El Tempranillo".
VILLANUEVA DE CAUCHE
The Marquessate of Cauche
was founded on the ground
where nowadays lies the
municipal district of Villanueva
de Cauche.
1 Olive Oil Museum
CASABERMEJA
The Iglesia Parroquial de
Nuestra Señora del Socorro
(Parish Church of Our Lady of
Assistance) is the main
monument of Casabermeja and
the most visible one.
ANTEQUERA
It offers a true art and monument
treasure, particularly at the old
quarter.
SYMBOLS
End of the route
Suggested route
0
5
km.
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(Antequera)
About three kilometres ahead you will leave the road and take the detour
to Villanueva del Rosario, a 3,000 inhabitant-village originally named
Puebla del Saucedo due to the abundance of willows ("sauce" means
willow in Spanish) by the rivers and streams. From the road you can see
the natural fortress Peñón de Solís, where archaeologists place the
Roman city of Ulisis.
ITINERARY:
Villanueva del Rosario
Villanueva del Trabuco
Salinas
Archidona
Villanueva de Algaidas
Alameda
To guide the visitor coming from Málaga or from elsewhere, the starting
point for this route will be Puerto de la Pedrizas, the natural entrance to the
Guadalhorce Valley, where you will find the first two towns in this route:
Rosario and Trabuco.
From this port you will take the junction
that leads to Granada. The first thing
you will notice is a change in the
landscape: a valley will appear fringed
by mountain chains to the right, with
magnificent grasslands and leafy holm
oak and pine forests, source of brooks
and springs that pour into the
Guadalhorce river. In the labouring land,
olive trees spread in fertile fields; along
the river banks there are forests,
vegetable gardens and patchwork-like
rectangular fields where cereals swing
in the breeze.
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If you wish to make a stop, you will be welcomed by the dwellers' kindness,
the tasty confectionery of Horno de Teodoro, and the well-known virgin
olive oil. If you want to buy it, before reaching the town, you will see a sign
reading Cooperativa San Juan. It is open Monday through Saturday.
To admire the splendour of the hills surrounding the village, you should
take the natural grassland path of Hondoneros, and see the source of the
Cerezo river from the watching point where the Virgen del Rosario Chapel
stands. On summer evenings it is easy to see the ibexes go down and
gather around the clear waters.
In the first week of August, the summer festivities are held and heifers are
released in the streets.
. Tourist Routes: Villas Nuevas oil route
Just one league away, 5.5 kilometres,
you will find the prosperous village of
Villanueva del Trabuco, where the
Guadalhorce river rises, the largest
river in the province of Málaga. You
should not miss the beautiful Plaza del
Prado with its ever flowing Fuente de
los Tres Caños (Fountain of the Three
Pipes). In other square, you will find
the church of Nuestra Señora de los
Dolores (Our Lady of Pains). Other
religious sites are the chapels of San
Juan (St. John), San Isidro (St.
Isidore), San Antonio (St. Anthony)
and Virgen del Puente (Virgin of the
Bridge).
In the public squares you can see the grinds and stones of the ancient
olive oil mills turned into pieces of open-air museums. To state it briefly,
only two dishes of the traditional gastronomy are highlighted: the guisillo
de San José (San José stew) and the papandúas, typical food for Easter
also named papuecas in Villanueva de Tapias, parpuchas in Algaidas and
tortitas de bacalao (cod cakes) in Villanueva del Rosario.
Just as in other villages in the region, one of the most expected days of the
year is April 25, San Marcos (St. Mark) festivity, when all the people in town
take part in a pilgrimage to the Fuente de los Cien Caños (Fountain of the
One Hundred Pipes) in the slope of Sierra de San Jorge.
There are two ways to reach the next destination, Archidona: the shorter
one is the Los Molinillos road, a narrow mountain road with many turns; the
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other way, a bit longer, is more comfortable for the traveller and will lead
you to Salinas.
If you are not in a hurry, you can take the Los Molinillos road, named after
the steep places where there used to be old flour and olive oil mills
("molinillos" means small mills in Spanish). If you want to do some
trekking, you can go through the Hoz
de Marín, a sharp narrowness leading
to Vega de Archidona and wander for
several kilometres between slopes
with a brook running at the bottom.
Now you get to Achidona, a city that
stretches over the slopes of Sierra de
Gracias and del Conjuro. Its
maximum splendour was achieved
during the Arab ruel, when it was the
main city of Cora del Rayo. Proofs of
its past Muslim greatness are the wall and the remains of the castle
overlooking the city, the fertile lowland and the whole environment. In this
watchtower and on the old mosque, the chapel dedicated to the Virgen de
Gracia (Virgin of Grace), Patron of the town and the region was built. Its
festivity is celebrated on August 15.
Archidona has a rich historic-artistic heritage, and recommended for all
visitors are: Plaza Ochavada, an architectural gem of the 18th century, the
churches of Santa Ana (St. Ann), el Nazareno (the Nazarene), and La
Victoria (the Victory), and the Convento de las Mínimas, where the nuns
make mouth-watering confectionery. Through a wooden revolving window,
you can ask the nun at the door for a small box of sugary buns flavoured
with almonds that are called mostachones.
There are many bars and two or three
restaurants to go for tapas or a meal,
where you can try the viandas (hot
fitter with thistle mushrooms, guisillo
San José, porra, or a plain muffin)
dressed or fried in good olive oil. You
can buy bottles of extra virgin olive oil
at any grocery store or at the bar you
choose to have a drink accompanied
with exquisite tapas.
After leaving Arichonda, we cross the
A-92 expressway and head for
Villanueva de Algaidas, the lands
bathed by the Genil river. Near
Villanueva de Algaidas, an Arab name
meaning "the forest", you will see the
ruins of a Convento de los
Franciscanos (Franciscan Monastery),
with a Cave Church next to it. On one
of the main streets in the village you
will find the Berrocal Museum, whose new building is under construction.
The Necrópolis de los Alcaides (Keepers' Necropolis) is very interesting
from an archaeological point of view.
A few names from the local gastronomy are worth remembering:
salmorejo, ajoblanco, relleno and gachas de mosto.
Always walking among green olive orchards and neatly cared fields, we
advance towards the end of this route: Alameda.
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You will have to cross the road that
links Antequera with Córdoba, and a
few kilometres away you will find the
town, on the border between the
provinces of Málaga and Córdoba.
Many of its houses are good
examples of typical Andalusian
popular architecture. At the main
square is a beautiful fountain dating
back to the 18th century. Other
remarkable buildings are the Iglesia
de la Inmaculada Concepción
(Church of the Immaculate
Conception) and the Vicarage, a
beautiful site built in the 18th century
in Baroque style.
But as you will probably be willing to
eat, you should go to Posada de José
María El Tempranillo (an inn), at a
Museum-House from the 18th
century, where you will be able to
follow the steps of this famous bandit.
Taking advantage of the strategic
location of this town as an
unavoidable
passage
for
stagecoaches, El Tempranillo caught
travellers by surprise and, gallantly,
took their belongings away in a kind
fashion. His mortal remains rest in the
town church.
2
Inn of José María
el Tempranillo
SALINAS
Near the expressway linking
Málaga with Granada, Salinas
keeps its traditional Andalusian
style.
ALAMEDA
The Andalusian bandit,
whose figure aroused so
much interest in the past,
is here symbolised by
José María Pelagio
Hinojosa, known as "El
Tempranillo".
VILLANUEVA DEL TRABUCO
The Parish Church of Our Lady
of Pains is the most outstanding
monument in this village.
1
VILLANUEVA DE ALGAIDAS
The August Fair is highly praised by
local people, who participate in the
different events closed with a popular
festival.
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Cooperativa San Juan
SYMBOLS
ARCHIDONA
Archidona's gastronomy has typical
dishes: porra, cazuela moruna, olla and
potato casserole.
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VILLANUEVA DEL ROSARIO
In a place like this, you should
do some trekking.
End of the route
Suggested route
0
5
km.
(Antequera and Guadalhorce)
ITINERARY:
Mollina
Humilladero
Fuente Piedra
Sierra Yeguas
Campillos
Teba
Ardales
Carratraca
Casarabonela
In this tour, you will visit some villages located along the Guadalhorce river
flow, from meadows and rolling hills where Mollina, Humilladero and
Fuente Piedra are located to the highest point, Teba, and then you will
descend again in your way to Málaga, always following the river's course.
The Guadalhorce river runs along ravines and gullies and it passes by
attractive villages, such as Ardales, Carratraca or Casarabonela.
Take the motorway that goes from Málaga towards Antequera. Near
Antequera, take the A-92 to Campillos. After a few kilometres, you will find
Mollina, a prosperous village in whose church sits the Virgen de la Oliva
(Virgin of the Olive), donated in 1687 by Bishop Alonso de Santo Tomás.
Other interesting places in the village are the Convento de la Ascensión
(Convent of the Ascension), the Mausoleo de la Capuchina (Capuchin's
Mausoleum) and the "Castellum" de Santillán (Santillán Castle).
(meaning "humiliating" in Spanish),
derives from the following legend: the
place where today sits a
commemorative cross, Infante Don
Fernando "humiliated" himself, he
kissed a sword swearing that he
would not sheathe it until he had
conquered the nearby village of
Antequera. The rest of the knights
who were with him, kneeled and took
the same oath.
Fuente Piedra comes next, a village
well known for its healing waters since
times immemorial (an inscription in
Latin dating back to the Roman period
refers to the waters' healing
properties related, for instance, to the
cure for kidney stones). Today it is
well known for its location on the
shore of one of the most appealing
lakeside areas of the Iberian
Peninsula, Laguna Salada. You will
be able to see pink flamingos,
slender-billed gulls, ducks, cranes…
Near the lagoon, and going through olive orchards sprinkled with manyhundred-year-old holm oaks, you will reach Sierra de Yeguas, near Sierra
de los Caballos, a mountain range which separates the meadow of the
Guadalhorce river from the countryside in the province of Seville.
