Sherry wine tour to Jerez de la Frontera from Seville Day 1 Jerez de la Frontera The distinctive wine in Jerez has been exported for centuries, it was even praised by Shakespeare. It is distinctive because the strong sun gives the grapes a high sugar content. British merchants have been involved in the wine trade here for centuries, producing and shipping a fortified wine known as sherry. Meet your Private English-Speaking Driver and Guide in your accommodation in Sevilla. Drive to Jerez de la frontera (90km approx) and enjoy two a visit and tasting in sherry wineries. To complete teh day we have prepared for you a guided stroll around the city centre of jerez adn a Tapas Lunch. Return to Seville at 1630 aproximately Sherry Wineries visited depending on availability: Tio Pepe winery , Alvaro Domecq , Bodegas Terry , Bodegas Osborne - Inclusions - Private transportation during the whole journey.

English speaker driver Guided visit at two wineries and wine tasting Tapas lunch including wine The wine tour does not include Tips or personal expenses Any concept not included in the previous itinerary Notes and cancellation Policy Jerez Wines and Sherry, The city of Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz province, Andalucia, Spain Jerez de la Frontera - Jerez Wines Sherry from Jerez de la Frontera. Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlucar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María form a triangle of generous land where the vine has reigned from time immemorial. Some of the earth's most singular wines are produced here. By Denyse Lamprière Around 1830, the González Byass company was established in Jerez by Manuel María González Angel who had an uncle who lived in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Unlike Jerez, where sweet wines were preferred at the time, the inhabitants of this village liked their wine very pale and very dry.

So when this man came to visit his nephew, he brought along with him a few casks of his favourite beverage, soon nicknamed "Uncle Joseph's wine" which in Spanish translates as "Tio Pepe's wine". Very soon this wine was to become famous all over Jerez and, in time, would achieve universal recognition. At the time, Manuel María González was one of the few Jerez wine merchants born in the region. Rising demand, particularly from Britain, and a recent edict allowing free introduction of foreign capital to the area had attracted names like Domecq, Osborne, Gordon or Terry from all over Europe. Many families had also come from the north of Spain. These merchants not only sold wine, they also produced it. In Jerez, everything is deeply related to the land and the exceptional type of soil essential for the delicacy and personality of the vintages. Its name is albariza, a very white chalky marl which forms a hard crust in summer beneath which moisture is trapped. The area is fortunate to receive rain when it is needed the most, in the autumn after the dry summer months and during the spring just before flowering time.

This means that the region is almost a paradise for vines which have names as beautiful as Palomino and Pedro Ximènez. The Palomino grape is white and its origin dates back to the Phoenician era. It is the mother of all Jerez wines. When pressed, it provides a must with a lively fermentation with all sugars transformed into alcohol. The result is that Jerez wines are naturally dry. The exceptional smoothness of some of them is due to a strong natural content of glycerol. Sweet Jerez wines, often called "cream" or amoroso, all have a strong base of Palomino and owe their sweetness and their aromas of chocolate, spices or candied fruit, to a proportion of Pedro Ximènez. Before being pressed, these grapes are exposed to sunlight until they achieve almost the consistency of raisins, thus resulting in a rich sugaróconcentrated nectar. The elaboration of the pale dry sherry, called vino fino in Spain, also contains a considerable part of mystery. Some time after the first fermentation, at the beginning of winter, the wine suddenly becomes clear and bright.

It is then transferred to oak casks where it starts to define its personality in a very original and singular way. A veil of yeast, the flor, starts to build up spontaneously on its surface, becoming thicker in spring and autumn. As the contents of each cask develops on its own, they are classified according to the vigour of the flor and then alcohol is added up to 155, the level at which yeast keeps on developing. If the flor in some casks is not sufficiently active, it is caused to disappear by adding alcohol up to 18. Then it is allowed to mature softly until it becomes an oloroso full of aroma. Great wines not only mature in Jerez, but are also nurtured. This is done by adding a certain quantity of younger wine to a specific already mature wine. This is known as the solera system. Let us imagine four rows of casks placed on top of each other. The row containing the oldest wine is called solera (located on the ground). To meet an order, a small quantity (never more than a third) is extracted from this row and bottled. This is substituted by an equivalent quantity taken from the row immediately above the first criadera.

