Andalucía

Overview

Andalucía occupies the southern third of Spain and is world famous for its fortified wines, above all Sherry from Jerez and the sweet wines of Málaga and Montilla-Moriles. The climate is hot Mediterranean, with very dry summers and mild winters, moderated near the coast by Atlantic and Mediterranean breezes. Albariza chalk soils are legendary for Sherry production.

Palomino Fino, Pedro Ximénez, and Moscatel are the historic grapes, used for a spectrum of dry, sweet, and oxidatively aged styles. Beyond fortified wines, Andalucía is also producing fresh table whites and innovative reds in Sierra de Málaga and elsewhere. The region's wine identity is inseparable from its long history of trade and cultural exchange.

Key Varietals

• Palomino FinoThe neutral Sherry grape, shaped by flor and oxidation into complex fortified wines.
• Pedro XiménezA white grape sun-dried into raisins for lusciously sweet, dark dessert wines.
• MoscatelAn aromatic grape used for sweet, perfumed wines in Málaga and other coastal zones.
• TempranilloA Spanish red variety increasingly used for modern table wines in inland Andalucía.