WINE TOURS IN ANDALUCIA, SOUTH SPAIN
If you are an afcionado (amateur) of fne wine, Andalucia is defnitely the place for you.
Wine in Andalucia has come a long way since the Phoenicians frst planted vineyards in the fertile
Cadiz area in 1100 BC. By the time of the Romans, wine was being made in Andalucia in a big
way, and the activity has coninued ever since. Wine was appreciated even during the centuries of
Moorish domination. The Koran frowns on the consumption of alcohol, but the Moors made wine
and imbided it for “medicinal” purposes. From the 15th century onwards, Andalusian wines were
shipped to appreciative drinkers elsewhere in Europe, particularly England, where there was a
great fondness for Sack (as Sherry was called) and sweet wines from Málaga. This happy situation
prevailed until the 19th century when European vineyards were affected by the fungus oidium,
followed by an even more devastating plague of Phylloxera, the American vine root louse, which
frst appeared in Bordeaux in 1868 and spread to South Spain 20 years later. Most wine areas
were replanted with plague-resistant American rootstock, but some others never fully recovered.
From the historic sherries of Jerez, to the up-and-coming new vineyards near Ronda and Granada,
Andalucia boasts numerous top-quality wines.
There are over 40.000 hectares of vineyards in Andalucia planted in 20 regions. Over half of the
wine is produced in 4 major ‘Denominación de Origen’ (D.O. areas or the equivalent to France's
Appellation d'Origine Controllée)
Jerez, Cadiz province
Famous and worldwide known for its sherry wine in all its varieties: fno, amontillado, oloroso, palo
cortao.
Malaga and Sierras de Malaga
Traditionally known for the sweet Malaga desert wines.
Only about a decade ago a handful of innovative vintners started producing interesting red table
wines in the Ronda mountains.
Montilla-Moriles, Córdoba province
Traditionally sweet desert wines from the variety Pedro Ximenez (PX) and fortifed wines very
close to the sherry wines from Jerez. Nowadays this region also produces a wider range of other
white and red varieties.
Condado de Huelva
A selection of dry and sweet white wines from Huelva province.
In addition to the above, there are 16 other regions called ‘Vino de la tierra’ which is a certifed
step below DO on the Spanish wine quality ladder.
Andalucia is slowly becoming revered worldwide as an important center for wine-lovers. To use the
words of American wine guru Robert Parker: “Andalucia is one of the key regions to watch.”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------On our Food and Wine Tours, you will experience the real essence of Andalucia, its true taste, its
unique smell, its distinctive favour. Andalusian cuisine is rich and renowned for its delicious food
and wine and we will make of these gastronomic journeys a unique sensory experience.
Come join us for a 7 days tour for a nice long weekend! Here are the links to both itineraries:
Gourmet Tour, 7 days: http://www.just-explore.com/gourmet-andalucia-tour.html
Wine tour, 4 days: http://www.just-explore.com/escape-vineyards-cordoba.html