The process continues until the last row is filled with the current wine. The young wine progressively takes on the characteristics of the older wine until, after a few months, the content is exactly identical to what it was before the transfer. In Jerez there are no good or bad years, but wines which, within their type, are uniformly similar in taste, aroma and colour while quality is absolutely constant in time. Very good reasons for achieving international recognition. Enjoyed before or after a meal, very dry or very sweet, served with shrimps or with ice cream, Jerez wines need very gradual first contacts to be savoured to the full. Give them patience and tranquillity. They will give it back to you a hundredfold. Sherry - Fine more information about Sherry in our Gastronomy section. Useful Links Jerez - Serry Wine, one of the world's oldest wines Sherry Early History Modern Sherry Sherry History (Part.

I) Sherry is actually one of the world's oldest wines and has a long history in the area known as the sherry triangle in the South of Spain which is marked by Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and El Puerto de Santa María in the region of Cádiz. Over the centuries, the drink has been influenced and helped by a number of different civilizations and cultures from the Phoenicians to the British. Early History and Roman Spain The Canaanite tribe of the Phoenician civilization founded the city of Cádiz sometime during the 10th and 9th centuries B.C. At the time the city was used as a handy trading post. It is believed that these people brought grape vines to the area as well as the knowledge of how to produce wine from the grapes from the Middle East. The Phoenicians were followed by the Ancient Greeks who brought knowledge of how to make another product from the grapes: arrope. Arrope is a dark coloured syrup that is made from grape juice and is often used to sweeten wine.

This meant that by the time the Romans conquered the area in around 200 B.C., the region of Cádiz already had a long history in the cultivation of vines as well as strong winemaking industry. Under 3 centuries of Roman rule, the wine industry developed and soon the wines from the Spanish region were being consumed across the Roman Empire. At this time it was known 'Ceretanum' which means 'wine from Ceret', the early name for the drink which we now know as Sherry. The drink was first recorded by the Roman poet, Martial, who said that the drink was popular amongst the upper circles of Romans. It was also during Roman times that the process of boiling grape must to produce a sweet syrup and then using it to sweeten wines became very popular in the region of Cádiz. Moorish Occupation of Spain After the fall of the Roman Empire, the South of Spain (as well as much of the rest of the country) came under the rule of the Moors who were from the North of Africa who had decided to travel to Cádiz and the rest of the country in the 8th century.

Although the consumption of alcohol was prohibited under Moorish rule, the production of wine was not. Wine was therefore a useful trading commodity which was sold to nearby non-Muslim countries. The Moors brought a lot of technology to the country; however they also introduced the distillation process which helped the creation and development of a number of Spanish drinks, including a crude grape liquor which was the ancestor of the technique of adding Brandy to Sherry. The Romans had called the town 'Ceret' but the Moors changed this to 'Sherish'. This would later evolve into the name we know today, Jerez de la Frontera, so named because it became the frontier town between the Spain ruled by Christians and the remnants of the Kingdom of the Moors in the 13th century. The Moors were eventually expelled from Jerez in 1231 and Cádiz in 1262 during the reclamation process known as the Reconquista . Age of Exploration During the 'Age of Exploration' for the Spanish, many voyages to the New World and the Americas set out from the ports of Cádiz and Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

This meant that many ships were stocked up with supplies from the region, including a lot of the local wine. It is believed that Christopher Columbus took sherry with him on his various trips to the Americas. This would therefore mean that Sherry would have been the first wine to reach the New World. Another Spanish explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, spent more on the wine for his ocean voyage than the weapons for both the ship and its crew. At the beginning of the 15th century, the world wine market suffered several changes which had a beneficial effect for Spanish wine. Firstly, traders lost their supply of sweet wine from places like Cyprus, Romania, Greece and Hungary due to the expansion of the Ottoman Empire. After the war with France, England no longer had access to wines from the region of Bordeaux. The wine market was ready for the taking, and the Spanish Duke of Medina Sidonia ensured that he pushed Sherry into the spotlight. Export tax on wine travelling on Spanish and foreign ships was abolished and then merchants from England were given preferential status, also allowing them to bear weapons when they came to visit Spain for trade. Spanish sherry became extremely popular in Spain up until the point when the relations between England and Spain began to worsen.

