Ask about the Riurau Route at the Teulada tourist office — it’s a walking and driving trail that connects the historic raisin-drying buildings across the area, with information boards explaining the tradition.

The Muscat of Alexandria grape — known locally as moscatel — has been cultivated in the Marina Alta region for hundreds of years. But for most of that history, the grape wasn’t used for wine. It was dried into raisins.

The 19th century was the golden age. Teulada and the surrounding towns became one of Europe’s most important raisin-producing areas, exporting vast quantities through the port of Dénia. The landscape was shaped around this industry: vineyards covered the hillsides, and farmers built riuraus — large, arched open-air structures where the grapes were laid out to dry in the Mediterranean sun. You can still see these beautiful stone buildings throughout Teulada and the surrounding countryside, many now restored as cultural heritage sites.

Then came disaster. Phylloxera — the vine pest that devastated European vineyards — arrived in the early 20th century, destroying much of the crop. Combined with competition from cheaper raisins elsewhere, the industry collapsed. Vineyards were ripped up and replaced with almond and orange trees. For decades, the moscatel tradition seemed to be fading away.

But it didn’t disappear. A handful of cooperatives and small producers kept the tradition alive, shifting from raisin production to winemaking. And in recent years, a new generation of producers has begun reviving Teulada’s wine heritage with fresh energy, organic practices, and a genuine passion for the moscatel grape.

If you walk or drive between Moraira and Teulada, you’ll pass right through the vineyards — a green strip of protected moscatel vines that’s easy to overlook if you don’t know what you’re looking at. In summer the vines are lush and green; after harvest they’re stripped bare. But the roots go deep, and so does the history.

This is where to start. The Bodega Cooperativa in Teulada was established in 1940 and is still going strong — a working cooperative with over 100 local partner farmers who bring their moscatel grapes here each harvest season.

The bodega produces an impressive range: sweet moscatel (the classic), dry white moscatel, moscatel cava, moscatel vermouth, and their famous mistela — a sweet, fortified moscatel wine that’s been made here following traditional methods for generations. Mistela is a Christmas staple in the region, but it’s delicious year-round as a dessert wine or digestif, and a bottle makes a wonderfully authentic gift.

You can visit the bodega, tour the production areas — presses, destemmers, fermentation tanks — and finish with a tasting of four or five wines paired with local cheese and cold meats. Tours are available in English and Spanish. The shop sells everything they produce at bodega prices, which are remarkably reasonable.

It’s an unpretentious, genuinely welcoming place — more working cooperative than polished tourist winery — and that’s exactly what makes it worth visiting. You’re seeing real winemaking, not a performance.

Book tastings in advance online. The bodega is in central Teulada, a 5-minute drive from Moraira.

Montesanco represents the new wave of Teulada winemaking. Originally established with a bodega in Requena (Valencia), they’ve opened a second site in Teulada on a historic estate called Abiar Alta — an old raisin-drying farm whose name comes from the Arabic word for the numerous wells found on the property.

The approach is ecological and biodynamic, working with native grape varieties — moscatel, garnacha blanca, and giró — and respecting the natural environment. The farm is just 10km from the sea, and the winemakers talk about the salinity and minerality that the Mediterranean influence brings to the grapes.

The old riurau and raisin-drying buildings have been carefully restored, maintaining the essence of their origins while creating a beautiful setting for tours and tastings. The estate includes an interpretive walk through Mediterranean forest with a stop at a historic lime kiln, giving context to the landscape beyond just the wine.

Tours and tastings are organised regularly and can be booked in advance. The full gastro-experience includes a vineyard visit, winery tour, and a five-course seasonal menu with wine pairing on their terrace — a genuinely special afternoon.

This is a small operation producing limited quantities, and the wines reflect the care that goes into them. If you’re interested in where Spanish wine is heading — organic, terroir-driven, deeply local — Montesanco is a fascinating stop.

Also based in Teulada, M de Alejandría takes the same moscatel grape and does something different with it. Using innovative production techniques, they’ve created a wine with a distinctive flavour profile that has earned recognition both nationally and internationally.

It’s a small, passionate project — the kind of producer that wine enthusiasts love to discover. The wine is made from the same grape that has grown here for centuries, but the result is unmistakably contemporary. It’s well worth seeking out, and visitors can arrange tastings.

The fact that three quite different producers — the traditional cooperative, the biodynamic newcomer, and the innovative boutique — are all working with the same moscatel grape in the same small town tells you something about the depth and vitality of Teulada’s wine culture.

If a morning at a bodega leaves you wanting more, the Jalón Valley is a 20-minute drive inland and it’s the heart of the wider Marina Alta wine region.

Bodegas Xaló is the main cooperative here, founded in 1962 by 14 local farmers and now one of the most respected producers in the area. Nestled at over 400 metres above sea level with diverse soils, they produce excellent wines from giró, moscatel, and other local varieties. The bodega is a wonderful place to visit — giant barrels inside, award-winning wines on the shelves, and prices that will make you want to fill the boot of your car. Sweet mistela wines, cavas, spirits, olive oils, and raisins are all available at bodega prices.

The valley itself is beautiful — especially in late January and February when the almond trees blossom and the hillsides turn white and pink. The Saturday rastro (flea market) by the river, opposite Bodegas Xaló, is a lively morning out with antiques, collectors’ items, paintings, and bric-a-brac. The village has honey shops, traditional butchers with strings of homemade sausages, and a pretty church square where you can stop for coffee.

Gutiérrez de la Vega, a small family winery in nearby Xàbia (Jávea), is another gem — reviving traditional viticulture using local grape varieties and producing beautifully crafted wines with real character.

You don’t have to visit a bodega to enjoy local wines. Most restaurants in Moraira carry wines from the Marina Alta, and you can ask for local wine by the glass — it’s often the best value on the list.

For buying bottles to enjoy at the apartment, the bodegas themselves offer the best prices. The cooperative in Teulada and Bodegas Xaló in Jalón both have well-stocked shops where you can buy direct. Supermarkets like Pepe la Sal carry a decent local selection, and specialist wine shops in Moraira can point you towards smaller producers.

What to look for: Moscatel de Teulada (sweet or dry white), mistela (sweet fortified — perfect after dinner), wines from the Jalón Valley (particularly giró reds), and local vermouths. The Alicante wine region as a whole is producing increasingly impressive reds, whites, and rosés — ask any restaurant for a recommendation and you’ll rarely be disappointed.

Wine from this area is remarkably affordable. A very good bottle from a local bodega will cost €5–€12. Even the premium wines rarely exceed €20. Coming from regions where a decent bottle starts at three times that, the value is striking.

A note on mistela: if you’ve never tried it, start here. It’s Teulada’s signature drink — sweet, aromatic, fortified, and served cold. It’s traditionally a Christmas drink, but locals enjoy it year-round as a digestif. A bottle from the cooperative makes the most authentically local souvenir you can take home.

BlueView Tip: Keep a bottle of local white in the BlueView fridge for the balcony. A cold moscatel seco with the sunset over El Portet is one of those moments you remember.