The Axarquía hills around Vélez-Málaga produce some of Andalusia's most individual wines, and the Muscat of Alexandria grape — grown here since at least the Phoenician era — is the variety that defines the region. The sweet Málaga Muscatel wines from these hills have been famous since antiquity; they were the wines that the Arab traders of the medieval period exported across the Mediterranean despite the Quranic prohibition on alcohol production, and the tradition survived the Reconquista intact.
The vineyards are planted on steep hillside terraces at altitudes between 200 and 700 metres, typically in small family plots that have been handed down for generations. The steep terrain means most harvesting is done by hand, and yields are low, which keeps quality high. Several small bodegas in the villages of the Axarquía — Algarrobo, Sayalonga, Cómpeta — welcome visitors and offer tastings, usually with no reservation required outside August. The drive through the Axarquía is also worthwhile for the landscape alone: white villages on steep hillsides, terraced vineyards, and views to the coast. Cómpeta, about 30 km from Vélez-Málaga by mountain road, holds a wine festival each August that is the best single occasion to taste the range of local Muscat wines.