Sweet Wines & UNESCO

PX July harvest in Montilla

PX Wines of Montilla-Moriles on path to be recognized by UNESCO

The production of Pedro Ximénez “PX” sweet wines, a tradition of Montilla-Moriles, is on path to be recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

On Thursday, August 31, 2023, Rafael Llamas, Mayor of Montilla, announced the start of proceedings to “confer these wines the recognition they deserve… they give our land identity, are part of our traditions and are an engine of entrepreneurship, creativity, and culture.”

Paseras of Pedro Ximénez grapes drying in the sun

Llamas stated that among the many styles of wine and winemaking methods in the world, those produced in the region are unique and worthy of protection.  

PX is a wine of tradition, quality, and craftsmanship. An artisan product, it is produced by small vintners using age-old methods. The grapes are hand-picked and sun-dried in long rows called paseras, where they are rotated over several days to ensure an even raisining. They are then pressed using woven capacho mats. The result is an intensely concentrated grape must with over 400 grams of natural sugars per liter.  

PX sweet wine and the Pedro Ximénez grape are autochthonous to Montilla-Moriles, an area of roughly 4.400 hectares of vineyards that stretch across the municipalities of Montilla, Montalbán, Montemayor, Puente Genil and Moriles in Córdoba, Spain.

According to UNESCO, an intangible cultural heritage refers to the practices, expressions, knowledge or techniques transmitted from generation to generation and that provide a community with a sense of identity, creativity and well-being.