Flamenco dancers on the move at the Jerez Horse Fair, or Feria del Caballo.
The city of Jerez de la Frontera is at the heart of the Jerez-Xérès-Sherry DO that shares its name. This is one the oldest wine-producing regions in Spain, thought to have been established by the Phoenicians more than 3,000 years ago.
The old part of the city is built around the medieval Moorish fortress of the Alcázar and the 17th-century Christian cathedral. But the region’s distinctive architecture owes much to another kind of cathedral: the old bodegas or ‘Sherry cathedrals’, typically built during the zenith of the Sherry industry in the 19th century.
Jerez is also famous for its Feria del Caballo (which took place on 4-11 May this year), a traditional spring fair that reflects the city’s twin obsessions: wine and horses. Flamenco is also part of the local culture – there is an annual festival fortnight in February-March and it also features heavily in the Tío Pepe cultural summer festival.
The Fiestas de la Vendimia, or harvest festival, takes place over two weeks in early September. The festival program offers a range of wine and cultural activities, including grape treading, wine tasting, masterclasses, exhibitions and bodega tours.
Tabancos – old wine and tobacco shops, converted into small bars – are an important part of social life in the city. Some, like well-known El Pasaje and El Guitarrón de San Pedro, include live flamenco, while others, such as Las Bandarillas and Plateros, are lively spots for traditional tapas and, of course, Sherry wines.
Bodega visits
The art gallery at Bodegas Tradición
Be sure to book your winery visits in advance. Some of the region’s biggest players are centrally located in Jerez de la Frontera, including Lustau, González Byass and the increasingly popular Bodegas Tradición with its impressive private art collection and splendid range of long-aged VOS and VORS Sherries.
Other, lesser-known bodegas are also ripe for discovery and these hold their own treasures. Norwegian Jan Pettersen realised a long-held dream when he acquired the prestigious Fernando de Castilla bodega in 1999. The producer’s Antique range is sublime, and each year the spring bottling of fino en rama (drawn directly from cask, bottled unfined and unfiltered) is not to be missed. Small group visits can be arranged, Monday to Friday by appointment.
Bodegas Faustino González is a family affair. In 1972, the late Faustino González Aparicio (a doctor) purchased soleras dating back to 1789 from the Alcázar of Jerez, adding them to the bodega owned by his wife Carmen; today their 12 children are all partners in the business, with son Jaime González at the helm and two others actively involved. All of their artisan Sherries are bottled en rama. Visits are available by appointment.
Ximénez Spínola produces wines exclusively using Pedro Ximénez, with an impressive range that includes still wines and dry Sherry, as well as the intensely sweet style typical of PX. Wines are typically made in small, limited-edition batches. Visits are available Monday to Friday, by appointment.
Day trips
The Cellars at Osborne. Credit: Martinez Studio / Shutterstock
The region’s two other key traditional centres of production, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María, are also two of the easiest day trips by public transport from Jerez de la Frontera. Seafood, beaches, charming old towns and (more) Sherry are all just a short train or bus ride away. Sanlúcar de Barrameda is situated on the estuary of the Guadalquivir river, northwest of Jerez. The humid, maritime microclimate here results in a thicker layer of flor – the yeast cells that settle on top of the wine in a barrel and protect it from contact with air – integral to the refreshing and delicate style of manzanilla wines.
Bodegas worth a visit include stellar names such as Barbadillo, Hidalgo La Gitana and Delgado Zuleta. Other highlights include Bodegas…
Source : https://www.decanter.com/magazine/exploring-sherry-country-534709/