Henry VIII divorced from his Spanish wife, Catherine of Aragon which led to the Reformation in England. English merchants were therefore kept under scrutiny by the Spanish Inquisition, and many who had been living in Spain, fled the country. At the end of the 15th century, King Philip of Spain ordered the invasion of England and then began to build a collection of ships which would become the Spanish Armada. However, many of these ships were set on fire by Sir Francis Drake in 1587 when he captured the port of Cádiz. He also stole a large quantity of Spanish sherry and took it back to England. Sherry, which was often called 'sherry sack' or just 'sack', remained very popular in England, and was even immortalised by the famous playwright, William Shakespeare, in his play Henry IV, part 2 . Jerez history of sherry wine, Jerez, Spain History of Sherry Wine Jerez Cadiz, Spain tourist guide Jerez wine history The Origins of Sherry Wine The most ancient mention of Sherry comes from a Greek geographer of the first century B:C:.He wrote that the first vines were brought by the Phoenicians in 1100 B.C..

Twon winepresses have recently been discovered in Phoenician site dated of the four century B.C., at just 4km from Jerez in Castillo de Doa Blanca. This confirms that the people which founded Cdiz (Gades) brought the knowledge of growing vines and making wines from the far-off lands of Lebanon. Xera ,that was the Phoenician name for the region of Jerez, produced wine and exported it to the Mediterranean Basin and especially to Rome. SHERIS During the Moorish occupation of Spain (starting in 711 AD), in Jerez, that last over 5 centuries, they established a wine-producing centre in spite of the Koran's prohibition. The production of raisins and the distilling of alcohol for medical purposes were to a certain extent, excuses for keeping the wine production. But it was the Caliph Al-Haken II, that ordered the grubbing-up of the vineyards on the religious grounds in Jerez, (1/3 of the vineyard in total) Wine after the "Reconquista" The conquest of the city of Jerez by Alfonso X in 1264 brought a big change for the wines of Jerez.

The king Alfonso himself had vineyards in Jerez and he was personally interested in their care. In the following centuries after the Reconquest from the Moors, Xeres along with other towns around marked the limits of the Kingdom of Castile and thus received the name "Jerez de la Frontera". In that period and even in the 12th century, the sherry wines were exported to England where there were very well appreciated becoming very popular when Henry I, proposed an agreement to the "Jerezanos"(the people from Jerez) :English wool for Sherry wine. From then, the vineyards and the wine industrie became one of the most important source of wealth for the kingdom that Enrique III of Castile prohibited by Royal Order the grubbing up of even a single vine. The increasing demand for sherry wines by English, Flemish and French merchants make that the city's government proclaimed the first rules concerning of the sherry Denomination of Origin to regulate harvest, ageing system and commercial procedures. The Modern Age New markets were opened together with the discovery of America. Trade with the Indies transformed the small family business into a big industrial operations.

We can imagine the popularity of sherry in the old times from the works of William Shakespeare, who with his friend Ben Johnson at the Bear's Tavern used to drink few bottles every day.The Bard refers to it frequently in many of his plays ; Richard II, A Mindsummer Night's Dream, etc. In the 19th century the sherry wines were very different from the wines that we recognise as Sherry now. The rules of the Vintners' Guild did not allow to store the wines of different vintages, so the wines exported were always very young wines highly fortified to preserve them during their long voyage. Jerez Tourist Guide 1000+ images about Jerez sherry country! on Pinterest | Europe, Wine lover and Flamenco A tradition form the South of Spain. Put a 'tapa' of "jamón ibérico" on top of your sherry cup.../Una tradición del sur de España. Tapar tu vino de Jerez con una "tapita" de jamón de Ibérico...

See More La Tienda.com Reference - The Regions of Spain - Jerez de la Frontera Jerez de la Frontera - by Don Harris Jerez de la Frontera is an elegant town just about midway on the autopista between the glorious Sevilla of flowers and fountains, and the ancient port of Cádiz, the oldest city in Europe, with its labyrinth of streets and wonderful seafood. Jerez has a charm all its own with plazas lined with orange trees and the rich aroma of the many sherry bodegas wafting through the evening air. Also in Jerez are the stables of the celebrated Royal Andalucían School of Equestrian Art, home of the Pura Raza Espanola - Andalusian horses. Perhaps the finest time to visit this delightful region is late April and early May. Jerez celebrates a meaningful Semana Santa with processions that are more for the townspeople than tourists. The world-renowned processions are held in Sevilla, just a half an hour away.

