The tiny winery and eatery in the Serranía de Ronda that's captivating tourists from around the world

In Benalauría, a pretty white mountain village in the Serranía de Ronda's Genal valley, a local guide prepares dinners and lunches for very small groups of visitors where you know when it all starts, but not when it ends. Here, it's a different way of understanding tourism. With real experiences and no pretence. Pepe Verdugo had long been clear about what he wanted to achieve here. Any other business model would not make sense in Benalauría, a prosperous but small village in the Genal Valley, in the Serranía de Ronda.

This is the proposal that Pepe has designed for very small groups, through his tourism company Benalauguía and his winery (bodega) called '28 Metros Cuadrados' (the space it occupies amounts to 28 square metres), which he boasts is "the smallest in the world." He jokes that, "If there are more than six guests, I break out in a rash." Through specialised travel experience agencies, Americans, Canadians and even Australians come here looking for an authentic gastronomic and tourist experience. "Many come from Granada, Seville, Ronda or even the Costa del Sol," says the owner of Benalauguía. "Sometimes I've only served one or two guests," he says.

The alleyway is actually a dead end - it ends right at the door of the bodega - with decor and signs that betray the authenticity of this tourist package. Pepe serves the clients himself, providing them with lunch or dinner, "where the menu is non-negotiable". This is key for him. "It's as if you say, 'Come, sit down and trust me'," he explains. Those looking for authenticity are not usually disappointed, because Pepe Verdugo only works with local products, such as meats or vegetables from the surrounding area, with local recipes that he himself has learnt in the village. "I had no idea how to prepare pork loin cooked in lard", he says. He is also influenced by his Cadiz origins and sneaks in the occasional dish inherited from his mother.

Pepe brings out dishes that he's cooked in one of the adjoining dwellings set up for this purpose. He sits down from time to time to chat with his guests. The conversation flows both ways. They ask questions and share their opinions, but so does he. He is a host who can speak volumes about Benalauría and the Serranía de Ronda and the tourists that come here are motivated and curious visitors. Here, you know when the meal starts, but not when it might end. "They stay here for hours and hours, it doesn't bother me, in fact, sometimes it's as if I were just another customer," says Pepe.

After extensive experience working at the restaurant La Molienda, just a few metres away, Pepe began slowly cooking up a gastronomic tourism proposal that revolves around what he calls "the Mediterranean trilogy", that is, olive oil, bread and wine. "We start by visiting the ethnographic museum, which used to be the Calleja Mill, then we go to the Hermanos Guerrero workshop, where the tourists get to make bread and we end up in the alley where I have the winery", says this local guide, with family roots in San Fernando (Cadiz).

Now in the summer, when the sun also bears down heavily in Benalauría, Pepe Verdugo has devised another way to enjoy this alleyway: 'Noches al fresco' (cool nights). These are evenings that follow the same philosophy he's always pushed for, with small groups, gatherings over a glass of wine and dishes from the most popular recipes. For these nocturnal events, the profile is more national, as small groups from tourist agencies tend to only come during the day. "Many people who are spending their summer break in the local villages call me to come for dinner", he says.

An important part of what Benalauguía offers today is related to the aforementioned bodega. It has only been in production for three years, with two reds, one Garnacha and one Tempranillo, and a dry white Muscat, but it is one of the elements around which Pepe's gastronomic experiences revolve. For the reds, he buys grapes from nearby vineyards, while for the white, he sources them from an organic farmer in Manilva. What was once a stable is now the place where the grapes arrive and are turned into wine. It is also stored and bottled right there. For good reason, as Pepe says, it's "the smallest winery in the world" since, as its brand name states, the premises it occupies amounts to just 28 square metres. This is enough to produce and store just over 3,000 bottles per season.

With all this, the Benalauguía experience within this alley has become an original proposal that captivates tourists from other continents, who are also surprised by domestic life in such a village in the Serranía de Ronda. "Couples have come with their children and, in the afternoon, while we were still here talking, they took off to the local children's extracurricular English activities", says this multi-talented tour guide.

Pepe Verdugo could not have done all this alone. He is the first to mention names such as Alfredo Carrasco, Carlos Guerrero, Sonia Sedeño, Julio Mures, Manuel Gutiérrez and José Mena, who, in one way or another, do their best to ensure that a visit to the Genal valley remains an authentic experience, one that ignores large groups of tourists and gimmicks.