Wineries in Malaga

Looking for a wine tasting experience while on vacation in Malaga? If so, take a look at our list of recommended Wineries in Malaga province.

The Costa del Sol area is famous mainly for its sunny weather, having more than 300 days of sunny skies per year on average. But this is not the only good reason to visit the province of Malaga, since its beautiful seaside and inland landscapes are outstanding features of this Southern land and a great opportunity to explore and taste their delicious cuisine and fabulous wines.

You can find 45 wineries in the Malaga region, some of them producing certainly unique wines made out of their own indigenous varieties.

Wine tourism in Spain is becoming the ultimate experience. If your desire is to have a great time surrounded by a beautiful landscape, this is the perfect thing to do. You will learn about the region terroir while you calmly sip your wine and live the moment.

Thanks to tourists like you, small rural areas can develop and be more sustainable in the long run. Wine tourism has definitely become a new way to contribute economically to the production of their wines. It also helps build a brand in certain remote areas with difficult access and less means for innovation.

In this article you will learn some particularities of each of the wineries in the Malaga region that we recommend. You will find it easier to find your way around if you travel on your own vehicle but will also find the best wine tours that you can book to enjoy, relax and let someone take care of the trip for you.

 

Interesting facts about Malaga Wine

Since Phoenician times, wine has been produced all over Malaga. Later, the Romans continued with the tradition and so followed the Moors, for medicinal purposes.

Wine is nowadays produced all over Malaga province thanks to the beneficial aspects of the weather conditions and the variety of soils. The Axarquía, the Montes de Málaga, Norte, the Serranía de Ronda and Manilva are the wine producing areas, most of them having a long wine-making tradition.

It is wonderful to see how many wineries are trying to recuperate the old grape varieties that were indigenous in this region before the filloxera plague in the late 19th century, which destroyed all the vineyards. Their aim being to present to us all the most authentic produce made out of the unique varieties that once used to grow in this beautiful land.

Innovation in the technical wine making processes is at the heart of each winery, bringing about a good combination of the old know-how and the latest methods and machinery to help improve and maintain the quality of the wines produced in this Southern part of Spain.

In Ronda, we can find remains of the old Roman city called Acinipo, which means Land of wine. During the Roman Empire, Ronda’s wine was exported all over the empire and they even had their own currency, a coin that had a vine engraved in it.

One of the most famous varieties in Ronda, amazingly, is the Petit Verdot. Being originally from France, it grows exceptionally well in the region of Ronda due to the particularities of the soil and climate conditions of this pretty little Spanish jewel. In Ronda you will find some high-quality red wines, splendid dry white wines, and some fruity rosés that are really worth tasting.

The labor of hoeing and harvesting in the Axarquía area, north-east of Málaga is a truly heroic one due to the steep slopes and the difficulties this produces. Harvesting is done by hand and with the help of donkeys to carry the grapes.

Wineries in this area have a long sun-dried grape tradition, all done by hand. In the 19th century, the raisins produced by this artisanal method were exported as a delicacy all over the world in a very glamorous packaging. And the so-called Malaga wine was a real ambassador of our region at a global scale.

The whole Axarquía area obtained the SIPAM award (Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System) by the FAO in 2018, showing the importance of the traditional methods of working on the steep slopes for the local economy.

Here you have a list of the best wineries in Malaga province, the first one is a Wine Museum. Most of them are located near the town of Ronda, north west of Malaga, others in the north and north east of the province.

They all enjoy marvelous settings, places that you wouldn’t even think can coexist with the Southern beach, the main attraction of our homeland.

You can visit all the wineries that are recommended here if you previously book a guided tour with wine tasting. Ronda Wine Tours can handle hassle-free the whole day trip for you, they will collect you at your hotel or apartment and will drive you back at the end of the tour. We speak perfect English, also German, French and Spanish, and are wonderful at making your day trip comfortable and fun.

Each winery has been chosen carefully, some being outstanding for their architectural features, some for their breathtaking scenery, but many have it all. What they all have in common is that their wines are top quality.

 

Museo del Vino de Málaga (Málaga)

Malaga Wine Museum was created to exhibit the prestige and quality of Málaga wines and the culture around it. The Palace of Biedmas houses the exhibition, a palace that was originally built in the 18th century.

You can have a guided or unguided tour, both including two wine tastings of wines with Malaga DO (Denomination of Origin).
You may like to ask for an additional wine tasting or taste the wines that are offered at the Museum.

 

 

Our Best of Malaga Wineries list starts here:

Bodega Dimobe (Axarquía)

Following a family tradition and dedication to wine making, this winery was founded and consolidated by the 1920’s. Exquisite sun-dried grapes are essential for the preparation of some of the fantastic wines in this region of Montes de Málaga. Juan Muñoz Navarrete was the founder of the winery, followed by his son Antonio Muñoz Cabrera, who has become a real pioneer in his field.

Their own Winery Museum exhibits many samples of historic evidence that shows the trajectory of the winery through its hand-driven machinery, many artisanal tools and more objects like old clay jars and other utensils.

The bodega is a true and unique reference when we talk about muscatel wine production and it is characterized by a traditional method combined with modern techniques.

They don’t offer visits from mid-July to mid-October.

 

Bodega Bentomiz (Axarquía)

It is a small boutique winery nicely set up in the Mountains of Malaga with spectacular landscapes, vertical vineyards and in sight of the Mediterranean sea. Their vines are 80 to 100 years old and thrive in this special terroir of slate soil and sunny climate, with cooling and salty sea breezes.

The winery produces some fresh and delicate wines that have received many awards thanks to their unique vinification techniques.

The labor of hoeing and harvesting in this area of steep slopes is a truly heroic one, having obtained the SIPAM for the whole Axarquía region, awarded by the FAO, showing the importance of this traditional methods to the local economy.

