OPI Malaga Wine Review + Swatches
Published 2026-02-03. This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you make a purchase at no extra cost to you. This shade was generously gifted as PR by Beyond Polish, but all opinions and other products are my own.
After swatching many, many burgundy nail colors for this blog, I’ve found some favorites and Malaga Wine is one of them. It’s a burgundy color I think about when I need something trustworthy, reliable and deep red.
You can pronounce it Mala-ga, mal-uh-guh, or Ma-Laa-ga, I’ve heard it all these ways.
Though, I usually choose the Spanish way (annunciating the first syllable), as technically, it is a Spanish word that refers to a muscat dessert wine produced in Málaga, Spain.
It is also the name of the grape varietal used to make the wine. The wine region is known for its sweet wines and also for its raisins.
The deep red nail shade that it's named after is one of the most popular shades from OPI and it is also one of their oldest colors from their first year in business, 1989.
On the blog, Malaga Wine is one of the most popular colors year round and it’s my honor today to share it with you in the GelColor formula.
One of the best parts of OPI nail systems, is you can usually get the color you like in multiple of their formula lines.
I like this because you can fall in love with a shade, then make it work for a variety of preferences and applications.
I’ve worn it in standard lacquer and now, I’m trying it in GelColor, which you do need a UV lamp to use, cure and dry.
You can wear this shade in either 2 or 3 coats depending on how intense you like the color and in this post, you’ll see it in 3, simply because I wanted to see how the richness and depth of color built up with 1 more coat.
I took these photos all on one sunny day indoors.
Some of them are in direct full sun, some are in indirect sunlight and others are in indirect sunlight with studio lighting, just so you could get an idea of how it could look in sun, shade or inside.
I finished the gel manicure with a single swipe of 95% isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free wipe over every nail, and cuticle oil.
What I loved about the OPI GelColor version of Malaga Wine especially was the formula’s texture, along with it being HEMA and TPO free.
It was thick enough to get it to stay where you wanted and not drip into your cuticles, and thin enough to lay smoothly on the nail with little to no effort.
This burgundy gel manicure was quick and easy - just how I like it.
To end, if you’re looking for a time-tested burgundy to fall in love with, Malaga Wine is it.
It’s been on OPI’s roster for 45 years this year and it’s available in a variety of formula types - allowing you the freedom to branch out and try new things while still enjoying the best burgundy from this brand.
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