DO area for the famous dessert wine in the Spanish region of Andalusia, named after the province or provincial capital on the Costa del Sol (south coast). Normal white, rosé and red wines are also produced in the same area under the DO designation Sierras de Málaga. Málaga is one of the oldest types of wine mentioned in writing and was already famous in ancient times. The city was founded by the Phoenicians around 800 BC. Around 600 BC, the Greeks settled in Malaga and brought their knowledge of viticulture with them. Around 202 BC, the city came under Roman rule under the name "Flavia Malacita". In 743 it was conquered by the Moors. During the Arab occupation, there was a ban on alcohol with the death penalty for drunks. This was later replaced by fines and taxes.
In 1223, the King of France, Philip II. August (1165-1223), organised the "Battle of the Wines". The most prestigious wines of the time were presented at this event. Málaga wine was described as the "cardinal of wines". It was not until August 1487 that Malaga came back into the possession of the Christian kings as part of the Reconquista. For this reason, a 10-day exuberant festival is celebrated every year during this month. In the 18th century, the wine was already known far beyond its borders. In 1791, the Spanish ambassador in Moscow presented the Russian Tsarina Catherine II (1729-1796) with a few crates of it. She was delighted and decreed that this in the future could be imported duty-free. During the Victorian era under Queen Victoria (1819-1901), its popularity reached a peak.
In 1806, the "Casa y Compañía de Comercio de Viñeros de Málaga" was founded by royal decree: " In order to prevent the grapes from being crushedas much as possible, marks of origin that are difficult to forge are applied to the containers, crates or bales that contain them. Two intelligent people are chosen to ensure that the wines are as perfectas possible". In the middle of the 19th century, the province of Málaga was still the second largest Spanish wine-growing region with 100,000 hectares of vineyards. There was a considerable reduction, mainly due to the phylloxera catastrophe. In 1900, strict regulations were adopted and the origin was certified by a certificate of origin.
Area of origin...
