Festival: Noche del Vino (Cómpeta) When: August 15th

We talk a lot about olives, but we have to give some respect to our cousin: the grape.

Just before the olive season kicks into gear, our neighbours in Cómpeta are celebrating the Noche del Vino (Night of the Wine). And they do it the old way.

They don't hide the process in a factory. They set up a wooden press in the middle of the plaza. Men and women roll up their trousers, climb in, and stomp the grapes to music.

It is a chaotic, sticky, joyful mess. The plaza smells like crushed fruit and fermentation.

This is what we mean when we say "Unblended." Food production isn't meant to be sterile. It involves dirt, sweat, and physical contact with the fruit. Whether you are shaking an olive tree or stomping a grape, the best flavor comes from hard work.

So, while we wait for our olives to ripen, we raise a glass of sweet Muscat wine to the people of Cómpeta.

The Pairing: A glass of sweet Malaga wine and a slice of bread with Pedro Intenso and salt. Sweet meets savory.

https://malagahills.com/the-competa-wine-festival-noche-del-vino-august-15/