Wine from a two-hectare Manilva farmyard now proudly carries its own Denominacion de Origin mark/quality seal of approval. It has found its place on the menu of one of the best restaurants in the world.

Nilva’s dry, fruity wine made a big impression on the eight-Michelin-starred chef, Martin Berasategui, who personally selected it for his list only months after the vineyard opened in 2015. But that was just the start of the meteoric rise to fame of Manilva’s very own tipple, which now is the proud bearer of of its own Denominacion de Origen mark, which recognises Spain’s finest wine producers.

“A lot has changed in such a short space of time,” said Argimiro Martínez Moreno, the man at the forefront of Manilva’s exciting new project. “In this initial phase the most important thing has been to create a wine of maximum quality to frame Manilva as a high quality producer.

“We have taken a big step by being added to the DOG of the Sierras de Malaga, which certifies the quality of our wine. “We are also in the process of being included under the ‘Sabor a Malaga’ umbrella, a project that selects the best quality products in the province.

“We have also won this year’s Luxury Travel Guide’s prize for best culinary experience of 2017.”

The string of enviable achievements is testament to the passion of Martinez, who developed the two hectare Peñoncillo vineyard and town centre wine museum and bodega to re-establish Manilva’s historic wine industry.

Wine connoisseurs now flock to the village to sample the juice of his muscatel grapes at the bodega and take advantage of vineyard tours. Martinez has many more aims this year for his wine, which is poured into only 2,250 bottles.

“We think we have an advantage due to being the first wine on the market from the Costa del Sol,” said Martinez. “We are continuing to expand our points of sale and our big aim is to get it into the most prestigious restaurants in the region.”