Located between the Granada Mountains and the Mediterranean, the steep slate slopes of Málaga yield some of the world’s most exquisite wines from the Muscat grape.
The slopes are steep in Málaga and because irrigation is not possible the vines are grown “en vaso” – short bushes. Small yields are harvested by hand. It’s difficult to make wine in
Málaga and the region has suffered from its reputation for cheap, sticky oxidised wines.
Málaga and the region has suffered from its reputation for cheap, sticky oxidised wines.
That’s a shame because the cool nights and unique terroir also make it possible to produce great and inimitable wines as well. Two great examples were the wines I tasted from Jorge Ordonez and from Compania de Vinos Telmo Rodriguez. Two very different interpretations, both of which are excellent in their own right. Jorge Ordonez was inspired by his dear friend, Alois Kracher, Austria’s late King of Sweet Wines. He uses a modern press and vinification facilities creating everything from a dry, crisp aromatic Muscat to a unctuously sweet wine with over 300 g/l residual sugar. Telmo Rodriguez, on the other hand, is using an antique olive press and rather primitive vinification facilities. The wines are anything but primitive though. He also makes a dry, crisp aromatic Muscat. His sweet Molina Real is firmer, less unctuous than the sweet wines of Ordonez. Despite the very different styles, both producers are bringing wines that express thier origins well. I had a lot of fun pairing these wines with food and found plenty of opportunity in some of the region’s great restaurants.
The most thrilling restaurant in the region is Calima located in the Hotel Gran Meliá Don Pepe where chef Dani Garcia practices his “cocinacontradición”. This was definitely cusine for the advanced gourmet that demonstrated some daring combinations of flavors and ingredients as well as cooking methods (or sometimes methods of not cooking as in the case of the raw shrimp). The restaurant is completely open offering a spectacular view of the sea on one side which is close enough to feel and hear. The kitchen is a glassed element and completely visible throughout the restaurant which features a modern mix of materials and artistic decoration.
Some of my favorite dishes:
Ajoblanco Malaqueno – a soup of tiger nuts and almonds with Málaca crabs and sherry
Iberian smoked pork dashi
Rabbit marinated in Raz el Hauout with cocoa dusted rabbit liver parfait