Soon thereafter in early May the notable families of Jerez participate in the Feria de los Caballos - a wonderful experience of handsome horse drawn carriages, striking Andalucían horses, and equally lovely Andalucían ladies riding side saddle next to their handsome caballeros. At the feria there is racing as well as dressage and carriage competitions. Jerez is noted for its vineyards as well, which produce sherry and artisan-aged vinegar. Continuity is maintained using the solera aging system by which wines of identical types are kept in groups of casks in ascending grades. The "blender" draws off wine from the oldest stock, replacing it with a similar amount of wine from the second oldest cask and so on so that the wine moves on progressively. Sherry 2017 Wine Style Awards - The Best Wines Of The Year View all winners Sherry So you can learn about the essence of how the different fortified wines are made and the main styles, we’ve assembled this guide for you. - Click on a wine below to learn more about a specific style.

Port Sherry Origin and History Fortified wines of Sherry (also known as Jerez in Spanish or Xérès in French) originate from the Andalucía region at the extreme South of Spain , near the town of Jerez de la Frontera. The area has unique and characteristic soils with an extremely fine and dry chalky texture, providing wines with a typical finesse and salinity (a slightly salty, iodine taste). The wine growing tradition in the Jerez region is one of the oldest in Europe and dates back to the Phoenicians around 1100BC. Viticulture in the area was carried on across millennia by the Romans, the Arabs, and eventually the Spanish after they reconquered the region. The legend says that Sherry wine was brought to America by Christopher Columbus on his voyage. Sherry became particularly popular in the United Kingdom during the 17th Century and has since gained great international acclaim. Winemaking Sherry wine is made using a very particular aging process. Once the white wines are fermented (Sherry is only made as white), they are transferred into barrels stacked up one on top of the other in what's called a Solera system.

The casks are not entirely filled with wine to allow contact with oxygen. A veil of yeasts develops at the surface of the wine, forming what's called the Flor (Spanish for Flower). This flor prevents the wine from turning into vinegar and provides the beverage with characteristic flavors of green apple, nuts, and spices. Wine is progressively transferred from the top of the Solera system to lower casks. Wine is constantly blended to older wine with a complex mechanism that allows refined and progressive aging. Depending on the style, the time spent under the flor veil varies. To stop the development of the flor, wines are fortified either to 15% or 17% ABV. Sweetness also varies depending on the style. See the styles section below. Grape Varieties The main grape variety used in Jerez, and the only component of most styles, is Palomino Fino . It is a white grape with a rather neutral aromatic expression that retains good acidity despite the local hot climate, and is drought resistant. The Pedro Ximenez grape variety is used to make the sweet wines named after it, and sometimes as sweetening agent for the Cream styles.

Styles The complex aging and blending system that takes place in the Solera's casks gives birth to a great variety of styles that are not always easy to understand for the non-aficionados. So here are a few guidelines. The styles of Sherry are broadly divided into two categories: The biologically aged ones, matured under a layer of flor yeasts The oxidatively aged ones left in direct contact with air in absence of flor (Oloroso) Fino is a dry style of Sherry that is exclusively aged under the flor, which gives it a lighter style and paler color than other types. It is also lighter because fortified to 15% ABV only. Manzanilla is the same style as Fino but produced and matured around the coastal town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda. This location, closer to the sea, provides milder (less hot) aging conditions which results in a slightly subtler expression than Fino, often a touch saltier too. Oloroso is the strongest style aromatically, as it is made with wine exclusively aged oxidatively in absence of flor. This gives it more intense flavors and color.

It is fortified to 17% or 18% alcohol but with the natural evaporation during aging, the final alcohol strength can reach 20-24 degrees. Although naturally dry because of the alcohol content, Oloroso can feel a little sweet. Amontillado and Palo Cortado are intermediary styles, first aged under flor before knowing an oxidative aging. Both styles are dry and fortified to 17-18% ABV. Cream and Dulce sherries are sweetened styles that can vary greatly in quality and therefore obviously, price. Jerez | Sale of wines online | IberoWine | lower price Wines with Jerez Denomination of Origin can be located in Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María, Sanlúcar de Barrameda Trebujena, Rota, Chipiona, Puerto Real, Chiclana, all in the province of Cádiz. Its land is characterised by an undulating terrain of white limestone marl.

