Contraviesa, La Alpujarra is a little bit of a geographical contradiction, actually lying in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, between the mountains and the Mediterranean sea on the Costa Tropical. A little further inland – and upland! - from the beaches and concentrated vegetable production of the coast, the area boasts the highest vinyards in Spain – where the clear mountain air produces some of the best grapes in the world…and the Golden Nose? Well, read on….!
Female ones are the best!
This week the Spanish newspapers were full of the news that the Nariz De Oro, or the Golden Nose award for wine tasting went to a lady from Catalunya by the name of Montse Velasco, a 33 yr old sommelier who beat the competition to the title by identifying a number of dark wine glasses by smell alone – no tasting allowed. That takes the fun out of the job I would say but have to admit she must know her stuff to correctly identify all of the wines in the competition, well done to her.
She said: I like to try out small wineries and less well-known brands. I tend to prefer national production with an international flair.
That sounds like good advice to me, and so taking it I would like to introduce you to the wines of our region here from the Contraviesa, and in particular from my own Andalucian village, Murtas, produced locally – and drunk very locally and internationally!
I am supposed to be picking, not eating!
Up and away
Only half an hour from the coast, a little longer if it’s your first time to negotiate the winding roads and steep sheer drops either side, and you don’t drive like Alonso. A dizzy 1508 metres above sea level and you will have reached your destination, take a moment to smell the clear air – some of the cleanest air in Europe – and up pop your ears or be sick! It’s just the sudden altitude and will pass after a minute or two, honest.
On the road to Murtas, about 4 kms before the actual village you will come to a bodega on the left called Cuatro Vientos, or the Four Winds. Sitting comfortably amongst rolling vineyards and open fields of mountainside Almond and Fig trees, I can think of a few worse places to stop and rest. Views to the year round snow capped Sierra Nevada Mountains and down to the glistening Mediterranean sea on the other side. On a clear day, this is actually the best local spot to view the Rif Mountains of Africa, our closest neighbour.
Far from the Madding Costas! Winding roads...
What’s inside?
There’s a friendly bar/restaurant right on the roadside, also cheese, sausage, and local meringues (specialty of Murtas) available to buy as well as the wine.
At weekends go further up the drive to the new larger bar/restaurant, renovated to the highest standard and always busy. Sundays are the best day where you’ll find me reading the paper and enjoying a glass of Syrah with the family – a full Menu is available and there’s an excellent choice of dishes, but be warned, this is meat country so vegetarians might go a little hungry if fish is also out of the question for them. For a quick lunch if you don’t want the whole hog – and they do serve whole hog! – what about a platter of local cheese or mixed cured sausage? (The cheese factory is just up the road another 2 kms.)
Harvesting the Cabernet Sauvignon
Ask the host
If the owner of Cuatro Vientos is there, he will be more than happy to take you down below the bar to the stunning large bodega, where oak barrels abound and enormous racks of wine is stored for local business people. He will take you around the sand covered traditional bodega and pour you wine to sample – he likes to talk!
Just a sample of the many wines available here
What varieties?
The different types are:
- Viririega – A fresh white wine, ideal summer drinking.
- Rosado – another summer winner, from Syrah and Tempranillo grapes
- Garnacha – Made from Garnacha and Tempranillo grapes and awarded the Mezquita de Bronce award 2007
- Cabernet Sauvignon – Aged for 5 months in American Oak and the winner of the Mezquita de Plata in 2006 and 2007
- Syrah – Aged for 5 months in American Oak and my favourite – ah go then, just a small one.
- Barrica – From the Tempranillo, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes and the winner of the prestigious Mezquita de Oro in 2006.
Also a new addition this year sees the Cava from the same label – as yet untried by me but it is languishing in my fridge! A gift from a client this week – maybe I’ll pop it this weekend….why not?!
The closest village - Murtas
Stay awhile
So whether you come up for the afternoon as an alternative day out from your holiday on the coast, or for a weekend or longer, please enjoy this special region and all that it has to offer. Have a look at some Granada, Alpujarras accommodation for rent here – the mountains have a lot to entertain you including winter sports, long country walks, wild flowers and our own traditional music indigenous to the area Trovo. But that’ s all for another day!
Kids treading the grapes - traditional style
Enjoy the pictures, some were taken at our village festival where the kids dressed up to pound the grapes to the background of the local musicians.