Crossing the motorway, we will find Humilladero, well known for its olive oil
and delicious home-made cold meats. The village's name, Humilladero
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. Tourist Routes: Meadows and marshes' olive oil
Presently we head for Campillos, a
charming place, well known for its good
quality leather goods. Its most important
building is the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora
del Reposo (Our Lady of Rest Church),
built in the 16th century.
Some three miles away, you will see Teba, a village situated on a rocky hill.
The first building you will make out is the Estrella Castle, an impressive
construction combining Roman, Arab and Christian elements.
In the Roman time, this village was called Attegua. According to historians,
it was the stage on which the faction that supported Julius Caesar fought
the Pompey party. From the castle,
you will delight in the panoramic views
of the Serranía de Ronda to the west
and the meadows and rivers of
Guadalteba to the southeast. The
most interesting architectural works
are the Ermita de Nuestro Padre
Jesús Nazareno (Our Father Jesus of
Nazareth Chapel), the façade of the
Casa Condal de la Emperatriz
Eugenia de Montijo (Count's
Residence of Empress Eugenia de
Montijo), the Palacete del Marqués de
Greñina (Mansion of Marquis of
Greñina), la Ermita de Nuestra Señora
del Carmen (Our Lady of Carmen
Chapel) and the Iglesia de Santa Cruz
Real (Royal Holy Cross Church).
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From Teba, take the road to Ardales. Drive along one kilometre and you
will arrive at Molino de las Pilas, a 19th century country house remodelled
to serve as a hotel and a restaurant. All the original rooms have been kept,
especially the architectonic elements typical of Andalusian buildings:
whitewashed walls, wooden beams, stone, grilles, doors, windows…
The restaurant is housed in the mill, so that the patrons enjoy the place's
delicious dishes and, at the same time, they can appreciate all the parts of
a century-old olive-oil mill. The machinery has been kept as if time has not
gone by. The room is "decorated" with a 20 m long press beam. The
ground has the same stones over which so many generations of olivepickers have walked, the large earthenware jars still keep the smell of the
oil they had been filled with long ago, and the stones of the old mill show
remains of its last milling.
This amazing restaurant offers traditional dishes. Its specialities are meat
and stews made with a magnificent olive oil, and indeed, the restaurant
has a variety of quality wines in its cellar.
The peaceful atmosphere of the
place invites to rest. You can stay at
the guest rooms, which were the old
owners' chambers. The hotel has six
double rooms with bathroom,
heating and telephone. In three of
the rooms there is a fireplace.
Maybe you will like to stay one night at
this incredible hotel and go to Ardales
the following morning. You can take
the shortest way, but you'd better take
the road that goes along the edge of
the marshes, with the mountains to
one side and the ponds to the other,
and so enjoy the view of a terrific
landscape. If you take this road, you
can visit the ruins of Bobastro.
It was in Muslim Spain, more
specifically during Umar ibn Hafsun's
revolt, when decisive historical events
took place in Bobastro. This famous
leader, born to a Visigoth earl, was a
threat to the emir in Córdoba. He
settled his fortified headquarters in
Bobastro. When he died, in 917, the
rebellion led by this heroic leader of
the resistance to Córdoba's hegemony
collapsed. His courageous deeds
appear in works by Romantic writers.
Other interesting places are the Iglesia
de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios
(Our Lady of Remedies Church, the
Peña Castle, the Museum, the
Agitanes Ravine or the Ardales Cave.
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From Ardales, going down to the Valley of the Guadalhorce river, you will
arrive at Carratraca. This small village, with a population of 1,000, is well
known for its sulphur water, used to cure many skin conditions. The story
goes that Carratraca means "mark cleaning" in Arabic. There is a famous
thermal bath to which the name might refer, since this bath was already
known for its healing properties since Roman times. And the patron virgin
of the place is the Our Lady of Health. There is a church honouring this
virgin. If you have enough time you can buy delicious cakes in the local
sweet shop, such as oil cakes, butter doughnuts or almond cookies.
Driving a bit farther, in Casarabonela,
you will reach the Antigua Venta de
San Antonio (Old St. Anthony's Inn),
one of those inns where travellers used
to stop by so as to rest and let their
horses rest as well. The building dates
back to the 18th century. It has been
refurbished and turned into a
restaurant. The rooms, the furniture
and the architectonic elements are the
typical of the Andalusian homes. The
dishes on the menu are also typical of
Andalusia: eggplants and honey,
orange and cod salad, gazpacho,
ajoblanco or porra antequerana.
Next stop: Casarabonela, a true labyrinth made up of white houses rising
on the hill side. Surrounded by olive orchards, fig trees and cultivated
fields, Casarabonela still keeps the marriage of Moorish and Christian
elements, typical of many villages in the province of Málaga. The most
representative buildings of this style are the Iglesia de Santiago (St.
James's Church) and the Ermita de Vera Cruz (Vera Cruz Chapel).
Local gastronomy is based on a series of dishes that can be eaten all the
year round, such as stew, rabbit au garlic, sopa perota (a soup similar to
gazpacho with clams), pipeo (a vegetable dish with broad beans), sopa de
puchero (vegetable and meat soup). We suggest that you should not leave
without buying some olive oil bottles and table olives jars. If you like sweet
food, buy some wine doughnuts or oil cakes.
The Fiesta de los Rondeles, celebrated every 12 December, is closely
linked with oil and work in the mills.
On the way to Málaga, there is a place that should be visited: Molino de la
Paca (Paca Mill), near El Valle del Sol, in the outskirts of Alhaurin El
Grande. The building has two mills, one is more than 120 years old, the
other is more modern, and both still operating. Many visitors who want to
see how the mills work come to the place. They can also know how the
olives are processed and delight in looking at the olive oil stream coming
out.
It is worth visiting the nice Mizos Mill, still in perfect shape.
You can taste the product and then visit the exhibition, buy some bottles of
extra virgin olive oil and other regional products. Moreover, the owner of
the mill organises a peculiar contest held in the so-called "olivedrome".
The winner of the contest is the person who, after eating an olive oil, can
spit the bone farther.
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1
Molino de las Pilas
(Pilas Mill)
FUENTE DE PIEDRA
The nice nearby lake, also
called Fuente de Piedra,
contributes to the ecological
value of the region.
SIERRA DE YEGUAS
Porra campera and gazpacho
are the most traditional dishes,
together with roast pepper
salad, partridge and rabbit.
MOLLINA
The Roman sites at Mollina are
attractive for archaeologists and the
general public alike, who will sure
appreciate the historic value of the
ancient remains.
CAMPILLOS
To the south, the landscape is
embellished by the Guadalteba
and Guadalhorce reservoirs,
under which lies the old village
of Peñarrubia, now disappeared.
4
Molino de la Paca
(Paca Mill)
2 Antigua Venta
San Antonio
(Old St. Anthony's
Inn)
TEBA
The urban areas have
been declared of historical
and artistic interest. They
feature the typical
Andalusian design, with a
number of mansions and
small palaces that are
worth a visit.
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3 Almazara
"Molino de los Mizos"
(Mizos Mill)
ARDALES
Guadalhorce reservoirs contribute to
create a terrific landscape. Los
Gaitanes ravine is splendid and its
Caminito del Rey, built at the dawn
of the 20th century, is a beauty spot.
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CASARABONELA
The numerous niches with figures of
saints are proof of the cherished
Christian tradition of the village.
HUMILLADERO
A leisure centre was built
on the nearby mountains,
where you can spend a
wonderful day engaged in
outdoor activities.
CARRATRACA
The village rises on the
hillsides of the Sierra
Blanquilla. From many
SYMBOLS
spots in the village you
can to enjoy beautiful
views.
End of the route
Suggested route
0
5
km.
(Serranía de Ronda)
Ronda and the mountains surrounding the city are always a destination for
those who want to know one of the most attractive regions in the province
of Málaga. Olive trees have been part of the landscape since foundation of
the city of Acinipo by the Romans; however, today the plantations are less
extended than before due to the fact that the terrain's relief is not apt for
mechanisation. Although the olive oil production volume is not so
significant, farmers have chosen to produce ecological oil, highly
demanded these days.
Therefore, this route takes the visitor to nice corners with monuments and
remains of a glorious past. There are incredible views the visitor will enjoy,
as well as a rich gastronomy where olive oil occupies a privileged place.
ITINERARY:
Ronda
Benalauría
Benaoján
Ronda is the first destination. The city is one of Costa del Sol's classics.
Thousands of visitors come everyday to appreciate its historic and cultural
legacy.
From Málaga, take the route to Cártama, the A-357, or the N-340 to
Marbella, exit to San Pedro de Alcántara. It takes one hour to drive from
Málaga to Ronda.
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Once in Ronda, you can follow a historical timeline path. First, you should
visit Acinipo, located in Ronda la Vieja, where you will see the theatre, a
well preserved building.
The most glorious epoch in Ronda started with the arrival of the Arabs.
Typical examples of the period are the remains of the wall and the Puerta
de Almocabar (Almocabar Gate). This gate, built in the 13th century, was
the entrance to the Alcazaba (old citadel). The Arab Baths are also worth
visiting. They are located in the old Jewish quarter, where the Guadalevín
river and the Culebras stream meet.
Cross the bridge, built in the 16th century to link the Islamic city with the
Christian quarter, and you will reach a neighbourhood called Mercadillo.
Stop by the Fuente de los Ocho Caños (Eight Pipe Fountain) in the square
where the Iglesia del Padre Jesús (Father Jesus Church) rises.
There are other religious buildings worth visiting, such as the Iglesia del
Espíritu Santo (Holy Spirit Church), the Convento de San Francisco (St.
Francis Convent), the Convento de las Religiosas Clarisas (Convent of the
nuns of the Order of Saint Claire), and the Iglesia de la Merced (Church of
Mercy).
