If you find yourself in southern Spain and want to learn more about sherry, a tour of the bodegas is a must. These are the only wine cellars in the world that can officially produce this fortified wine created from grapes grown in Cadiz province’s Sherry Triangle.
I choose the Gonzalez Byass bodega in Jerez, producer of the famous Tio Pepe sherries. It has guided tours, and as well as touring the various buildings you also get an insight into the history and process of sherry-making. As with other wines, much of this comes down to the grapes and the soil, which is nearly white from the high chalk content. “The chalk retains moisture despite the dry climate here,” my guide explains, crumbling some earth in his hand. “The grapes are not irrigated, so the sea mist and the water in the soil is what gives the grapes their unique flavour.”
Stepping into a bodega, you leave the dry heat of Andalusia behind and the respectful hush of the cellar envelops you. Barrels are stacked in rows, three casks high, as far as the eye can see. Each has white writing on its face – dedications and quotations from famous visitors including royalty, from Harold Lloyd to Steven Spielberg. My favourite: “History, Love, Colour. All inside a bottle of Magic from Jerez.”
As the tour continues we also get a lot of local, and then world, history. Andalusians in this area have been producing wine since the Phoenicians arrived in 1100 BC. During Roman times, wine production became an important part of the local economy, with wine shipped throughout the empire. Sherry quickly became known for one of its most celebrated characteristics, one that endures to this day: sherry is a wine that travels well.
During Moorish times, the town of Jerez was known as al Sherish, which is where the modern-day name for sherry comes from. Despite the Qur’an prohibiting the consumption of alcohol, somehow wine production continued to flourish. The Moors even introduced a distillation process for fortification of the wine that has remained virtually unchanged for 500 years.
After King Alfonso X reclaimed control of the area in the 1200s, the sherry region began large-scale production, exporting bottles around the world during the Middle Ages. Even Shakespeare was a keen drinker. In his own words, “all drinks stand hat-in-hand in the presence of sherry.”
As the tour and history wind to a close, I am ready for the grand finale: the tasting. My guide hands me over to Simon, the sommelier, to explain the various methods of production of each of the sherry-filled glasses before me. They remind me of a painter’s palette, ranging from a pale liquid to a dark, rich caramel.
We start with a fino. It is made from the first press of the Palomino grapes and aged for four years under a protective layer of flor yeast so that the wine never comes into contact with the air. The yeast feeds on the acids and sugars, leaving the wine extremely dry and pale. Simon tells me this sherry goes well with sushi, spicy foods or creamy soups, and is often drunk as a palate cleanser between courses. He is very professional, sipping, swirling and spitting… I am not a professional, and take a good mouthful and swallow it. I think I am expected to wax lyrical about the hint of almond flavour, but for me this is too dry. I soldier on however and finish the glass. Simon is ever the professional and hides any disapproval at my “tasting technique”.
We move on to an amontillado. Like the fino, it is aged for four years under a protective layer but at that point the yeast runs out of nutrients and dies away, exposing the wine to the air. It continues to oxidise and age for another eight years. It is darker than the fino with a dry, nutty flavour and an almost salty aftertaste, which is ideal for rice dishes and white meats, Simon informs me. Bottles are often sold out as soon as that year’s supply is released. I make a note and happily finish the glass.
My third glass is a palo cortado. There’s quite a story behind this one. Once upon a time, barrels were each marked with chalk to record what was inside. One scratch (palo) meant fino. If the yeast died off for some reason, a line was drawn through the scratch (the palo cortado) and rather than being sold, it was given to the workers. The bottles of palo cortado became highly sought after, and about 40 years ago the bodegas started to produce them commercially. The process, however, is a bit like alchemy: each bodega has its own means of producing this sherry. I thoroughly enjoy my glass – it is less dry than the others, and has not just the colour of caramel, but also a hint of the flavour too.
Next comes the oloroso, which loosely translates as “pungent”. Simon explains that the amber colour and fuller body is due to the sherry coming from the second pressing of the grape. It is aged for eight years but without any protective yeast layer, so it takes more flavour from the American oak barrels in which it is stored. There is definitely a taste of oak and spice, and something akin to vanilla about this sherry.
Our penultimate glass is dulce, a sweet sherry, and more reminiscent of what I think of as a classic sherry. Simon explains a complicated method of mixing Palomino grapes (as used in an oloroso) and Pedro Ximenex grapes with the must (the pulp and juice extracted from the grape) from each aged separately for four years, then blended and aged under full oxidation for a further four years. Just like Goldilocks, I find this the most delightful of all the sherries, not too dry and not too sweet.
