Andalucía

DO for dessert wine in the wine-growing region of Andalusia in Spain, named after the province and the provincial capital of the same name. The wine is one of the oldest for which written records exist, and was already famous in ancient times. Its popularity reached its absolute peak in the Victorian era (1819-1901). In the mid-19th century, the province had a total vineyard area of 100.000 hectares, and was the second-largest wine-growing region in Spain. Since then, the decline has been extremely rapid, for various reasons. Today the total vineyard area amounts to only 12.000 hectares, with only 1.100 hectares classified as DO. The vineyards are mostly on clay and limestone soils located around the city of Malaga on the Costa del Sol, including more than 50 communes, and going up to an altitude of 700 metres above sea level. The name of Malaga is protected, production is very specifically regulated in the DO regulations. Only two white grape varieties are permitted, Pedro Ximénez (known hier as Pero Ximen) and Moscatel (Muscat Blanc), they are generally picked with very high must weights. The fully ripe grapes are spread out on straw mats after picking, and dried by the sun (vino tierno), the evaporation of water creates raisins with a very high sugar content. The wines are in principle all made in the bodegas of the city of Malaga. Malaga is also produced in a solera system of up to six layers, similar to sherry, i.e. different wines and vintages are blended together. Certain types are fortified, some up to a total alcohol content of more than 20% vol. Other types are sweetened with arrope (cooked and concentrated must). The ratio of arrope to grapes used is kept a secret by the producers. Malaga wine is extremely long-lived, for instance a bottle from the estate of the duke of Wellington (1769-1852), bottled in 1875, was tasted in 1995, and showed no deterioration at all. The most important producers are Barceló, Larios, López Hermanos, Pérez Teixera as well as the Bodega Hermanos Scholtz, this latter one is no longer in production. The following designations are shown on the label: seco (dry), dulce (sweet), cream (off-dry), pálido (light), oscuro (dark) and añejo (old). The most important of the numerous types and styles are:

Dulce Color or Dulce Natural: this type is also known simply as Malaga (natural sweet wine), it is dark amber in colour. It must have a residual sugar content of 300 g/l, and a minimum alcohol content of 13% vol (before fortification). It is mostly a varietal wine made from Pedro Ximénez, but may also contain small amounts of Moscatel.

Moscatel: This is made exclusively from Moscatel grapes. Arrope is added to the wine, it is fortified, and must have a minimum alcohol content of 15% vol. Oxidative maturation takes place in oak barrels.

Pajarette (Paxarete): dark, less sweet, but very high in alcohol.

Moscatel Natural: a relatively new style, no sugar or arrope are added, and it is not fortified, it is not required to mature. This wine has a fruity bouquet.

Lagrima: this is the absolute top product of the range (aptly translates as „tears“). It is made exclusively from the free-run juice of whole grapes (similar to Eszencia in Tokaj). The wine is gold-coloured to dark, and is fortified to anywhere between 14 and 23% vol alcohol content.