Montilla, forty-five minutes south of Córdoba, marks the Montilla-Moriles harvest with grape-treading, a named honorary capataz and bodega tastings across the town every September.
Tip: This runs in Montilla rather than in Córdoba city, so plan it as a day trip with the train or a car.
Córdoba opens more than fifty private courtyards to the street for a fortnight every May, a UNESCO-listed festival with neighbourhood bars pouring Montilla-Moriles beside the geraniums.
Tip: San Basilio wins most of the prizes, so book a table in the barrio weeks before you travel.
The Montilla-Moriles regulating council takes over the Avenida del Alcázar for four days each spring, ten bodegas pouring fino through to Pedro Ximénez with free entry to the ground.
Tip: Entry to the ground is free; you buy a glass and tokens once inside rather than a ticket up front.
Neighbourhood associations raise flower-covered crosses in Córdoba's squares and set up temporary bars beside them, serving local tapas and wine for five days around the turn of May.
Tip: The bars beside the crosses are run by residents' associations, so prices stay well below taberna level.