Weine
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| Die
Scholtz Bodega |
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The province of Málaga is home to many renowned
wines, most of which can be sampled in the city of Málaga,
in the Antigua Casa Guardia, close to the Paseo del Parque,
the subtropical park along the harbour. Here, in the Antigua
Casa Guardia, 21 big barrels are lined against the wall, filled
with different wines and each can be sampled.
When going on a wine excursion, you will
soon discover that every little village claims to produce
the best wine in the province. Take the main road from Torre
del Mar up north, past Vélez-Málaga and through villages like
Arenas, Corumbela, Archez and Cómpeta back to the coast near
Torrox. The wine from Cómpeta is supposed to be the best,
but you may prefer milder ones with a less pronounced taste
of raisins. Besides, we're from Colmenar. Now that's where
you'll find a great wine...
Mosto
Some wines, like the Mosto, seldom reach
markets beyond the immediate region, but they are available
in all the bars and venta's where they are anxiously
awaited every year. During the winter month, this honey-coloured
wine is presented in glass jars on the bars and fills many
a glass. Where wine is produced, wine is consumed, is the
local explanation. Local bar frequenters value their Mosto,
made of white grapes that are sun-dried for three days before
being turned into wine by the traditional procedure without
the use of any chemicals. That cannot be said of its French
big sister, the Beaujolais, although too much Most can cause
severe headaches, too.
And where the French joke about the taste
of each year's 'nouveau': banana, cherry, apple or strawberry,
Mosto only comes in two varieties: dry or sweet. Of course,
Europe's most favourable climate guarantees an ample supply
of Mosto, year after year.
Vino de los Montes
 Just
like Beaujolais, Mosto only keeps well for a few months. Fortunately,
there is a solution to this problem: the Vino de los Montes.
This red wines features on many wine-lists in hotels and restaurants
in the region. A terrific combination is the ‘Plato de los
Montes’ (a dish of chorizo sausage, pork fillet, fried eggs,
fried green bell peppers and chips fried in olive oil) with
a pitcher of this Vino de los Montes. Another locally produced
wine is the Montespejo, this time a white one from the Montes
de Malaga, with a taste that resembles that of Muscadet. Excellent
in combination with shellfish or cheese fondue.
Tinto de Verano
Many wines from southern Spain have a relatively
high alcoholic content. For the hot summer months, when the
alcohol goes to ones head rather quickly, the Andalucians
have a lighter alternative, the Tinto de Verano. Not really
a kind of wine in itself, but any red wine (the tinto)
diluted with Casera, a carbonated soft drink not unlike 7-Up,
but not as sweet. Tezamen Together with some ice cubes this
makes a delightful, refreshing summer drink.
Málaga
Up until the 70's of the 19th century, wines
from Málaga were famous all over Europe and were considered
to be as good as the more famous sherry. Or even better. The
alcoholic content of these wines is usually around 18 percent,
much more than the average table wine's 11, because they are
made from raisins instead of grapes.
The downfall of the Málaga wines was caused
by two separate events. In only a few years, most of the vineyards
were destroyed by fylloxera, or vine-pest. In other countries,
as well as in other parts of Andalucia, new vineyards were
planted by grafting the original vines upon Californian ones
that are immune to the disease. The other reasons was the
slowly diminishing demand for sweet wines. Still, sweet Málaga
wines never completely disappeared. The famous Scholtz bodega
is one of the more important producers. |
Weine
Mosto
Vino de los Montes
Tinto de Verano
Málaga
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