Teulada-Moraira celebrates grape harvest tradition with the Festa del Moscatell

On Saturday, August 29, the Costa Blanca municipality of Teulada-Moraira will transform into a vibrant hub of agricultural pride as it hosts the annual Festa del Moscatell, a celebrated and long-awaited festival rooted in more than four decades of local heritage. This festival pays tribute to the region’s cherished Moscatel grape, a sweet, aromatic crop that has defined the agricultural identity, gastronomy, and landscape of the Marina Alta region for centuries.

A four-decade celebration of local agricultural identity

First established in the early 1980s by the Associació Cultural Amics de Teulada, the festival has grown from a small local gathering into a widespread community collaboration involving civic associations and the Teulada-Moraira Town Hall. This event serves as both a cultural and social gathering and a lively harvest celebration, bringing residents and summer visitors together to experience time-honoured rural customs firsthand throughout the streets of Teulada-Moraira.

Traditional grape treading, workshops, and street performances in Teulada-Moraira

A major highlight of Saturday’s gathering will be the traditional grape treading, or pisa de la uva, where participants tread freshly harvested grapes in wooden tubs to demonstrate authentic winemaking techniques passed down through generations. Alongside this spectator favourite, hands-on workshops showcase traditional agricultural tasks, including grape sorting, basket weaving, and the historic process of producing raisins. Visitors will be able to sample freshly picked Moscatel table grapes, locally produced wines, and Mistela, a celebrated sweet liqueur crafted from the grape’s concentrated juice. The streets will fill with the sounds of traditional Valencian folk music, live band performances, and regional dances performed in historic attire. In the days leading up to Saturday’s main street festivities, the municipality will also host Curts de Moscatell, an acclaimed short-film festival that bridges local viticulture with regional audiovisual talent.

Preserving historic viticulture alongside modern tourism

The Festa del Moscatell will play a crucial role in supporting local farmers and preserving Teulada-Moraira’s historic vineyard landscape, characterised by stone-terraced fields and historic rituals specifically for drying grapes. Showcasing the versatility of the Moscatel crop, the festival ensures that the municipality’s unique agricultural roots and traditions remain alive, alongside its modern tourism appeal.