. Tourist Routes: Ecological olive oil route
Now it's time to go ahead. Take the A-369 to Gaucín, a scenic route on
which you can stop to enjoy the most spectacular views in the province:
the Serranía de Ronda and the Genal Valley. Along the road, there are
viewpoints, parking areas, wooden benches and posters with tourist
information.
The next destination is Benalauría, a small village with five hundred
inhabitants located in the heart of the Serranía de Ronda. The
Ethnographic Museum, housed in an old olive oil mill where you can
appreciate a valuable collection of farming equipment.
The Bullring is an emblematic building of the city of Ronda. Its construction
was completed in 1785, and the building project was directed by architect
Martín de Aldehuela. There is a Taurine Museum in the bullring.
There is a second mill that houses the Mesón de la Molienda, a countrystyle cute restaurant decorated with farming tools. Sweets and liqueurs are
sold at the restaurant.
However, the bullring is not the most visited spot in Ronda, for the
monument visitors prefer is the Puente Nuevo (new bridge), an impressive
construction over the Tajo canyon, a deep scar the Guadalevín river has
cut in his travel through the land over the years. The Tajo, with its high
natural walls, affords some superb views of the river. Near the river, you
can see old olive and flour mills. Nowadays, there are only two olive mills
working in Ronda. Although their production is not that big, they have
chosen to promote ecological olive oil.
Once your visit to Benalauría is over, take the road to Benajoán, a village
where cold meats and prehistory are protagonists. Indeed, the village's
main incomes derive from the cold meat industry, which makes high quality
products. You cannot miss the Cueva de la Pileta, a cave declared national
monument of prehistoric art, which features Paleolithic paintings and
relics. Benajoán witnessed travellers from distant places: Phoenicians,
Romans, Visigoths, Arabs and Christians who have left fascinating
remains. The Torre del Moro (Moor's Tower) can be seen from the railway
station.
After walking around the city, you will certainly be hungry. The various
dishes of local gastronomy will satisfy your appetite: Ronda-style rabbit,
migas, Ronda-style partridge, beef tenderloin stuffed with pine nuts,
Sierra-style trout, artichoke soup… yemas del Tajo (sweet made with egg
yolk and sugar) are a delicious dessert.
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After buying some cold meats, you should leave Benajoán and take the A367 road back to Ronda.
RONDA
The Serranía de Ronda
boasts an extraordinary
natural heritage. Its diverse
and rich ecosystems and its
amazing geological
formations are part of this
heritage.
BENAOJÁN
The Iglesia de Nuestra Señora
del Rosario (Our Lady of the
Rosary Church), built in the
17th century and remodelled in
the 18th and 20th century, is
one of the most interesting
buildings in this village.
1 Mesón de la Molienda
(Molienda Restaurant)
BENALAURÍA
Up Alta street is the Ethnographic
Museum, housed in an old olive oil mill
built in 1750. The objects on display
include elements used in an oil mill,
farming tools and other traditional
elements related to olive oil making.
SYMBOLS
End of the route
Suggested route
0
5
km.
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5.
gASTRONOMIC CULTURE
GASTRONOMIC CULTURE
LEGENDS AND TRADITIONS
OIL AND HEALTH
GASTRONOMIC CULTURE
Josep Pla said that "a meal is a landscape served on a plate". As in
Málaga's landscape olive orchards are ever-present, olive oil should be de
king of our region's traditional culture and also of modern cuisine. Together
with wine, bread, fish and vegetables, it is one of the dietary staples of
Mediterranean peoples.
The discovery of fire and the subsequent possibility of grilling foods brought about
a momentous change in our forefathers' eating habits. Frying foods meant going
one step further: some peoples used animal fat, but in the South they were lucky
enough to have olive oil, a gift from the gods. In Málaga's diet, every dish takes
olive oil, from the simplest to the most elaborate.
OIL FOR OTHER PURPOSES
OIL IN POETRY
POPULAR FIESTAS
OLIVE OIL MUSEUMS
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. Gastronomic
Culture
If you really want to enjoy the quality of our
olive oil, you should take it raw. For
instance, you can have oiled toast for
breakfast in Málaga. But you can go one up
on that and experience a superior taste
ordering a type of bread called mollete,
especially if you are in Antequera, since it
is one of its specialties, or honey-glazed
hojuelas (flakes or fritters). Spreading
bread with olive oil and crushed tomato is a
healthy habit that the Romans missed,
since tomato, like many other vegetables,
comes from America. Hollowing a piece of
bread and adding oil until it drips sometimes with salt or sugar as well- has
long been one of the simplest, healthiest
and most delicious snacks to give to
children. Slices of bread with garlic and
generously coated with olive oil are one of
the most typical flavours in Spanish
kitchens; of course, you do not have to be
fussy about strong smells to enjoy them!
Here we present some recipes for
traditional dishes which would have been
inconceivable if olive oil did not exist.
AJOBLANCO
The way this cold soup is prepared varies slightly
from region to region, but the basic ingredients
are always the same: oil, garlic, almonds or
broad beans, vinegar and salt.
Boil a handful of almonds in water so that the
skin can be easily removed. You can replace
almonds by broad bean flour. Crush the garlic
clove, almonds and a pinch of salt in a glazed
mortar or a wooden bowl, adding some water.
Pour in olive oil, beating continuously as if
making home-made mayonnaise, not allowing it
to curdle. When the oil is perfectly integrated into
the mix, add vinegar and water. Finally, sieve the
cream.
The oil for direct consumption, the one
seasoning salads or bread, should be a
top-quality product, and in Málaga there
are thousands of oils to choose from.
You can also add apple cubes, grapes or
breadcrumbs. Leave to chill and serve.
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culture
MIGAS
This is a country meal, usually made in winter,
highly nutritious, easy to prepare, and cheap. Its
basic ingredients can be found in every home:
stale bread, oil, garlic and salt.
Slice the stale bread. Place bread layers on a
dish. Pour some warm water on each layer. Let
water soak into the bread.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Add some
skinned and chopped garlic gloves. When
brown, put the bread in the frying pan. Stir
carefully not to let the bread stick to the bottom.
Water will evaporate. Leave breadcrumbs in the
pan until golden and remove. Do not overcook.
Some cooks add pork scratchings, sausage,
pepper… Whatever you include in the recipe, the
result will be great! They are usually served with
seasoned olives or radish. Hunters will eat migas
and chocolate.
PORRA
Some people call it cold porra as opposed to
warm porra or seasoning. Many believe it was
born in Antequera, but porra is a traditional dish
in other northern villages in the province of
Málaga.
You can eat it anytime, but we suggest that you
should take it in the summer. You can decorate it
in different ways and serve it with a variety of
side dishes, but it must have red tomatoes,
garlic, oil, stale bread, vinegar, salt and hardboiled eggs. If you add water to the mix, you will
have one of the most exquisite gazpachos:
gazpacho pimentón.
Since the arrival of the blender at the modern
kitchen, the preparation of this dish has become
much easier. In the old days, it was made
entirely by hand in a wooden bowl. You should
put some skinned red tomatoes without seeds,
some garlic cloves and a pinch of salt. Crush all
the ingredients. Add stale bread which has been
previously soaked in water. Pour in olive oil and
a splash of vinegar. Beat gently taking great care
that it does not curdle.
Place on a serving dish. Pour a splash of oil on
the cream and decorate with slices of hardboiled eggs. You can add some ham cubes.
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culture
GAZPACHUELO
PESCAÍTO FRITO (FRIED FISH)
The name of this dish may be misleading, for it
seems to mean "little gazpacho" (the suffix -uelo
is used in Spanish to indicate small size) but it
shares almost nothing with gazpacho.
Gazpachuelo is a warm soup prepared with
mayonnaise. Its basic ingredients are egg, olive
oil, vinegar, salt and bread. To add flavour to it,
you should add cod, hake or clams. This soup
can be eaten in any season of the year, and it is
not expensive.
First, make a mayonnaise with an egg yolk. It
can be made by hand or in the blender, always
taking great care that it does not curdle. While
preparing the mayonnaise, put some water and
salt to the boil. Stir the egg white into the boiling
water.
The mayonnaise is dissolved pouring in a little
warm water, again taking care it does not curdle.
Pour a little vinegar. Then, add fish or clams and
return to the flame. Gazpachuelo is served
warm.
If you leave some soup in the dish and add the
egg white, orange cubes, olives and olive oil, you
will get another delicious dish.
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A good dish of deep fried anchovies served
making a fan shape is always pleasing to the
eye, it smells and tastes great. Fried fish or
pescaítos is a world-famous dish from Málaga.
Fish used to make this meal are small
anchovies, squids, red mullets, etc. Fish must be
coated with flour, lump-free. Fish must be deep
fried in olive oil, at the proper temperature, for
the right time.
Salvador Rueda refers to fried fish in one of his
poems:
Of those teeny-weeny fish
in the bosom of the sea
I prefer those small things
that a single hand can keep
like lashes in a small dish.
Some of us still remember those stalls in the
streets where fried fish was sold in paper cones.
Served either in cones or in a serving dish in a
posh restaurant, deep-fried fish is an emblematic
dish in Málaga, and an essential part of its
gastronomic culture.
(De los peces chiquititos
que el mar tiene en sus entrañas,
me gustan los más chiquitos
en manojos pequeñitos
cual manojos de pestañas.)
editorial
. Gastronomic
culture
GAZPACHO
CHIVO AL AJILLO (GOAT AU GARLIC)
TORTAS DE ACEITE (OLIVE OIL CAKES)
Cut the goat in cubes, rinse and season with salt.
Put 6 cups of olive oil in a frying pan. When
sizzling hot, stir in the meat until slightly brown.
This is a typical pastry from Málaga that can be
eaten all year round. Its basic ingredients are
olive oil, flour, sugar, white wine, cinnamon,
sesame, fennel seeds and almonds.
