The initiative, combining heritage, history, music, and enology, aims to promote the centuries-old historical connection between the Alhambra, Granada, and Alcalá la Real. It is part of the commemorative program for the V centenary of the stay of Charles V and Isabella of Portugal in Granada and the Granada International Festival of Music and Dance.
The event will take place next Sunday, coinciding with the concert 'Music for the Imperial Coronation of Charles V,' which will be attended by representatives from Alcalá la Real. The director of the Alhambra Board, Ruiz-Jiménez, emphasized the importance of understanding the monument's historical relationships with its neighbors to "make the Alhambra greater" and highlight the shared intangible heritage with Alcalá la Real and the Fortress of La Mota.
The mayor of Alcalá la Real highlighted the town's historical connection to Granada, documented since the city's conquest in 1492, when the Catholic Monarchs were honored with wines from Alcalá. He recalled the 'Privilege of Wine,' ratified by Charles V in 1526, which granted exclusive entry for these wines into Granada and the Alhambra. The City Council will present the Board with a reproduction of this historical document.
Sunday's tasting will feature two wines from the winery of Marcelino Serrano: a white wine fermented in French oak barrels and an organic red wine from Alcalá la Real, paired with gastronomic products from the brand Sabor Granada. The mayor stressed that the initiative serves as a tribute to the shared history and to Charles V.
The Alcalá la Real chronicler Francisco Toro reviewed the historical significance of wine in the local economy, recalling the privileges granted to the city for selling its wines in Granada and the Alhambra. He also noted the social and economic role of viticulture, citing 17th-century documents on the Moorish population's involvement in specialized winemaking and preservation.
Ruiz-Jiménez underscored the need for a more complex understanding of the Alhambra's history, based on cultural exchange. He pointed out that archaeological and documentary research demonstrates wine consumption during the Nasrid period and highlighted the Alhambra's role as a development engine for Andalusia, fostering synergies for visitors to discover other heritage sites like the Fortaleza de la Mota.
