Painting and Wine Come Together in Ronda

Wine tourism continues to gain strength in the Serranía de Ronda, which boasts more than twenty wineries scattered throughout its territory. Visits to the facilities to taste their wines and learn about their production methods have become an integral part of their business and a reason to visit the region.

Given the sector's growth, the range of activities is also expanding to enhance these experiences and make them more than just tasting and learning about wines.

One of the latest proposals was to combine art and gastronomy, painting and wine. This was the plan designed between the Ronda winery Huerto de la Condesa and Art&Wine, a Malaga-based company that combines both in activities that, in addition to offering special leisure moments, also aim to bring art and local products closer to participants.

In this case, the chosen setting was the vineyards of the Huerto de la Condesa winery located in the heart of the Guadalcobacín Valley, one of the most fertile areas of the region.

For one day, the vineyards were filled with canvases, brushes, palettes, and paint accompanied by wine and a tasting of cured meats and cheeses. A plan hard to match.

No Need to Know How to Paint

"Most attendees have not had any contact with painting, and our proposal is to follow a painter step by step to create a painting," explained Raúl Aragon, head of Art&Wine.

"What better way to enjoy a leisure and gastronomic activity in the vineyards, and we were also blessed with good weather," he noted.

An activity where the organizers provide all the necessary materials, including an apron to prevent unwanted accidents. Meanwhile, participants only need to pay a little attention, use their creativity, and do their best to take home a piece of art or a gift for a friend or family member.

All this accompanied by different wines from the winery, carefully explained by its representatives during breaks. In this case, they could taste Pampaneando rosé, Huerto de la Condesa white, and Pampaneando red. Three light and easy-to-drink wines that perfectly matched this moment of socializing among vines already laden with future grape clusters.

An activity meant to destress while sharing varying levels of painting skill, although that's almost beside the point.

"It was a moment of complete disconnection," one of the attendees noted. All while joking about who would be the recipient of the 'works of art' created by following the master. "It's just like the follow-the-chef test they do on Masterchef," another said. But here it's relaxed and without any jury later evaluating the work.

And while Huerto de la Condesa combined painting and wine, the Cortijo Los Aguilares winery is already preparing to offer star gazing nights this summer, led by an astronomer alongside wine tasting.

Recently, another winery, Samsara, also combined gastronomy, wine, and music in another great event. Special activities were also not missing during Christmas with the creation of Christmas sweets and wine tasting at La Melonera.