Finally, there is the icing on any cake, the sweetest nectar of them all, Pedro Ximenez, a dessert wine, sweet, dense and as dark as coffee. These grapes are left on the vine much longer, then dried in the sun for several weeks to concentrate the sugars before they are put through a strong press and aged for at least eight years. The sherry tastes a bit like figs and raisins. Simon tells me this particular sherry has been aged for 30 years, and locals like to pour it over ice cream as a favourite dessert. “You don’t happen to have any ice cream?” I ask hopefully. “No,” says Simon, as he gently guides me to the door…
Planning a tour
The three principal towns of the Sherry Triangle – Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlucar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María – are hidden gems with some of the best beaches and architecture in Europe. Touring the triangle gives you a chance to combine the best of Spain – the sea, sun, flamenco and of course sherry – in a way that will delight all five senses. And if wine tasting isn’t your travel companion’s cup of sherry, there is the possibility of combining the sherry tour with something that does appeal. Check out the website rutadeljerezybrandy.es (Sherry Triangle and Brandy Route), which can help you plan your tour with information including days out, language lessons, and accommodation availability and pricing.
Sherry and art: In Jerez is Bodega Tradicion (bodegastradicion.es), whose rare, single-barrel aged sherries sit beneath a well-presented collection of more than 60 pieces of Spanish art. Works include pieces by Goya, Velazquez, Julio Romero de Torres, El Greco, Francisco de Zurbaran and Pablo Picasso’s series of etchings known as the “Suite Vollard”. Wine tasting tours are available every day in various languages, though the art gallery is not open on Sundays. Tours cost from €30 (US$35) per person.
Sherry and horses: Bodega Sandeman (sandeman.com) provides an ideal opportunity for sherry tasting in the morning, followed by an afternoon getting to know the world-renowned horses of Andalusia. The bodega’s proximity to a nearby equestrian school produces a surprisingly pleasant combination of horse and wine odours. Tours start at €8 (US$9.4) per person for three sherries.
Bodegas Real Tesoro and Valdespino (grupoestevez.es) have a stunning collection of contemporary and modern art, a museum of horse carriages, and a stud farm of rare, blue-black Spanish stallions. Tours start at €10 (US$11.7) per person.
You can stroll over to the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art, with daily performances of dancing stallions, or the Recreo de las Cadenas Palace, where you can visit the Horse and Carriage Museum, the gardens and palaces, training areas, riding arena and stables. Shows with dancing horses (including a museum tour) start at €25 (US$29) per person. You can also book riding lessons. Reservations online via realescuela.org
Personalised tours: For the ultimate experience, have a tour of the area designed specifically for your needs. Cadiz Guia is a specialist tour company that puts together bespoke sherry trips with your own personal guide. He/she will be on hand to answer all your questions, arrange travel, and give tips on tasting and buying sherry. Having a local person show you around provides real insight into the area, with insider knowledge of the best bars to visit and the best prices to pay at the markets. Cadiz Guia offers a tour for two people, visiting three bodegas and including transport, from €250 (US$293); cadizguia.com
Where to stay: Take your bodega visit to the next level by staying at the Hotel Palacio Garvey, a 19th-century neoclassical mansion house and the former home of sherry barons the Garvey family, which has been converted into a 16-bedroom luxury hotel. There is an old bodega connected with the hotel that you can explore. The hotel is in the centre of the old part of Jerez and provides a perfect retreat after a morning exploring the area. Sherry is served on arrival, and the chef in the hotel’s restaurant, La Condesa, serves dishes paired with local sherries. hotelpalaciogarvey.com-cadiz.com
Getting there: Daily flights are available from Madrid to Jerez, or you can travel by train to enjoy the countryside en route. Trains run hourly with return tickets from €79 (US$92). The journey takes three hours and can be booked online at renfe.com
A guide to buying
Sherry is amazingly affordable with a decent bottle starting as low as €5 (US$5.8).
At the other end of the spectrum there are special limited editions. Look out for a bottle of Pio X 1903 from Tio Pepe, made in honour of the Pope at that time: 120 bottles were found in a hidden cellar in 2017, but only 100 were put on the market at €1,300 (US$1,523) per bottle. As the limited productions become harder to find, their value is sure to increase. At the top end of the spectrum are the Versos 1891, a rare blend of 125-year-old Amontillado sherry, which comes from the personal collection of the Barbadillo family. It has a very intense flavour, with prices up to €12,000 (US$14,060) per bottle.
Where to buy sherry in Asia-Pacific
If you can’t get to Spain, you can still treat yourself to a tapas and sherry dinner at: Ham and Sherry, a Spanish tapas bar in Hong Kong (hamandsherry.hk); Niajo Spanish Restaurant in Beijing (niajo.com); or El Willy in Shanghai (elwillygroup.com).
For deliveries throughout Asia you can also order online at yesmywine.com or tintafinawines.com
Wendy Feuell Andersen
