Malaga becomes wine capital with SUR Wines & Gourmet 2025 showcase event

The worlds of wine and select products came together at the fifth SUR Wines & Gourmet, which was held at the NH Málaga hotel on Monday, 20 October. The exclusive event is aimed at professionals and small and large businesses from all over Spain that want to showcase their products.

The event was organised by Málaga en la Mesa and Diario SUR and sponsored by Sabor a Málaga, three Spanish provincial authorities (Malaga, Cordoba and Valladolid), Sabor a Córdoba, Alimentos de Valladolid and Milla de Oro del Vino.

This year's event was larger than ever, with 150 companies and more than 500 references of wines and select products. SUR Wines & Gourmet, which has become a meeting point for the sector, was open to all types of professionals, winemakers, distributors and producers from all over the country. All of them highlighted the prominence that Malaga has gained at an international level.

Director of the Dehesa Peñalba PDO wine estate in Valladolid Isabel Turrado confirmed Malaga's fame within her sector. Her estate showcased three wines that are already being distributed in some restaurants on the coast and that they want to promote in the Costa del Sol capital.

For Alberto Gonzáles from the small family winery Ogón in Valladolid, SUR Wines & Gourmet is a great marketing opportunity. Like another bodega in Valladolid - Laderas de Valverde - they work with artisanal products. Fátima Marcos from Laderas de Valverde echoed Gonzáles' words and said that the event helps them "reach many more people".

Kieninger from Ronda works with Austrian grapes, specifically the Blaufänkisch. With ten different varieties, the Kieninger family works through an artisanal and organic process, producing varietal, single-variety and young wines on a three-and-a-half-hectare estate, yielding around 15,000 bottles per year and only about 300 of some of the more exclusive ones.

A selection of gourmet products complemented the wine offer. Cominport brought a selection of sakes and deep-frozen Japanese oysters at affordable prices; Queso La Laja presented the only cow's cheese made in Malaga; Grupo Pistacyl brought their oil made from pistachios; and Eukel displayed a craft beer made in the Argentinian style in Malaga.

The only bean-to-bar chocolate made in Andalucía, Maychoco, also made an appearance. Its workshop is located in Benajarafe. "We are from Malaga and we want to be known in Malaga," said chocolate master Mayte Sánchez. Malaga sultana bonbon or chocolate with Crestellina cheese are some of the products that Mayte Sánchez brought to SUR Wines & Gourmet. She also let us in on the secret that she is currently working on products with custard apple and roasted chestnuts - local supply, like all the other products she uses.

Attendees were also able to participate in various tastings and product presentations: Vinos Málaga, esencia en equilibrio; Grandes vinos de Rueda; Aceites peculiares de la DO Priego de Córdoba; Pedro Ximénez: Un vino para cada producto; Sushis y sakes; Gran cata de rosados DO Navarra; Vinos Sierras de Málaga: La excelencia de la diversidad; Sabores de Almería; and Vinos ganadores del concurso Vino de Museo.

Deputy head of Malaga provincial authority Toñi Ledesma, who attended the event, highlighted the role Sabor a Málaga has played in "the agri-food and wine sectors" in the province and in promoting local products.

As Ledesma said, one of the objectives is "to make these products known and visible, especially outside the small municipalities where they are born". "From there, the aim is to launch them outside our province," she said.

Sabor a Málaga director Leonor García-Agua said that they are working hard, alongside the provincial authority, because now many brands rely on them for promotion more than ever. She recognised the brand's role in making local producers and small family companies known in the rest of the country for the work they put into their products. García-Agua also acknowledged the role of each personal story in promoting brands.

Sabor a Córdoba does similar work. "For us, this is a great opportunity. Malaga is a very rich province and a great ally," said Gonzalo Esparza.

Sabor a Almería has been in the process of internationalisation for the last two years. Almeria provincial authority deputy for the agri-food sector Carlos Sánchez announced that they have been able to "double the number of companies exporting abroad", while acknowledging that this motivates them to work even harder. "We are participating in many trade fairs and SUR Wines in a very interesting opportunity to open up the market," he said.

Javier Perales from Jaén's agricultural sector promoted his province's potential to export oil and the Degusta Jaén brand, which has more than 300 companies under its umbrella.

Francisco Fuentes from the Valladolid provincial authority accompanied Alimentos de Valladolid, which comprises 500 companies, 14 of which participated in the event, and 2,000 certified products. "Malaga is key," he said, adding that they have been to the Costa del Sol event three times and will keep coming.

David Palacios from Navarra D.O. also expressed his satisfaction with this type of event: "Malaga is one of our traditional markets. We want to strengthen this connection, especially because of its potential as a tourist destination."