This will be a visit into the rural heart of Málaga, a great way to celebrate with wine and a creative cuisine. They are able to customize your visit according to your desires.

It’s amazing to know that so many restaurants with Michelin stars serve the Ariyanas wines, over 20 restaurants such as El Celler de Can Roca, De Karmeliet, SantCeloni, Enoteca Paco Pérez, Ramon Freixa and De Kromme Watergang.

They can serve gourmet lunches and they welcome clients with strict diets. Also, children and disabled visitors, having adapted bathroom facilities and a stairlift for guests’ use.

 

Bodega Shatz (Ronda)

Finca Sanguijuela is surrounded by the mountain range in Ronda, about 10km away from the town. The winery has picturesque views over oak forests and golden fields, pastures and an old cattle track.

The ideal microclimate in this area really benefits the wine making, with hot days and very cool nights, wonderful for the vines and for the production of these splendid organic-biodynamic wines.

Federico Shatz arrived in Ronda in 1982, coming from a German family of winemakers, and he was looking to develop his passion for wine in an region with better climate. He chose Ronda, a place that is influenced both by the Mediterranean Sea and by the Atlantic Ocean.

A visit to the winery will end with a tasting of 4-6 wines.

 

Bodega García Hidalgo (Ronda)

This is a family run Organic Winery with a small wine production, which is voluntarily reduced in order to obtain the best possible quality, a strong wine that reflects in its color, body and texture.

The owner and oenologist Miguel García Pereila makes use of artisanal wine-making methods and traditional skills. Together with his family, he also takes care of their organic orchard.

This winery offers the possibility to stay over at their farmhouse accommodation, visiting the vineyards and the production hall and cellar. You can combine this with a wine tasting and delight with their own organic products.

 

Bodega Excelencia (Ronda)

This winery was born in 2006 when a group of friends, nature and wine lovers, decided to start the adventure of wine making in Ronda.

They considered essential to find a location somewhere full of wine related history and where nature and quality viticulture could perfectly be combined.

Their oenologist, Juan Manuel Vetas, is a renowned expert for being the pioneer in the Serranía de Ronda. He has obtained many awards for the wines produced in Excelencia.

Their aim is to produce excellent wine and always maintain the highest level, hence the name of the winery.

 

Bodega Cortijo Los Aguilares (Ronda)

Cortijo Los Aguilares is a finca just 5 km away from Ronda. The winery was established in 1999 by José Antonio and Victoria Itarte, who plantes 3 red bordeaux varieties and some Pinot noir. The British wine critic Jancis Robinson said about their pinot noir wines: “It seems, unexpectedly almost, as though the red burgundy grape has been most successful (here, at Cortijo Los Aguilares) helped perhaps by the fact that they blend the produce of an early and a later harvest”.

The winery aims at recovering and perpetuating the one thousand-year old wine tradition, and they do so by producing great quality wines, having won many awards for their Pinot noir in particular.

They offer a customized visit for you. An example is a picnic under a century-old holm oak.

 

Bodega La Melonera (Ronda)

At this winery they have a dream and a challenge.

In 2003, the team at La Melonera drafted a plan: to revive the old wine making tradition by tracking down the indigenous varieties and trying to revive them, doing this for the area of Ronda and for the world as a whole.

The hard work is paying off nowadays, and the dream is now a reality that shows in La Encina del Inglés and El Payoya Negra wines.

This is an organic winery that shows respect for the environment and makes the most of the special climate conditions in this area while being really creative with their wines.

 

Bodega La Capuchina Vieja (Norte)

The ancient roman villa Capuchina lays in the foundations of this winery, where you will see vestiges from the Roman period. And the influence of The Capuchin Friars Order remains in this place nowadays. It is located north of Malaga province, in an area where olive groves and vineyards are the main feature.

The García Segura family owns the estate since the early 80′s and has always aimed at combining the most innovative cultivation techniques with the old agricultural values and traditions, bringing great respect for the environment.

The Capuchina is located in the north of Malaga province, where vineyards and olive groves cover the landscape of this Mediterranean fields.

Under the standards of Integrated Production, the vine is cultivated in very favorable conditions, having short but cold winters and later hot summers. Both red and white varieties with Denomination of Origin Málaga and Sierras de Málaga thrive here.

The cellar is located in a century-old farmhouse whose original buildings house the original oil press, the stables and the aviary, which has been restored.

In La Capuchina you will be able to appreciate the fine wine making and celebrate life surrounded by vineyards and olive trees at this old monk house.

 

Bodega Nilva (Manilva)

This winery has in mind a dynamic and exciting project, they are planning to recuperate the old Manilva Vineyards, south-west of Malaga province, right next to the sea. It is about recovering values and traditions, about recuperating the dignity of agricultural work, finding the right combination between quality wine tourism and respect for the land.

Manilva is a small town that has always been dedicated to fishing and agriculture. Its economy, till the late 80’s, was based on the cultivation. Of the vines thanks to its unique microclimate, where the western winds from the Atlantic Ocean meet the eastern winds from the Mediterranean Sea and bring the very special climatic conditions that we can find here.

Their muscatel white wine is a really powerful and special wine made out of the indigenous variety that has always grown in this Southern part of Spain.

 

Bodega Descalzos Viejos (Ronda)

Finca Descalzos Viejos is located on a remarkable place, surrounded by outstanding nature, very close to Ronda. The winery was an old convent  from the 16th century where some old frescoes were found and restored. A beautiful garden lays on the slopes around the winery and the vineyard can be seen at the lower part of the valley, amongst old olive trees and holm oaks.

 Summer at the winery is something special, they have interesting musical events during June and July that are really worth experiencing.