History of Malaga wines

A beautiful ceramic tile depicting Málaga Dulce © Michelle Chaplow
A beautiful ceramic tile depicting Málaga Dulce © Michelle Chaplow

History of malaga Wines

Wine has been produced in Malaga province since Phoenician times, and the tradition was famously continued by the Romans, and subsequently the Moors for medicinal purposes. After the reconquest of Malaga in 1487 the Catholic Monarchs realised that wine was useful in keeping the city's residents happy, and they helped establish the Hermandad Sacramental de Viñeros, or Señores de las Viñas de Malaga, one of the oldest Semana Santa brotherhoods of Malaga.

Málaga suffered severely from the various vine-threatening plagues of the 19th century such as phylloxera. This devastation, together with the switch in international tastes towards dry wine, sent the region into decline. 

In 1900 the Reglamento de la Associación Gremial de Criadores Exportadores de Vino de Málaga was published. This grew in importance, with "Malaga" being registered as a brand in 1924, and in 1933 a Denominación de Origen (Designation of Origin, DO) Málaga was created.

In recognition of the number of quality vineyards and wineries being established around Ronda in the 1990s, in 2001 the DO Sierras de Málaga was added to the scope of the Consejo Regulador. The Malaga wine region is now known as Denominaciones de Origen Málaga y Sierras de Málaga

The Málaga and Sierras de Málaga wine region is situated in the province of Málaga and covers an area of over 1,200 hectares.   There are now about 30 bodegas (wineries), which produce over two million litres annually.

The sweet wines of Malaga (Málaga Dulce) with their fruity and nutty flavors, are an super choice to celebrate an occasion, they can be enjoyed as aperitif or with dessert.

The controller of wine in the Malaga and Sierra de Malaga wine region is:

Consejo Regulador de las Denominaciones de Origen Málaga,
Sierras de Málaga y Pasas de Málaga

Plaza de los Viñeros 1, Málaga 29008
Tel.: +0034 952 22 79 90
Fax: +0034 951 10 68 58

 

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