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Denominación de Origen Sierras de Málaga spreads across the province of Málaga, a bit like those other Mediterranean DOs of Alicante or Valencia. Vineyards cover seven different geographical areas: the hilly Axarquía (A-Shar-Kia) to the east of Málaga city, Costa Occidental, Manilva, Montes de Málaga, Norte de Málaga, Serranía de Ronda and the Sierra de las Nieves.

The first references to winemaking in the region date back to the time of the Phoenicians in around 800 BC. Wine retained an important role in both Greek and Roman society, and grapes continued to be cultivated and raisin production grew during the Moorish occupation of Al-Andalus (7121 – 1492).

Wine culture continued after the Christian reconquest, as wine growers rights began to be formally recognized from the late 15th century during the reign of Fernando and Isabella and during the reign of Philip III the Hermandad Gremial de los Viñeros was created. A bit like a British Guild, the Hermandad, or Brotherhood, still exists to this day and paved the way for the creation of the modern day DOs of Málaga – famous for its rich fortified wines - in 1933 , and Sierras de Málaga in 2001 which is known for its still wines.

At close to 37º latitude, it’s easy to label DO Sierras de Málaga as a warm climate region. But its position means it receives both Mediterranean and Atlantic influences, while that altitude helps ensure a good thermal range, with temperatures dropping at night which helps grapes ripen gently and gradually despite the summer heat.

Muscat, or Moscatel in Spanish, encompasses a whole family of hundreds of different varieties of vitis vinifera. Many people consider Moscatel to be one of the oldest domesticated grapes, and theories abound as to its exact origin. Some place it as far back as 3,000 BC and the Egyptian and Persian cultures, while others fast forward a few centuries to Greek and Roman cultures.

Today, only a few Moscatel varieties are used in winemaking with two of the main ones being Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains, named after its typical ¨little berries¨ (known as Moscatel de Grano Menudo in Spain), and Muscat of Alexandria, or Moscatel de Alejandría in Spanish which is popular in the Mediterranean region, especially Málaga and Valencia.

Moscatel is drought resistant, adapts well to different soil types and its grapes need lots of sunshine to ripen fully. Moscatel de Alejandría berries are thick-skinned, fleshy and pale yellow in color with a high sugar content and a musky taste. Moscatel is a highly aromatic grape variety. Its key characteristic is that it is one of the only wine grapes that produces wines that actually taste like grapes. In different locations, it is used to produce a whole range of wines, from pale and bone dry white table wines through to golden, sweet dessert wines.

Doradilla is native to the province of Malaga, where there are just 12 hectares planted. It is a grape known for its subtle aromas and is often used to add volume and intriguing saline touches to blends.

Viñedos Verticales – literally Vertical Vineyards – was founded in 2015 by Juan Muñoz, the third generation of local viticulturists and winemakers, and Vicente Inat, an enologist with experience in various winemaking regions all across Spain. From the outset, Juan and Vicente’s aim was to showcase the fantastic winemaking potential of the Axarquía – the wonderful array of historic mountain vineyards between 400 and 900 metres above sea level just to the east of the city of Málaga and overlooking the Mediterranean, where slopes vary in steepness from 40º to 60º making mechanized farming virtually impossible.

With the help of their trusty mule, Juan and Vicente farm just 5 hectares of vineyard around the hamlet of Moclinejo. The majority of the vines are Moscatel of Alejandria, combined with some Pedro Ximénez or rare local varieties like Romé or Doradilla.

The grapes come from younger vines which are planted on the lower slopes and other, north-facing vines planted higher up in shale and phyllite soil. Harvest is carried out manually using mules to transport the boxes of grapes. To enhance the wine’s fresh profile, the Moscatel is harvested first during the first and second weeks of August, while the later-ripening Doradilla is picked a little later during the first week of September. Each variety is fermented separately in small, stainless steel tanks using the ambient yeasts present in the vineyard and winery. Once fermentation is complete, the wine is blended and then aged for 5 months on its lees in concrete tanks.