Málaga DO [MA-luh-guh]
A DO located in southern Spain, east of Jerez and south of montilla-moriles. In the nineteenth century, there was a time that Málaga’s sweet, fortified wines were more famous than the acclaimed sherry from Jerez. But in the 1870s, phylloxera devastated the area, which has never recovered its glorious past. Today, Málaga has less than 1 percent of the vineyard land that it did in the nineteenth century. There are four subzones here, but Zona Norte, which is north of the city of Málaga, is the most important. The wines, which are made from Pedro Ximénez or Moscatel (Muscat) and other white varieties like Airén, come in a variety of styles ranging from dry to sweet; most are fortified. Production of the sweeter versions consists of adding various elements such as arrope (cooked must that’s been reduced by about two-thirds), pantomina or vino de color (an even more concentrated cooked must than arrope), and vino maestro and vino borracho (differing blends of grape juice and alcohol). The label of a Málaga wine identifies its style—sweetness ranges from seco to dulce and colors are blanco (white), Dorado (golden), rojo-dorado (tawny), osuro (dark), and negro (black). Other labeling information may indicate a varietal wine made entirely from either Pedro Ximénez or Moscatel. The term “Lagrima” on a label specifies a wine made purely from free run juice. Málaga’s dulce color is the most popular style—dark and sweet with about 10 percent arrope added, which gives it a slight molasses characteristic. Better Málaga wines come from a solera system like those used for making the best sherry wines. To qualify as Málaga DO wine, the wine must be shipped to and matured in the city of Málaga.
The New Wine Lovers Companion, 2nd Edition, by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Copyright © (1) 2003, 1995 by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Reprinted by arrangement with Barron's Educational Series, Inc.