A suggestion for lovers of wandering along the wine and culinary trail. The end of the grape harvest, the wine harvest festival, is the time of the best wine festivals in Andalusia. Plan your autumn holiday now and don’t miss out on this extraordinary attraction. Head to Córdoba or Jerez de la Fontera.
Jerez de la Fontera Festival – 1st half of September
During the festival, during the Wine Market, you can taste the excellent wines produced in this part of the Cadiz region. During the first half of September, enjoy delicious dry and semi-dry wines here: Domecq, Pemartin, Lustau, Lacave and Delage. The region is also famous for its sherry, about whose origins and history we write more here. Viticulture has long been known in the Jerez region, ever since aristocratic wine-producing families settled here.
Other highlights of the Autumn Festival are the horse races and horse presentations during the Ferria del Caballo and the Fiesta de la Bulería, a dance festival. It’s basically Andalusia in a nutshell!
Montilla-Moriles – first week of September
The province of Córdoba also hosts a wine festival and a dance festival. During La Cata Flamenca, you can see real flamenco, its living tradition, performances by famous artists, but also dancing in the street, with whole families. There are also wine knowledge competitions, guided walks through the vineyards and tastings of wine and local products. Get ready for an amazing experience of true flamenco! Montilla-Moriles Wine Route An interesting way to get to know this wine region is to follow the Montilla-Moriles Wine Route, which features more than 60 attractions, restaurants, hotels and rural accommodation. You can visit vineyards, wineries, wine shops, ceramics and organic food. The Pedro Ximénez varietal is grown in the area and produces more than twelve wines, including wines without ageing, Young and Tinaja wines; Fino, Amontillado and Palo Cortado wines, true jewels of world oenology, Oloroso wine and sweet Pedro Ximénez wine (see www.turismoyvino.es).
Harvest Festival in Mollin – second weekend in September
It is not only a celebration of wine, but also of literature. Poetry competitions and equestrian shows are an integral part of the event. In the Plaza de Atenas, wine, cheese and chocolate can be tasted, and local products and souvenirs can be bought at a day-long market. An interesting attraction is also the city bike ride, decorated with harvest decorations, horse shows or evening concerts.
Which wine to try? We can choose from the recommended: the light and voluptuous Carpe Diem Dulce Natural; Carpe Diem Málaga Añejo, a mahogany-coloured wine; Carpe Diem Malaga Trasañejo: dark in colour and aged for a very long time in oak barrels; Montespejo, which is a young wine with a light, straw-yellow colour; and the elegant Gadea, the first young red wine with the Sierras de Málaga appellation (see www.mollina.es/gastronomia).
Andalusia, a way of life
Anyone who has not been to Andalusia does not know what a peaceful life can taste like. The combination of sunshine, excellent cuisine, wine, beautiful architecture and extraordinary nature attracts people here who want to live beautifully. The Costa del Sol is not just about warm winters, beaches and clear water, nature reserves, UNESCO-listed monuments, skiing and mountain trails, but also very good schools, excellent infrastructure, luxury houses and flats overlooking the green of golf courses.
