What a difficult year 2020 has been! The pandemic has been particularly rough in Málaga, with its reliance on tourism. Restaurants, from the simplest to the most sophisticated have felt the impact.
Bodegas Bentomiz, found just off the road that winds up from Sayalonga to Cómpeta, is one. For some 16 years the winery has produced a range of wines of breath-taking quality. Exported to a dozen countries and served in dozens of Michelin star restaurants, they are an accolade to the quality of the local grapes and to the dedication and expertise of the owners, Clara and André.
While Clara has focused primarily on the wine, five years ago the couple expanded the business to fulfil André’s long held dream. They opened a wine-centred restaurant, serving gourmet lunches that complemented their wines, with André becoming a high-level chef. The reaction from press and public was tremendously positive. But quality products impose high costs. How does such a business survive a bolt-from-the-blue, like the pandemic?
“Well, you have to be flexible – there is always something unexpected around the corner. A few years after we started the financial crisis hit. So, you adapt, you look for new options…and you find ways to carry on.”
“Of course, lockdown was difficult: for the business and our staff. We live on site, so at least we were able to tend both the vineyard and the wines ourselves easily. We were also able to offer local clients a bread and wine delivery service – an example of thinking of new options.
“We reopened in June and things were, of course, very quiet. We had to introduce new disinfection procedures, respace the tables, install a hand-gel machine and invest in a new shade to extend seating on the terrace. But we have a loyal client base of people resident within Malaga. They came to buy wine and lunch and celebrate getting out again. Gradually we saw new visitors: Spanish tourists from other regions, second home owners and some holiday makers. We were actually busy in July and August! So when the second wave hit, it was very frustrating.”
“Even so, we have much to celebrate. We couldn’t put wine production on hold – the harvest does not wait – but Clara has come up with something new. I can’t say any more than that at the moment, but let’s just say, there’s something exciting in the tanks.”
“We were presented in October with an award we were told of at the start of the year! The Spanish Association of Wine Writers and Journalists voted our Ariyanas Naturalmente Dulce to be Spain’s best sweet wine in 2019. And the same wine, the Naturalmente Dulce, won the Sabor a Málaga competition as the best sweet muscatel of the region.”
So, in spite of everything, there are still people coming to the restaurant. People who are going out now are keen to do it in style! Clara and André hope for a good December to cap a difficult year and are already planning a wonderful banquet for the festival days. They’ve found the Lobban-Bentomiz wines – two quality sparkling wines – to be especially popular, perhaps because people are ready for a touch of optimism and celebration. That is exactly what Bodegas Bentomiz gives visitors – something to celebrate!”
