Place
How do altitude, slope, soil and distance from the sea shape ripening?
THE GRAPE SCHOOL · LESSON 01
Know the grape. Understand the place.
Eight grapes, eight different ways into Andalusian wine. Choose one to explore where it thrives, what producers do with it and what to look for in the glass.
CHOOSE A GRAPE
WHITE GRAPE · Málaga · Axarquía & coastal vineyards
Moscatel de Alejandría
Where it grows
A signature of the steep, sunlit Axarquía slopes and the wider Málaga coast. Aspect, altitude and an early-enough harvest can preserve freshness in this naturally aromatic grape.
The wines it can make
Dry aromatic whites, textured lees-aged wines and concentrated naturally sweet Moscatel. The same grape can finish bone dry or intensely sweet.
What to notice in the glass
Grape blossom, citrus peel, jasmine and ripe stone fruit; check the palate before deciding whether it is sweet.
A tasting starting point
Aromatic intensity5/5
Perceived freshness3/5
Body / weight3/5
Tannin / grip0/5
Young, dry styles where relevant; cellar choices can change the picture completely.
TRY THIS IN YOUR NEXT TASTING
Smell something sweet? Now taste. Aroma and residual sugar are two completely different things.
THREE THINGS TO ASK ABOUT ANY WINE
Harvest
When were the grapes picked, and what balance of fruit, sugar and acidity was the grower aiming for?
Cellar
Stainless steel, clay, oak, lees, flor or oxidative ageing: which choices are you actually tasting?
01 / 3
Test your palate, not your memory.
Three quick questions. The answers explain the logic rather than just marking right or wrong.
A dry Moscatel smells of ripe grapes and blossom. Does that make it sweet?
THE RESEARCH BEHIND THESE LESSONS