Meanwhile chop 1 kg (2 lb) tomatoes, 250 g (0.5
lb) of pepper, 2 onions and 4 cloves of garlic, a
few bay leaves and some pepper. Add the
vegetables to the pan and stir.
There are quite many variants of gazpacho,
created as a result of necessity, heat or scarce of
food in the country. We will include here the
variant which is easiest to prepare, called
gazpacho liso or saltalindes.
Simmer over medium flame. When it starts to
boil down, add 2 cups of white wine. Stir
continuously to avoid sticking.
Heat two cups of olive oil. Add the skin of one
lemon. When the oil is hot, remove it from heat
and stir in 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds and 1
tablespoon of fennel seeds. When lukewarm, put
the olive oil into a bowl and pour 1 cup of white
wine, grated lemon rind and 150 g (5 oz) of
sugar.
Mix well. Add the flour to make a dough. Leave
to rest and then shape the mixture into small
cakes. Place chopped almonds, previously
blanched and skinned.
Eat directly from the pan.
You will see how unbelievable simple it is to
make it. Clean two or three red ripe tomatoes,
two green peppers and a small onion. Chop the
vegetables finely. Season with some salt,
vinegar and virgin olive oil. Add water and stir.
Add salt or vinegar to taste. If you have added
too much of these seasonings, you can add
some water.
Turn the cakes into a tin and bake in a low oven.
When broad beans are in season, which
nowadays extends all year round, you can stir in
some. The dish is ready to serve.
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. Gastronomic
culture
LEGENDS AND TRADITIONS
I n Málaga there are many legends, traditions and popular fiestas
celebrating olives and olive oil and emphasising their important role they
have had for the people.
In some villages, when someone finishes building their house, it is
customary to bring them a small bag of salt and a bottle of oil for the
inhabitants' wishes to come true.
Since Antiquity, the olive branch has been a symbol of peace and, together
with the white dove that carries it in its beak, it has always represented that
precious state.
There is also the belief that placing a blessed olive branch from the Palm
Sunday procession at the windows of a house will protect the house's
inhabitants from lightning. This spell, of course, reflects the syncretism of
religious and superstitious elements. Catholicism uses this mystic power of
olive trees in many of its rituals: the ashes used to anoint the parishioners'
foreheads comes from burnt olive branches and on Ash Wednesday we
are reminded that we are mortal with the terrible words Memento, homo,
quia pulvis eris et in pulvere te reverteris. "[...] for dust thou [art], and unto
dust shalt thou return." (Genesis, 3:19)
The same blending of magic and religion can be found in the tradition
associated with the Christmas tree burn: a huge tree trunk -sometimes a
holm oak, but mostly an olive tree is burnt on Christmas Eve, which is
where the tree's name comes from: Nochebueno (pertaining to Christmas
Eve). The tree burns down in the chimney, and so its ashes protect the
house from lightning.
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. Gastronomic
Good-quality or just lampante oil has always been the fuel of the lamp
burning night and day at the church tabernacle or illuminating devotional
images. A long time ago, in Almogía (a village 23 km from Málaga), a
villager planted and grew an olive tree and he promised to offer as much
oil as could be extracted from his tree to the moths that burn to the memory
of "Blessed Souls". The tree is now known as the "Soul Tree".
culture: Traditions
At Candle Night, in February, the bonfires lighted to honour the
Candelaria Virgin are made of olive tree branches pruned at this
time of the year. The dances, songs and jumps round the bonfire
embers resemble fertility rites, and the olive tree is a symbol of
fertility.
Along with traditional food fiestas (ajoblanco, oil, migas, cold
meats) celebrated in some of Málaga's villages, there is a
traditional fiesta perpetuating the magical relation between oil and
fire: the Fiesta de los Rondeles, which takes place in
Casarabonela every 12 December, a complex rite where oil, fire
and popular religion make an inextricable blend of superstition,
magic and religion.
Since Antiquity, oil has been associated to owls, the night bird
which in Greek mythology was the attribute of Athena (Roman
Minerva), who gave her city, Athens, an olive tree, source of food,
oil and wood. And it so happens that in Málaga, popular wisdom
has always associated oil with owls, since the latter inhabit olive
orchards and are believed to increase the production of olives with
their alluring hoots and screeches. Knowing this, it is not difficult
to understand why there is a famous brand of oil and soap called
Minerva.
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There is also a beautiful legend among farmers that tells of the
relationship between oil and the Arabs. It is said that even though
the Moors have been driven out of Andalusia (Al Andalus), they
still are the real owners of olive trees, since they were
unparalleled experts in growing and looking after olives. As a sign
of their ownership, every year they send flocks of thrushes that
perk on the olive trees' branches. Each bird picks three olives, one
with their beak and one in each foot, and they take their precious
burden back to Africa, to return it to its original owners.
culture: Traditions
OIL AND HEALTH
S ince ancient times, when illnesses were cured with herbal
medicines, oil has been one of the most popular homely remedies.
Even nowadays, when we can find medicines for all kinds of
illnesses, we can still find a granny trying to cure her grandson's
bellyache with a spoonful of oil. Part of this popular wisdom is
expressed in a proverb about the healing properties of oil: Olive oil
takes all pains and sorrows away. Another proverb can be quoted,
which reveals another interesting characteristic of oil: low-quality
or lampante oil, mainly used as lamp fuel, is sometimes used
because it is cheaper, so the saying goes With lamp oil, no pain or
sorrow survives.
Apart from being used as a balm, olive oil was used as an
ingredient in love potions (pócimas or aliños in Spanish). Thus, oil
has become a cure for ill bodies and sick hearts alike.
In the 1st century B.C., Pliny wrote that "There are to beverages
with a lot of benefits to the human body: wine for internal use, and
for external use, oil."
Professor Grande Covián, an expert in health and nutrition,
attributes the low mortality rate from coronary heart disease
among Mediterranean populations to olive oil consumption.
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Enrique Mapelli, a gourmet from Málaga, mentions that "Because
of its balanced composition, olive oil is the vegetable oil with the
fewest negative effects on and the highest number of advantages
for human health: it reduces cholesterol, contributes to child bone
development and improves blood circulation, thus diminishing the
incidence of atherosclerosis."
It has been shown that peoples on a Mediterranean diet, one of
whose staples is olive oil, are less prone to have too much
cholesterol in their bloodstream, a substance that leads to
narrowing and blockage of arteries and is responsible for a high
rate of deaths in countries who fall prey to the bad eating habits
imposed by modern life. Besides, olive oil is beneficial to intestinal
functioning for it lubricates the intestine, thus preventing
constipation. Indeed, there is a proverb that says, "With warm feet
and smoothly moving bowels, you can laugh at death for long."
. Gastronomic culture: Oil and health
OIL FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Apart from being an basic ingredient in the kitchen, extra virgin olive oil
has been used for many other purposes which can be grouped into four
basic categories: beauty, lighting, soap-making and food preservation.
OIL AND BEAUTY
As olive oil is greasy
and
has
the
invaluable vitamin E,
it has always been
used as a basic
ingredient in body,
facial and hair
beauty products. It is
ever-present
in
fragrance
oils,
combined
with
crushed or emulsified seeds, fruits or herbs: almonds, sesame,
coconuts, lavender, and many others.
What follows is a recipe for a sun oil taken from Lourdes March and
Alicia Ríos's El libro del aceite y la aceituna (The Book of Olives and
Olive Oil).
Sesame oil
Take 3 tablespoonfuls of extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoonfuls of sesame
oil, 1 tablespoonful of vinegar and a few drops of bergamot oil. Mix the
ingredients in a bottle and shake it every time you use it before sunbathing.
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OIL AND LIGHTING
Low-quality olive oil has used as a
lighting fuel since the beginning of
time. Because of the flame it produces,
bright and long-lasting, this type of oil
has been called lampante (from lamp).
One of the most frequent objects found
in Roman archaeological sites are finely decorated, terracotta oil lamps
called lucernae, which used olive oil as their fuel.
Before the invention of electric light, even when the use of gas or kerosene
lamps was already widespread, humble houses were illuminated with
lanterns (candiles), simple metal lamps with a hollow to pour in olive oil
and a cotton wick that burned down slowly. In posh neighbourhoods, oil
used to burn in sophisticated copper plates with several arms. The
containers used to keep the lighting oil are called cruets (alcuzas). There
is a folk song that show how the lantern burning on oil can become an ally
of lovers:
(El candil se está apagando;
La alcuza no tiene aceite;
Ni te digo que te vayas;
Ni tampoco que te quedes.)
The lantern is burning down;
The cruet has no oil left;
I don't say that you should leave;
Neither do I mean you to stay
. Gastronomic culture: Oil for other purposes
OIL AND SOAP-MAKING
Olive oil lees (liquid wastes) are inedible, but they are used in the
manufacture of a personal hygiene and clothes care basic product:
soap. Making soap was customary at Spanish homes: it had a
typical smell and it was environment-friendly. The procedure is
very simple: you should pour in oil (lees or used cooking oil),
caustic soda and water in a boiler, and boil the mix until you get a
whitish and thick paste. Then you leave it to rest for two hours until
solid, and to cut it into bars with a wire. The Arabs used ashes and
lime as alkaline components; in fact, al-qali means "ash" in Arabic.
FOOD PRESERVATION
Salt, sugar and oil are the traditional natural preservatives until
the arrival of modern refrigerators. In the past, fish could only be
preserved by smoking, salting or covering it in oil: canned tuna,
sardines or mackerel in olive oil can be eaten all year round. But
maybe cheese, especially goat cheese, is the most representative
food associated with oil preservation, since cubed and soaked in
olive oil, it is one of the most delicious things on Earth. Many of
the villages we will pass by when presenting the different olive oil
routes sell this exquisite oil-preserved cheese.
