New from Ronda's bodegas: two grape-shaped gifts for wine lovers

The Melonera wants to recover the splendour it lost more than 150 years ago. This native grape of Malaga province, practically extinct after phylloxera wiped out vineyards throughout southern Spain, is making a comeback thanks to the work carried out by a winery in Ronda. Garnacha Tintorera, another variety which until now had no presence in the province, has just been added to the Sierras de Málaga PDO catalogue (Protected Designation of Origin - DOP in Spanish).

The case of the former is particularly unique, as the latter, the Tintorera, can be seen quite frequently in other vineyards across Spain. Despite being on the verge of disappearing, the Melonera grape now grows in the middle of Ronda's mountains, in a huge vineyard surrounded by holm oaks, thanks to the recovery work carried out by Finca La Melonera, a company that also decided to adopt the name of this grape.

The recovery process began in 2008, when the winery's managers came across a book by Simón de Rojas published in 1807 about the grape varieties that were then growing in Andalucía. Of all of them, the Melonera caught their attention. Then they managed to locate five vines in the Rancho de la Merced, an experimental centre overseen by the Junta de Andalucía, and they did not stop until they managed to produce some wine from it.

Ana de Castro, oenologist at La Melonera winery, proudly points out that the five vines have now grown to fill one and a half hectares and says that the first wine made 100% from this grape will be on the market in just one month's time. It will be a token edition, just 350 bottles, but a great first step that will increase production in successive vintages. "It has cost us a lot of work, but we are very happy," she says.

Although she does not like comparisons, the winemaker explains that the grape "is similar to Pinot Noir, low in colour, elegant, subtle and with low alcohol content." It is harvested at the end of October because it is a late variety, fermented in open barrels and then it spends a further 12 months in the same barrel. The wine will be called Yo Solo ('only me'), which is the label they use to promote 100% indigenous varieties.

Regarding the recovery process they have had to go through, she recalls that the most complex part of the process has been obtaining the permits from the European Union, because it has to be demonstrated that the grapes are suitable for winemaking and for human consumption. Once this first obstacle had been overcome, they then had to obtain certification from the Sierras de Málaga Protected Designation of Origin (PDO, or DOP in Spanish), something they achieved on 27 August.

After being included in the catalogue, the PDO assured that this recovery work demonstrates "the innovative concern of the province's wine sector." In this regard the Melonera grape clearly adds to the typical character and nature of the Sierras de Málaga PDO since they grow in a diverse, natural environment. The shape of the land, with scattered patches of clear land and small vineyards, dictates the uniqueness of the flavours, giving rise to wines of high expression and quality.

La Melonera winery is located on a huge estate of 200 hectares, although only 25 hectares are planted and always in areas shielded by holm oaks, which protects the vineyards from sudden changes in temperature and prevents the grapes from dehydrating. They started working the land in 2006 with international grape varieties, mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Tempranillo. Their first wine was Payoya Negra.

Despite the great reception the wine had (and still has), they soon decided to go for local varieties to differentiate themselves from other wineries and attract the public's attention. "We understood the importance of zero kilometre", they state. This is how the Melonera idea came about. However, they are not stopping at that one grape. Ana de Castro says that they are also working on the recovery of the Blasco grape, also originally from this part of the country. "We are already working on it and we hope that it will soon see the light of day", she says.

A few kilometres away from La Melonera, and also in an extensive plot of land in the Serranía de Ronda, the Huerto de la Condesa winery has also carried out important work to incorporate a grape into the Sierras de Málaga PDO that had no previous presence in the province. They have decided to go for the Garnacha Tintorera, a variety that is grown in several regions of Spain such as Extremadura, Valencia and Murcia, but which until now had not been incorporated into the vineyards of Malaga.

Unlike the Melonera, no research work has been necessary for its introduction, but it has had to pass all kinds of checks and requirements to become part of the provincial PDO. Its promoters were Luis Cepedano and Agustín Millán, owner and oenologist respectively of the winery. "We started making wine with Garnacha and Syrah, but we thought that Garnacha Tintorera could give us some freshness."

Regarding the grape, they explain that "it is a very productive variety and the only one that is red inside." They also add that it is very versatile, as it can be harvested both at the beginning and at the end of the harvest. "You can harvest it whenever you want."

The Huerto de la Condesa winery has just planted its first 1,200 vines of this variety, so it will take a few more years to see a Malaga wine using this grape on the market. Their intention is to start blending it with other varieties, although they also have on the horizon the desire to make a 100% Garnacha Tintorera wine. To achieve that goal they will have to wait about 10 years, which is the time the plant needs to gain maturity and reach its peak.

Huerto de la Condesa is one of the latest wineries to start up in the Serranía de Ronda. They started up in 2019, although the first bottles began to be marketed in 2021. The winery currently produces seven different wines and its most popular wine is the one that bears the name of the winery itself in its red (with garnacha and syrah) and white (viogner, muscatel and sauvignon blanc) varieties.

The winery's managers are satisfied with this year's harvest, which has been better "both in terms of quantity and quality". They have harvested more than 500 kilos when last year they barely reached 300. "This year it has rained more than last year and that has been noticeable", they state.

The figures provided by the winemakers coincide with those provided by the Serranía de Ronda's local winegrowers and producers association, where they are confident of exceeding 800,000 bottles. Speaking to SUR, the association's president, Manuel Carrizosa, acknowledged at the beginning of the month that this has been "a good year in terms of volume and quality", as all the grapes that have entered the wineries "are quite good, despite the early harvest and the heat, which is not the best thing for the end of the cycle."