Typical products of Andalusia: Malaga wine

Remember the wines our grandmothers and great grandmothers drank, sipping of very small glasses, and only on very special occasions? This sweet very tasty wine (known as Malaga Dulce) is able to take away all your sorrow, as the famous 'Quitapenas' bodega claims.
Málaga wine began as a deep brown, rich, raisiny wine, created by the Greeks in 600 BC. It was originally called Xarabal Malaguii, "Málaga syrup", and was very sweet. It was created in the Andalucia region of Malaga - close to Cadiz, the region of Sherry.

In 44 AD, Columela wrote about the fine wines available in the Roman Province of Málaga. Its popularity grew. During the 1500s, something had to be done to wine to allow it to last the long ocean journeys. Brandy was added to allow the wine to last longer, and to be more resistant to temperature changes. This is why Málaga is termed a "fortified wine".  It was then one of the most expensive wines of Europe.

Spain now produces 5.8 million gallons of Málaga a year. Málaga is mostly made with the pedro ximinez grape,the wine must actually be aged in the city of Málaga to earn the name. Málaga is regulated by the Consejo Regulador.

The malaga wine is grown inland in all the province of Malaga (Axarquía, Antequera etc), and due to the extremes in temperature: hot and sunny summers and cold but sunny winters the grapes develop the character needed for a fine wine. The predominant variety here is the Pedro Ximenez, which is named after a 17th-century Spanish soldier thought to have introduced it from Germany. It has an exceptionally high sugar content, which is made even higher thanks to the process of letting the grapes roast in the sun before pressing, which reduces their moisture and concentrates the sugar. This partial raisining accounts for traditional Málaga wine's dark colour, for the Moscatel and Pedro Ximenez are both in fact white grapes.
If you want to know more about Malaga wines, remember to visit the Malaga wine museum.

More information about the Bodega Quitapenas: www.quitapenas.es, visits of this bodega are free. The bodega is located in Malaga.

Nice houses in the province of Malaga are:
Ecotourism la Cabra Verde
and in the Antequera region: Casa de la Torre, Casa la Ecina and Casa la Parada, all mentioned houses with their own private pool.  
 

 
 

Sierra de las Nieves natural park

The Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park is located at the heart of the natural Serrania de Ronda region, in the province of Malaga. This mountainous area is punctuated by deep ravines and spectacular cliffs, such as La Caína, with a drop of over 100 metres.
Furthermore, the limestone nature of the earth has created a number of potholes, such as the GESM, the world's third deepest at 1,100 metres
The Sierra de  las Nieves natural park is formed by parts of the municipalties of: Ronda, Monda, Tolox, El Burgo, Yunquera, Istán and Parauta

The highest peak is Torrecilla (1,919 metres) in the Sierra Blanca de Tolox.
Its greatest treasure are its conifer forests dating back to the tertiary period, featuring the Spanish fir (the "Pinsapo"), the most unusual species of fir in the world. 

Sierra de las Nieves natural park

Its relief is extremely rugged, with the deep ravines, high cliffs and gorges characteristic of Alpine folding.

Fauna: The area is home to one of Andalusia's largest communities of mountain goat, one of only two wild species of large hoofed mammal native to the Park, the other being the deer.
Other species such as the stag and mountain ox have been brought in, the Park providing them with an excellent habitat. Also to be found here are certain animal species protected by law, such as the wild cat, golden eagle and otter, the latter having practically disappeared from the River Verde.

Flora: In the mountain peaks, where precipitation and fog are common, large numbers of gall oaks and Spanish firs are to be found.
At lower altitudes the holm oak and cork oak thrive. There are also small collections of madroños, chestnut trees, yews, maples and  ashes.

Points of Interest:
El Torrecilla, Sima GESM, Pinsapo de las Escaleretas, Mirador del Guarda Forestal, Tajo de la Caína. 

   Information source: www.andalucia.org. 

Le Chien Andalous offers here Ecotourism La Cabra Verde, with two nice houses with each their own private pool.