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. Gastronomic culture: Oil for other purposes
OIL IN POETRY
(Los ojos de mi morena
ni son chicos ni son grandes,
que son aceitunas negras
de los olivos gordales.)
O live trees, olives and the
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My mistress's eyes
are neither small nor big;
they are black olives
from a gordal olive tree.)
labour associated with their care
are
recurrent
topics
in
Andalusian folk songs. Every
year when the harvest ends,
there are fiestas for men and
women olive pickers sing, dance
and play games. Many beautiful
stanzas have come down to us,
whose lyrics talk about courting
and love
A well-planted olive tree
always looks like bearing fruit
and a woman who is well-married
always single's how she looks.
(Tú eres aceitunera,
yo, aceitunero;
por una aceitunerita,
madre, me muero.)
(Salga la luna y alumbre
los huertos y los olivares,
que el querer que yo te tengo
de las entrañas me sale.)
You are an olive-picker,
I'm an olive-picker too;
for a girl who picks olives,
mum, I could die so soon.
Let the moon come up and light
the orchards and olive fields,
for it oozed out of my guts
the love that for thee I feel.
(Un olivo bien plantao
siempre parece olivera
y una mujer bien casá
siempre parece soltera.)
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(Ojos que te vieron ir
Por aquellos olivares,
¿cuándo te verán volver
para alivio de mis males?)
(Recogiendo aceitunas
se hacen las bodas;
quien no va de aceitunas
no se enamora.
¿Qué tendrán, madre
para cosas de amores,
los olivares?)
My eyes bade you farewell
when you walked into the olive grove;
when will they see you again
so my sorrows go away?
Picking and harvesting olives
is how weddings are fixed;
those who do not enjoy picking
are by love untinged.
What is it, mother, they have
these olive trees
for the things of love?
(El querer que te tuve
fue aceitunero.
Se acabó la aceituna,
ya no te quiero.)
Our love was like an olive
and it lasted just one harvest;
now that there are no more olives
I have no more loving habits.
(Yo cojo las de abajo,
tú las de arriba;
por entre rama y rama
miro y me miras.)
I'll pick the ones on top
you'll pick the ones below;
mutual glimpses will we get
through the tree, between its
branches and above.
. Gastronomic culture: Oil in poetry
(Anda diciendo tu madre
que tiene un olivar;
el olivar que tú tienes
es que te quieres casar.)
You morther is telling the world
that she has an olive grove
your olive orchard, instead,
is that you want to be loved.
Andalusian olive trees are present in
Antonio Machado's poetry, some of
whose stanzas are quoted here:
In Federico García Lorca's poetry,
olive trees are also a recurrent
image:
(¡Viejos olivos sedientos
bajo el claro sol del día,
olivares polvorientos
del campo de Andalucía!)
(Por el olivar venían,
bronce y sueño, los gitanos
las cabezas levantadas
y los ojos entornados.)
Olive trees, thirsty and old
under the light of the sun,
dusty, dusty olive grove,
in Andalusian lands!
Along the olive grove there came,
the gypsies, dreams and bronze
they had their heads half-raised
they had their eyes half-closed.
(Sobre el olivar
se vio la lechuza
volar y volar.)
Across the olive grove,
the owl was seen
to fly low and low and low.
This section would not be complete
with the Antequera-born poet José
Antonio Muñoz Rojas's lines, which
introduce us to a poet leaning on an
olive tree which becomes a silent
witness and symbol of the poet's
feelings and reflections:
(En este olivarillo de la loma,
que apenas tiene sombra, apenas
flores,
que ilustren su pobreza con colores
o alegren su silencio con aroma
In this little uphill olive tree ,
which has no shadow, bud or
shoot,
to disguise in colours its poverty
for its silence in smell to take root.
y que devuelve en fruto cuanto
toma
de la tierra y nos da sus sudores
aceite, que en dorados
resplandores
la dura oscuridad reduce y doma;
and which turns into fruit what it
holds
from the land and gives us its
sweat
oil, which in its golden glows
harsh darkness tames and wets;
en este olivarillo, mi consuelo
me vino, sin saber cómo ni cuándo,
mientras iba por él entretenido;
from this little olive oil my comfort
came,
without my knowing how or when,
while I was in it amused;
no sé si es de la tierra o es del
cielo,
sólo sé que lo siento aquí
alentando;
y el corazón lo tiene por latido.)
(Campo, campo, campo,
entre los olivos
los cortijos blancos.)
I don't know if it's the land or the
sky
Only I know I can feel it inside,
and my heart takes if for beating,
confused.
Field, field, field,
country estates intertwined
with lines of olive trees.
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POPULAR FIESTAS
Instead of burning the mats extended, the villagers agreed to burn them
rolled, so that the flame could last longer. At about 10 P.M., after the fire to
burn the mats soaked in oil is blessed, the Virgen de los Rondeles (Virgin
of Olive Straw Mats) procession begins its way from the square next to the
Chapel of Veracruz to the highest part of the village, where the Church of
Saint James the Apostle lies. The procession is accompanied by
Casarabonela's Pastoral Staff, who sing old songs with rattles, mortars
and Moorish castanets. While having this intense experience where the
protagonist is fire, villagers and visitors can enjoy an invigorating hot
chocolate cup with some slices of bread with olive oil and garlic and lightas-the-wind fritters. As the procession walks along the winding roads, this
picturesque village comes to life with the light of lanterns hanging from
balconies and windows. This ancient tradition is witnessed by thousands
of visitors every year.
FIESTA DE LOS RONDELES (CASARABONELA)
The Fiesta de los Rondeles (Straw Mats Fiesta) is perhaps the oldest of
those oil-related celebrations in Málaga. It was declared an event of
National Tourist Interest in Andalusia in 2001 and it has been organised in
Casarabonela for centuries now. It consists in burning the rondeles (the
straw mats used for olive pressing. In the past, millers used to walk in
procession, brandishing burning straw mats, to thank Virgin Mary for the
olive harvest. Despite its religious nature, it was banned after the Spanish
Civil War, and it could not be held until the 1970s, with the excuse that it
was pagan in spirit rather than religious.
After these years of intolerance, the celebration began again, and every 12
December, on the eve of Saint Lucy's day's, the ritual is renewed every
year with great enthusiasm and minor changes.
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FIESTA DE LAS MIGAS (TORROX)
Fiesta de las Migas: 30-12-02
Another fiesta celebrated in Málaga that has also been declared of Tourist
Interest is held in the village of Torrox on the Sunday before Christmas, the
Fiesta de las Migas (Bread Crumbs Fiesta). Thousands of people visit the
village every year to taste this country meal prepared mainly in winter,
which is invigorating, cheap and nutritious, for its ingredients are
carbohydrates: bread, olive oil and garlic. As people say there, a plate of
migas a day keeps the doctor away. Even though this dish is traditionally
prepared with stale country bread, for the celebration semolina is used,
since there are too many mouths to feed!
. Gastronomic culture: Popular fiestas
FIESTA DEL AJOBLANCO (ALMÁCHAR)
DÍA DEL ACEITE (PERIANA)
This fiesta is celebrated in Almáchar, a village in Axarquía, on the first
Sunday in September. Visitors are invited to taste ajoblanco, a
traditional dish of Málaga's gastronomy prepared with almonds, garlic,
vinegar and olive oil. This celebration is an ideal opportunity to taste
this delicious gazpacho and visit one of the most charming villages in
Málaga's eastern region. On this occasion, Almáchar's streets are
embellished with flowers and ornaments and the village becomes a
living ethnographic museum, a luxurious experience for those who
wish to spend some time visiting quiet places and meeting kind
people.
Día del Aceite 17-06-03
On the last Sunday in March, at the end of the olive picking season,
thousands of people visit Periana to participate in the Día del Aceite
(Oil Day), a celebration organised by the Periana City Council, local
shopkeepers and institutions, and the village's olive oil cooperatives.
Visitors are invited to taste the magnificent extra virgin olive oil
manufactured in Axarquía, in a ideal region for its production. Along
with olive oil, other traditional food products can also be bought: goat
cheese, honey, sweets, sausages and cold meats.
FIESTA DEL MOSTO Y LA CHACINA (COLMENAR)
Fiesta de la Matanza 29-04-03
On the second Sunday in December, Colmenar, a village in the region
of Axarquía but which borders on Antequera, celebrates its traditional
Fiesta del Mosto y la Chacina (Must and Cold Meats Fiesta), a fair of
traditional Colmenar products where you can taste must from the
mountains and tapas topped with cold meats, and buy homemade
foods elaborated with ancient recipes, such as goat cheese, olive oil,
honey, black pudding, salchichón (a kind of spiced sausage similar to
salami), and many others. The fair is ideal to get hold of special
traditional products to eat and drink at Christmas. Local pubs take part
in the fiesta inviting guests to taste migas, chorizo, tripe, porra and
pintxos.
Besides, there are several activities organised by the City Council,
such as flamenco shows, street Moorish fandango and City Band
parades.
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OLIVE OIL MUSEUMS
HOJIBLANCA OIL MUSEUM (ANTEQUERA)
This is the only oil-based museum in the province of Málaga. It is located
next to the headquarters of the Sociedad Cooperativa Olivarera Hojiblanca
(Hojiblanca Oil Cooperative), on the road that links Antequera with
Córdoba, to the left of A-92 motorway if coming from the city of Málaga.
The museum basically consists of three mills from different periods,
exhibited in different rooms with relevant documents, utensils and farming
tools used to pick and press olives, and store and preserve olive oil.
The tour around the museum begins with a 17th century press, perhaps
the most interesting piece there, which reproduces a torn-down mill in
every detail and keeps some of the original components, such as the
cellar's jars, the beam and the stone mill. The most striking feature is the
ton beam press, a gigantic crossbeam of pine and holm oak wood, 12.5
metres in length and over 3 tons in weight, whose head is between two
logs where the beam is fixed, resting on a
niche in the counterweight tower.
