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Most often associated with sherry, the vineyards in the province of Andalucía cover a vast area of land and several denominations of origin (DOs). Andalucía boasts a long history of wine-making and is home to five DOs. Although table wines are also made here, it is really the fortified wines that unite the various DO zones. These wines range from light and refreshing fino and Manzanilla sherry to full-bodied, sweet Pedro Ximenez.
The most celebrated DO is Jerez, home of sherry, while Malaga is renowned for its sweet wines - vinos dulces.
As the province of Malaga offers such a varied choice of unique sweet wines, it should come as no surprise that many towns and mountain villages hold festivals and fiestas to celebrate typical wines produced in local vineyards. These events present a variety of sweet and dessert wines, sherries and mostos (a juice made from pressed grapes before the fermenting process), along with local produce like cheeses, olives, chestnuts and preserves, all of which are perfectly matched to the wine that is being celebrated.
Some of these events take place during the summer months, while the majority wait until September and October, when the sun is still shining but temperatures are cooler. Others are held even later, in November or early December, a time when a glass of oloroso (a strong fortified sweet wine) is considered almost a necessity.
Situated in the foothills of La Maroma (the highest peak of the Sierra de Tejeda), Cómpeta celebrates one of its most important days of the year with La Noche del Vino (the night of wine), a gathering that offers the true essence of the Axarquía region. This festival, held in August, evolved from a celebration to mark the start of the grape harvest, when the locals would come together to say farewell to the grape pickers, who would not return to the village until all the stomping was complete in October.
The festivities include flamenco and verdiales performances, along with grape treading demonstrations, and, of course, copious amounts of local wine and food.
The vines in the villages in this region, which include Canillas de Aceituno and Sedella, among others, are still an important element in the landscape as well as the economy.
Manilva hosts its Fiesta de la Vendimia (harvest festival), in honour of its long tradition in vine cultivation. The festival, usually held at the beginning of September, starts with a mass in honour of the Virgin Our Lady of Sorrow, to whom a grape offering is made. The event overflows with Andalusian charm, offering wine and grape tasting, live music and entertainment, and a grand firework display to end the festivities.
The Fiesta de Vino y la Castaña (wine and chestnut festival) in Yunquera (Sierra de las Nieves) is held on the last weekend of October, an event to showcase typical products of the area while highlighting culinary, artisanal and historical traditions closely linked to the chestnut forests of the Genal Valley, which, during the autumn, are known as the ‘copper forest’.
The main protagonist of the gathering is the Yunquera mosto (must). The event also presents a theatrical representation of the old custom of harvesting and treading the grapes, a tradition that goes back hundreds of years in this region of Andalucía.
Colmenar, the capital of the Montes de Málaga, located in the Alta Axarquía, holds its Mosto and Chacina Festival on the last weekend of November, when more than one hundred kilos of chorizo and blood sausages and 600 litres of wine are distributed free of charge among attendees.
Visitors can also sample an array of artisan products like goat’s cheese, honey, olive oil, preserves and sweet delicacies.
Along with featuring the town’s culinary and viticulture traditions, this event also promotes rural tourism in the area.
Similar festivals also take place during November in several villages in the Serranía de Ronda, including Genalguacil, Jimera de Líbar andAtajate.
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