The cellar has been recreated with the
original jars, some of them signed by the
masters of pottery who made them. Next to
them, there are different implements related
to the world of oil: sieves, scales, oil lamps,
and others.
Walking along a gallery displaying
information boards on the extraction and
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trade of oil in ancient times and mock-ups of different types of mills from
different ages, visitors get to a room showing a 19th century press. It is a
corner press, made of holm oak wood. The press used to turn round on the
straw mats where crushed olives were placed, and an inserted beam
pressed the mats. The whole mechanism was powered by millers
themselves.
The last press is a Roman mill, which dates back to the 1st century and
was found in a village near the museum. The pieces exhibited are a
pressing room (torcularium), a trujal (labrum, the reservoir where oil was
kept after being obtained) and the counterweight stone. The wooden
press, which of course did not survive the passing of time, was
reconstructed. In the same site, olive stones, almost fossilised, were also
found.
Not long ago, an oil press
was found at El Romeral
village. It used to be part
of one of the many
Roman
villas
that
flourished in the region of
Antequera from the 1st to
the 5th centuries. This is
a unique archaeological
finding, and along with it
they unearthed some fragments of the typical paving of this period. Most
likely, this press will be part of the Hojiblanca's Oil Museum's heritage.
In the gardens surrounding the museum, there are six olive trees more
than three hundred years old, which have been transplanted. Their knotty
trunks are more than 1 meter in diameter.
culture: Museums
BOTANICAL GARDEN
Even though the city of Málaga is not part of the typcial landscape hidden
behind the mountains that is home to olive trees, the city boasts two
specimens that are worth seeing. One of them is very near the sea, in the
port next to the port offices. The other is in the Botanical Garden: it is a
magnificent olive tree, four hundred years old, transplanted from the
Axarquía to a privileged space where several plants and trees coexist and
are part of the tour "Trees Grown in Our Land". This "natural monument",
then, is part of a system where many different floral species live together.
ETHNOGRAPHIC MUSEUM (RIOGORDO)
Along with its peculiar handicrafts,
homemade utensils and farming
tools, this museum has three mills: a
foot press used to obtain wine, a
flour mill where wheat was ground,
and an oil mill. Together, they make
a perfect summary of the
Mediterranean diet: oil, bread and
wine.
The museum is located in a 17th
century oil mill, a horse-drawn mill. It
has a watermill and another 17th
century corner mill with its masonry
tower.
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The walls show interesting oilrelated documents, watercolours,
lithographs, tinplate containers, and
late 19th and early 20th century
labels for oil bottles.
The oil mill is next to the wine press,
with its screw press and the terracotta jars where must was left to
ferment.
Going out and across the yard,
visitors reach the flour mill, called San
Antonio. What is kept of it are the
pulleys, the millstone, the sieves, and
the different tools and devices used to
grind wheat.
The tour also includes a visit to the
miller's house, one of those typical
homes of Málaga's towns that keep
furniture and everyday objects that
have become traces of past times.
culture: Museums
MUSEUM OF POPULAR TRADITIONS AND ARTS
ETHNOGRAPHIC MUSEUM (BENALAURÍA)
This museum is located in what used to be one of the most central taverns
in the city of Málaga, El Mesón de la Victoria, where every day muledrivers and traders came to sell and buy oil, cheese, fruit, wine and other
country foods. Its pieces are a rich sample of ways of life and traditions that
are virtually extinct.
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In the highest and most
central part of Benalauría, a
great town in the heart of the
Serranía de Ronda, travellers
can visit the Ethnographic
Museum. Local villagers, who
love old traditions and buried
ways of life, have cherished a
very old oil mill, from the 18th
century, with all the tools that
not long ago were still in use.
Apart from oil-related items, the museum houses two collections that must
be seen: the Narciso Díaz de Escobar (1860-1935) archives and the
Málaga earthenware.
It was a horse-drawn mill, and
when you see it, you can
understand why: the river
flows down along the ravine,
so there is no way to take
advantage of its water.
The museum has several rooms divided in two floors. On the ground floor,
there is a wine press and and oil mill, dating back to the 19th century and
found in a village whose premises were used to build the Limonero dam.
Next to the mill, visitors can see the oil press with different weights, a sieve
to clean olives and other tools used for the harvest and oil making process.
Next to the mill, there is the
beam press, a huge, 12-metre long wooden sheet that used to weigh on
crushed olives. The tanks used for oil to settle and the stone mill have
been kept. The collection is complemented with a wide range of farming
tools and equipment.
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MIRAFLORES COUNTRY ESTATE AND MUSEUM (MARBELLA)
This museum is located
in a building from the
early 18th century, which
used to be a farm and a
sugar mill. Now it has
become
a
place
exhibiting the details of
past times with loads of
traditions.
The visit to the Miraflores
Country Estate and
Museum begins at the
gardens, where guests
are welcome. There they
can find rare specimens
of
hundred-year-old
palms and olive trees.
Inside, there are rooms
for permanent painting
exhibitions and there is
the greatest attraction:
the old oil mill, the only one that is part of a museum but is also at work.
Its machinery, which is in perfect condition, is set in motion on a regular
basis. The same room exhibits other oil-related objects, such as scales,
jars and acidity metres.
The museum boasts a library, functioning where there used to be the barn,
where visitors can read as much as they like about oil and oil-making.
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HOW TO CHOOSE OLIVE OIL
The times when olive oil was sold in grocer's shops indiscriminately, without
informing the costumer of its quality and properties, have long been finished
and forgotten. Things have changed, and now Málaga's olive oil comes in
sealed plastic, metal or glass containers that comply with regulations in
force.
In spite of this, olive oils are not all the same, as was already made clear
when discussing the different types of oil. So the first suggestion is that
you should always buy extra virgin olive oil, which you can choose among
the numerous excellent oils produced in Málaga's mills.
Secondly, you should read the label carefully, since it provides
information on brand, class or category, acidity, bottling date, origin, olive
variety, and expiration date.
6.
uSEFUL TIPS
Before buying a bottle of extra virgin olive oil, you should know that its
degree of acidity (i.e. how much oleic acid it contains) has to be higher than
0.2% and lower than or equal to 1%. This information is similar to the one
found on wine bottles, telling how much alcohol the wine contains.
HOW TO CHOOSE OLIVE OIL
The reason why extra virgin olive oil is to be preferred is that this is the only
type of oil that keeps its original biological properties and organoleptic quality.
WHERE TO BUY IT
There is a proverb that goes, "Best is cheapest," and this applies to oil. If, trying to
save some pennies, you buy an inferior oil, you will run the risk of spoiling your salads,
stews or fried dishes.
As in the case of wine, olive oils are not exactly the same every year, even when they
come from the same mill. Changing circumstances, especially weather conditions, can
affect the quality of the produce.
HOW TO KEEP IT
HOW TO USE IT
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WHERE TO BUY IT
There are two ways to buy a good extra virgin olive oil. The more common
one is to go and get it at a grocer's shop. The shopkeeper will be able to
help you if you do not know how to choose the right oil. You can also go to
the oil section at a supermarket or department store and pick the Málaga
extra virgin olive oil of your choice. Make sure you read the label well. The
second way to find the right oil is the one recommended in this guide. We
suggest you take one of the olive oil routes presented here and visit the
places were olives are grown, and oil is extracted and stored with great
care and love.
There are 74 mills in Málaga, and all of them sell olive oil directly to
customers. In the region of the Axarquía (Mondrón, Comares, Vélez,
Alfarnate, Valle Niza, Alcaucín, Periana, Riogordo, Sayalonga, Sedella,
Cómpeta, Frigiliana, Canillas de Aceituno, Los Romanes), the oil,
extracted from verdial olives, is so good that you can barely refrain from
tasting it.
In the region of Antequera, there is a mill in each and every village:
Antequera, Alameda, Fuente Piedra, Villanueva de Algaida, Villanueva de
Tapia, Archidona, Cuevas Bajas, Cuevas de San Marcos, La Parrilla,
Villanueva del Rosario and Villanueva del Trabuco, among others. The
best olive oils in Andalusia are obtained from the hojiblanco, romerillo and
marteño cultivars planted here.
HOW TO KEEP IT
Contrary to what happens with wine, ageing does not add quality to olive
oil. In fact, oil should be used within the year of its production, and this is
why it is so important to pay attention to the expiration date specified on
the label.
Olive oil must be kept in a cool and dark place, in adequate containers,
preferably airtight and made of glass. As it is a natural product and it is
alive, it can be invaded by other smells. Thus, you should keep it in
isolation or separated from other strong-smelling foods.
In the Guadalhorce mid and low valleys, olive oil is not that abundant, but
the oils produced in the area's villages, such as Teba, Ardales,
Casarabonela, Almogía, Monda, Guaro, Ojén, and Alhaurín de la Torre,
are among the finest in Spain. The same can be said about Ronda, an
area specialising in ecological synthetic oil. A new mill producing it has just
been opened in Cuevas del Becerro.
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HOW TO USE IT
T here are some rules to bear in mind when using olive oil in the
kitchen. In the case of salads, here is the golden rule to season
them: let salt be added by a stingy man; vinegar by a wise man;
and oil, by a madman. You should mind all of the salad's
ingredients, except olive oil, which must be added profligately. For
oil adds a natural taste to food, it is the finishing touch that you
cannot miss!
Apart from seasoning salads, olive oil can also be used to fry
meat, fish or vegetables. Unlike other fats, which are altered as a
result of heat, oil is highly stable and, as cooks like to say, it "goes
a long way." When poured in the pan, oil rises to the challenge.
But both housewives and cooks know that, even though olive oil
can be used more than once to fry food, the oil used to fry fish and
the one used to fry meat must be kept in separate containers and
reused with the same type of food. Otherwise, the result will be a
disagreeable mix of smells and tastes.
Nowadays, when everybody is in such a hurry all the time,
traditional cuisine, prepared with time and great care, is a
luxurious need. So we recommend you and your family to have a
pleasant meal at home or at a restaurant and demand olive oil with
your dish. Small savings can lead to big losses when flavour and
health are concerned.
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Tips
GLOSSARY
Aceña (aceña): flour mill located on the river bank and powered by the
river's water.
Alcuza (alcuza): terra-cotta or tinplate jar used to keep oil for different
purposes.
Alpechín (alpechín): dark water left by crushed and mill olives; it flows
with oil and is then separated by settling, since oil is lighter and floats in
water.
Alperujo (alperujo): paste produced by mixing alpechín and orujo.
Arroba (arroba): old units of weight equivalent to 11.5 kilos.
Bale (fardo): light and large cloth placed under olive trees for olives to fall
on it, so that picking them later is easier.
Coupage oil (coupage): oil produced out of different varieties of olives.
Dues (maquila): amount of grain, flour or oil given to the mill owner as a
tax for using his mill.
Early picking (verdeo): early harvest of olives, when they are not fully
ripe, to be seasoned and preserved for consumption purposes.
Flavour ("flavor"): oil quality created by the combination of smell, taste
and texture.
Horse-drawn press (molino de sangre): mill powered by the foce of
horses that turn round an axis.
Macaco (macaco): type of basket carried by olive-harvesters round their
necks, where they put the hand-picked olives.
Marrana (marrana): press axis under which the capachos are placed to
extract oil from crushed olives.
Mat (capacho): circle of straw were crushed olives are placed to press
them.
Mill (almazara): building or structure where oil is produced out of olives.
Millrace (caz or cao): ditch to carry water from the upper part of the river
to the aceña or mill.
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Oil lamp (candil): tool used to give light, with an oil container, a wick, and
a stick and hook to hang.
Pomace (orujo): solid remnant after milling olives, once the oil and
alpechín have been removed.
Rancid oil (aceite picado): oil that is past its expiration date, and
therefore tastes old and stale.
Romana (romana): in some regions, place where one can buy olives to
take them to the nearest mill to be processed.
Sieve (zaranda): slanting device with wires that make a grate, used to
clean olives off twigs and dirt before taking them to the mills.
Soleras (soleras): olives that have fallen from the tree and have to be
picked from the soil.
Talón (talón): tender shoot of the olive tree that will bear the olives in the
following harvest.
To grind or mill (molturar): to crush the olives in a mill and extract the oil.
To hand-pick, "milk" (ordeñar): to pick olives with one's hand, not
mechanically.
To knock down (varear): to hit the branches of olive trees with short or
long sticks to make olives come off.
Trama (trama): flower of the olive tree.
Trujal (trujal): small reservoir where oil is kept after extraction in mills.
Turbios (turbios): thick substance sitting at the bottom of the oil
reservoirs, which can be used to make soap.
Vecero (vecero): olive tree that yields olives in alternating years.
TRAINS
Short-distance trains depart from Málaga Airport and the
Railway Station. There is a daily railway service that will
satisfy your transportation demands.
.
useful information
For further information, please call 902 24 02 02.
BUSES
Málaga has a modern Bus Terminal where you will find all the
information you need regarding timetables or companies
operating in all Málaga's districts.
TRANSPORT
TRAINS
BUSES
TAXIS
The Bus Terminal is located in Paseo de los Tilos, s/n.
CAR RENTALS
For further information, please call 95 235 00 61.
PARKING AREAS
TOURIST OFFICES
The following list includes bus companies departing from Málaga's Bus
Terminal reaching destinations in the different Olive Oil Routes we have
referred to in this guide:
HEALTHCARE CENTRES
CURRENCY AND BANKING
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ALAMEDA:
Automóviles Casado, S.A.
Phone: 95 231 59 08
CASABERMEJA:
Autocares Mateo S.L.
Phone: 95 273 01 46
MÁLAGA CAPITAL:
Empresa Municipal de Transporte.
Phone: 95 235 00 61
ALFARNATE:
Automóviles Casado S.A.
Phone: 95 231 59 08
CASARABONELA:
Sierra de las Nieves, S.L.
Phone: 95 235 54 90
MOCLINEJO:
Autocares Valle Niza S.L.
Phone: 95 254 27 84
ALFARNATEJO:
Phone: 95 231 59 08
COLMENAR:
Phone: 95 231 59 08
MOLLINA:
Phone: 95 231 59 08
ALMÁCHAR:
Phone: 95 254 27 84
COMARES:
Alsina Graells Sur, S.A.
Phone: 95 231 82 95
OLÍAS:
Phone: 95 231 82 95
ANTEQUERA:
Phone: 95 231 59 08
CÓMPETA:
Ruiz y Avila, S.L.
Phone: 95 254 11 13
PERIANA:
Phone: 95 231 82 95
ARCHIDONA:
Phone: 95 231 59 08
EL BORGE:
Phone: 95 254 27 84
ARDALES:
Los Amarillos, S.L.
Phone: 95 236 30 24
FUENTE PIEDRA:
Phone: 95 231 59 08
RIOGORDO:
Phone: 95 231 59 08
Phone: 95 231 82 95
CARRATRACA:
Los Amarillos, S.L.
Phone: 95 236 30 24
HUMILLADERO:
Phone: 95 231 59 08
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RONDA:
Sierra de las Nieves, S.L.
Phone: 95 235 54 90
Los Amarillos, S.L.
Phone: 95 236 30 24
Corporación Española de Transportes, S.A.
Phone: 902 143 144
TEBA:
Phone: 95 231 59 08
TAXIS
There are taxi stands in most districts, but
taxis can be hailed on any street. When
taxis are empty, they show a green light.
You can also ask for a taxi over the phone.
In the list below, you will find phone
numbers for most districts mentioned in this
guide.
ALAMEDA:
Phone: 95 271 00 03
VÉLEZ MÁLAGA:
Phone: 95 231 82 95
ALFARNATE:
Phone: 61 988 84 74
ALMÁCHAR:
Phone: 95 251 21 11
VILLANUEVA DE ALGAIDA:
Phone: 95 231 59 08
ANTEQUERA:
Taxi Radio
Phone: 95 284 55 30
VILLANUEVA DEL ROSARIO:
Phone: 95 231 59 08
ARCHIDONA:
Phone: 95 271 43 81
VILLANUEVA DEL TRABUCO:
eléfono: 95 231 59 08
BENAMOCARRA:
Phone: 95 250 95 28
CARRATRACA:
Phone: 95 245 80 41
95 245 80 22
95 245 80 05
CASABERMEJA:
Phone: 61 613 21 54
60 732 36 84
65 049 99 76
CASARABONELA:
Phone: 65 056 25 42
62 750 27 96
61 628 62 29
64 922 73 56
COLMENAR:
Phone: 65 899 60 14
60 952 51 89
65 303 18 54
60 732 36 84
60 580 88 54
66 958 00 72
66 141 63 68
COMARES:
Phone: 62 621 49 60
64 973 49 86
CÓMPETA:
Phone: 95 251 61 99
195
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HUMILLADERO:
Phone: 95 273 70 96 - 71 89
Phone: 95 274 20 96
MÁLAGA CAPITAL:
Unitaxi
Phone: 95 232 79 50; 95 233 33 33
Taxi Unión Sociedad Cooperativa Andaluza
Phone: 95 234 59 48
Phone: 95 275 13 13
PERIANA:
Phone: 95 253 61 56-58
MÁLAGA CITY:
Autos Marinsa S.L.
Avda. García Morato, 18
29004 Málaga
Phone: 95 223 23 04
RIOGORDO:
Phone: 95 273 22 11- 659 156 847
RONDA:
Phone: 95 287 23 16
Centauro Rent a Car, S.L.
Avda. García Morato, s/n - Terminal, 2
29004 Málaga
Phone: 95 217 74 50
TORRE DEL MAR:
Phone: 95 254 00 16
Crown Car Hire (Invaral, S.A)
29004 Málaga
Phone: 95 224 67 18
TORROX:
Phone: 95 253 03 52
VÉLEZ MÁLAGA:
Phone: 95 250 28 96
VILLANUEVA DE ALGAIDAS:
Grupo de Taxis
C/ Archidona, s/n
Phone: 952 74 33 11 / 65 481 46 87
196
CAR RENTALS
index
Helle Hollis Car Rental.
Avda. García Morato, 14-16
29004 Málaga
Phone: 95 224 55 44
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Prima Rent a Car, S.L.
Apdo. de Correos 12
29080 Málaga
Phone: 95 231 09 75
Crack Rent a Car (Baro Motor, S. L.)
Avda. Velazquez, 1 y 3
29003 Málaga
Phone: 95 234 26 14
Adversament Rent a Car, S.L.
Azucarera Intelhorce, 66
Pog. Indust. Guadalhorce
29004 Málaga
Phone: 902 18 20 28
Europcar, IB-S.A.
Carril de San Isidro, 3
29004 Málaga
Phone: 95 217 44 59
Avisedf. Avis
Ctra. Aeropuerto, Km. 0.5
29006 Málaga
Phone: 95 223 88 42
Mocar Autorent, S.L.
C/ Cuevas Bajas, 25 - 27
Phone: 95 210 53 00
Niza Cars, S.L.
29004 Málaga
Phone: 95 223 61 84
Espacar-Rent a Car
Avda. Litoral s/n
Estepona
Phone: 95 279 29 35
Automóviles Portillo
Avda. de Velásquez, 94
Phone: 95 224 73 13
Haro Rent a Car
Urb. El Pilar Km 166
Estepona
Phone: 95 288 36 37
Autocares Andalucía
Carril de la Serrería, 24
Phone: 95 223 23 49
TORREMOLINOS:
Autos Benelux
Avda. Carlota Alessandri, 204
Torremolinos
Phone: 95 238 57 12
Cargest
95 217 35 20
Bravo Holiday Cars, S.L
Avda. Manuel Fraga Iribarne, 25 Nave E
Torremolinos
Phone: 95 237 76 86
OTHER CAR RENTALS
ALHAURÍN DE LA TORRE:
Limousines Premier
Urb. Pinos de Alhaurín
Alhaurín de la Torre
Phone: 902 11 96 92
ESTEPONA:
Benamara Car Rent, S.L.
Crta. N.340 Km 167-Urb. Paraiso Barronal
Local 1º,Parcela 2, Estepona
Phone: 95 288 88 08
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Caramba Car
C/ Ramal-Hoyo, 7-70
Torremolinos
Phone: 95 237 65 17
Dragon Car Hire
C/ Poeta Salvador Rueda, 29
Fuengirola
Phone: 95 247 53 60
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Sdad. Coop. Industrial AutoSol
C/ Antonio de Nebrija, 37
Torremolinos
Phone: 95 238 02 95
PARKING AREAS
You will find parking areas in all the villages
you visit. Most districts have SARE (parking
spaces in the streets, signalled in blue on the
pavement) and also parking sites for free on
most streets.
ALMÁCHAR:
Paseo de la Axarquía is the only area you can
park your car.
ANTEQUERA:
There are parking spaces in Diego Ponce
street, Fernández Viaga square, Lucena,
Infante Don Fernando, Carretero, Encarnación
and La Alameda streets, and Paseo de María
Cristina.
BENAOJÁN:
Parking spaces are available in San Marco
square and also in the village's streets.
TOURIST OFFICES
All the villages in the province have tourist
offices, where they will provide information on
the tourist attractions in the area.
COMARES:
Parking spaces are available in Balcón de la
Axarquía square and Málaga Avenue.
CÓMPETA:
There are parking spaces in Axarquía square.
MÁLAGA CITY:
Parking areas: There are three municipal
parking areas and also SARE parking spaces
(signalled in blue on the pavement) in the old
quarter.
Parking areas: Central parking area in De la
Marina square, opposite the port; in Tejón y
Rodríguez street; and Alcazaba, in La
Alcazaba square.
SARE: The SARE 30 signal indicates that you
can park your car on the blue lines for 30
minutes. In central Málaga, they are located in
Del Teatro square and Atarazanas street. The
SARE signal indicates you can park there up to
90 minutes for 1.50 euros.
MOCLINEJO:
You can par your car in Calvario street and in
De la Pasión avenue.
MOLLINA:
Parking is allowed in every street in the village.
198
index
ALAMEDA:
Town Hall
Plaza de España, 5
Phone: 95 271 00 25
RONDA:
There are different parking areas: Blas Infante,
De la Merced square, Del Socorro square and
Lauría street.
TORROX:
You can park your car in the Fair's area,
Almanzor square and Cómpeta avenue.
VÉLEZ MÁLAGA:
You can park your car in the so-called
Pozancón area, in the public parking area near
the City Hall, in the parking by San Antonio de
Padua's Church, in Málaga lane and in the
parking near the City Indoor Pool.
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ALFARNATE:
Town Hall
Phone: 95 275 90 28
ALFARNATEJO:
Town Hall
C/ Feria, 2
Phone: 95 275 92 86
ALMÁCHAR
Municipal Tourist Office
C/ Almería, 14
Phone: 95 251 20 02
ANTEQUERA:
Tourist Office
Plaza de San Sebastián, 7
Phone: 95 270 25 05
ARCHIDONA:
Pasaje Ochavada, 2
Phone: 95 271 64 79
COLMENAR:
Town Hall
Plaza de España, 9
Phone: 95 273 00 00
ARDALES:
Avenida de Málaga s/n
Phone: 95 245 80 46
COMARES:
C/ Real, s/n
Phone: 95 250 93 13
BENAMOCARRA:
Plaza del Calvario, s/n
Phone 95 253 56 12
CÓMPETA:
Avda. Constitución s/n
Phone: 95 255 36 85
CARRATRACA:
Town Hall
C/ Glorieta, 2
Phone: 95 245 80 16
EL BORGE:
Town Hall
Phone: 95 251 20 33
CASABERMEJA:
Tourist Office
Phone: 95 275 82 59
FUENTE PIEDRA:
Tourist Office
C/ Ancha, s/n
Phone: 95 273 54 53
CASARABONELA:
Tourist Office
Calle Real, 5
Phone: 95 245 60 67
199
MÁLAGA CAPITAL:
Tourist Office
(Govt. of Andalusia)
Pasaje Chinitas, 4
Phone: 95 221 34 45 / 95 260 61 93
Phone: 95 206 13 80
Calle Echegaray, 2
Málaga Airport Tourist Office
(Govt. of Andalusia)
Avda. García Morato, s/n
Phone: 95 224 37 84
Bus Terminal Municipal Tourist Office
Paseo de los Tilos, s/n
Phone: 95 235 00 61
MOCLINEJO:
Town Hall
Plaza de España, 7
Phone: 95 240 05 86
MOLLINA:
Town Hall
C/ Villa, 3
Phone: 95 274 00 44
HUMILLADERO:
Town Hall
Avda. del Emigrante, 1
Phone: 95 273 70 23
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200
PERIANA:
Town Hall
Plaza de Andalucía, 1
Phone: 95 253 61 67
Town Hall
C/ Constitución, 16
Phone: 95 274 30 02
RIOGORDO:
Town Hall
Phone: 95 273 21 54
Town Hall
Plaza de España, 9
Phone: 95 274 22 63
HEALTHCARE CENTRES
In any health or safety emergency, please call
112, the toll-free European emergency phone
number. The operator will transfer your call to
the relevant institution. This is a 24-hour
service and they speak Spanish, French and
German. There are also healthcare centres
that will assist you in case of an emergency in
all the districts included in the routes.
RONDA:
Plaza de España, 9
Phone: 95 218 71 19
Town Hall
Plaza del Prado, 1
Phone: 95 275 10 21
ALAMEDA:
Healthcare Centre
C/ Enmedio, 68
Phone: 95 271 05 66 - 10 86
TEBA:
Town Hall
Phone: 95 274 80 20
ALFARNATE:
Healthcare Centre
C/ Federico García Lorca, s/n
Phone: 95 275 92 40
TORROX COSTA:
Centro Internacional, Bl. 79, bajo
Phone: 95 253 02 25
ALFARNATEJO:
Physician's Office
C/ Feria, 2
Phone: 95 275 94 34
VÉLEZ MÁLAGA:
Avda. de Andalucía, 119
Phone: 95 254 11 04
ALMÁCHAR:
Physician's Office
Phone: 95 251 20 83
C/ Real, s/n
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ALMÁCHAR:
Physician's Office
C/ Eugenia Ríos
Phone: 95 251 20 83
CASABERMEJA:
Consultorio Médico
C/ Llanas, 4
Phone: 95 275 82 59
FUENTE PIEDRA:
Healthcare Centre
Camino de la Estación, s/n
Phone: 95 273 50 01
ANTEQUERA:
Antequera Hospital
Phone: 95 106 16 00
Outpatients' Department
Phone: 95 284 29 29
CASARABONELA:
Healthcare Centre
Avenida Juan XXIII, s/n
Phone: 95 245 65 59
HUMILLADERO:
Healthcare Centre
C/ Capitán Velasco, 7
Phone: 95 273 75 84
COLMENAR:
Healthcare Centre
Ctra. de Riogordo, s/n
Phone: 95 273 03 51
MOCLINEJO:
Healthcare Centre
C/ Castillo, 13
Phone: 95 240 05 76
COMARES:
Physician’s Office
C/ Real, s/n
Phone: 95 250 92 84
MOLLINA:
Healthcare Centre
Avenida El Limonar s/n
Phone: 95 274 01 36
CÓMPETA:
Healthcare Centre
C/ San Antonio, 156
Phone: 95 251 60 89
PERIANA:
Healthcare Centre
C/ Paseo Bellavista, s/n
Phone: 95 253 61 76
EL BORGE:
C/ República, s/n
Phone: 95 251 20 75
RIOGORDO:
C/ Fátima, s/n
Phone: 95 273 21 36
ARCHIDONA:
Healthcare Centre
C/ Camino del Santuario, s/n
Phone: 95 271 45 50
ARDALES:
Healthcare Centre
C/ Real, 10
Phone: 95 245 82 75
BENAMOCARRA:
Healthcare Centre
C/ Zarzuela, 4
Phone: 95 250 95 79
CARRATRACA:
Healthcare Centre
C/ Carril, s/n
Phone: 95 245 80 92
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RONDA:
"Santa Bárbara" Ronda-South Healthcare
Centre
C/ San Vicente de Paúl, s/n
Phone: 95 106 56 23-24
Ronda-North Healthcare Centre
C/ Espinillos, s/n
Phone: 95 287 69 75
TEBA:
C/ Nueva, 5
Phone: 95 274 82 89
Healthcare Centre
Plaza Nueva del Saucedo, s/n
Phone: 95 274 27 77
Healthcare Centre
C/ Bernardo Caro, s/n
Phone: 95 275 19 08
CURRENCY AND BANKING
The Spanish unit of currency is the euro. There
are a lot of Banks and Savings Banks where
you will find ATMs that accept international
credit cards.
TORROX:
Healthcare Centre
C/ Calzada, s/n
Phone: 95 253 86 01
Banking hours: Mon-Sat, from 08:30 to 14:00,
except for May, June, July, August and
September, when banks are closed on
Saturdays. Savings Banks close at 14:15 and
are closed on Saturdays.
VÉLEZ MÁLAGA:
Vélez - Málaga Regional Hospital
Finca El Tomillar, s/n
Phone: 95 106 70 00
Urgencias: 95 106 70 21
Healthcare Centre
C/ Las Flores, 1
Phone: 95 274 34 90
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Málaga, Sun, Wine and Olive Oil

Transcription

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