In addition, there is the zone known as “Crianza” in Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María and Sanlúcar de Barrameda where we can find Denomination of Origin Jerez Xeres Sherry and wineries of Crianza and “Expedicion.” The characteristic climate of the Denomination of Origin Jerez area is mainly warm and heavily influenced by Atlantic Ocean. These conditions favour an optimal development of the grapes until it matures and ready to harvest Only wines from the area of “Crianza” have the right to a Jerez Denomination of Origin. Three types of grapes are present in Jerez: Palomino Fino, Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel. It is here that we can find one of the true treasures of Andalusia: the Moscatel wine. This type of wine originates from the Moscatel grape, which is matured and bathed in sun. From this grape, a dry and semisweet wine is obtained. Whether consumed during a dinner with friends or a weekend aperitif, a Jerez Denomination of Origin wine will always provide a touch of harmony and pleasure during those special moments.

“In iberoWine find the best wines for you to enjoy a unique experience” Follow us on Decanter travel guide: Jerez de la Frontera, Spain - Decanter Decanter 0shares 0shares This Andalucian jewel offers modern restaurants and inviting Sherry bars, not to mention unmissable bodegas. Sarah Jane Evans MW leads the way, in her Jerez travel guide. Fact File DOs Jerez-Xérès-Sherry, covers all production except for manzanilla; Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda, has to be matured in Sanlúcar Planted area 7,400ha Main soils more than 90% classified as Jerez Superior. These are the albariza soils: crumbly, porous and limestone-rich. Smaller quantities of barros, clay, and arenas, sand and clay. Main grapes Palomino, Pedro Ximénez, Moscatel de Alejandría Jerez: where to stay, eat and relax Jerez de la Frontera is the archetypal city of wine. Nowhere do cellars and wine jostle citizens in quite the same way.

From the old quarter to the ring road, it’s packed with bodegas – lofty ceilinged wine warehouses whose brand names are emblazoned in huge black letters on white walls with their distinctive yellow edging. Every pavement has its bars with tables made from blackened Sherry butts. See more Decanter travel guides to Spain The vines too are everywhere around. Climb to the highest point of the hilltop that is Jerez, to the viewpoint at the top of the fortified Alcazar, and you can see vineyards stretching to the horizons. In the sun the chalky white albariza soil glints brilliantly. Here and there, patches of gold are visible where wheat has been planted to replace the vines. Across the nearby hills there are the inevitable wind farms, capturing the wind that comes racing up from the sea. Head for the fair There’s no better time to visit Jerez than in spring. The weather is warm and the tree-lined streets are starting to reveal the red of the bougainvillea and the electric purple of the jacaranda.

The city is busy sprucing itself up for the Feria, one of Andalucia’s great spring fairs (10-17 May in 2015). In 2014 Jerez was European Capital of Wine, and deservedly so. This is a city that has to walk the tightrope between the tourist clichés of flamenco and bullfighting, and the serious business of making and marketing one of the world’s great wines. It has learned the lessons from other successful centres of wine tourism. Today it has good transport connections, a wide range of hotels and, of course, open house at the bodegas. Always book ahead at the bodegas, and if you have a special interest then let them know, as they may be able to accommodate you. Start your visits with one of the smaller ones, partly because it’s more straightforward to understand the processes and the geography of Sherry-making, partly because it can be much more personal. Fernando de Castilla ( fernandodecastilla.com ) is a great introduction to Jerez with its traditional cellar. Bright white paint on the walls outside, inside it is all shady patios and cellars, with the traditional sandy floors.

Its Sherry vinegar is excellent, and worth buying, as is the brandy, not to mention the large range of wines. Another gloriously traditional cellar is El Maestro Sierra ( maestrosierra ), again with excellent wines. Founded in 1830, it has been run since 1976 by Doña Pilar Plá Pechovierto, now with her daughter Carmen. Bodegas Tradición ( bodegastradicion.es ) is renowned for its focus on mature Sherries. However, it also worth a visit for its collection of Spanish paintings, from the 15th to the 19th centuries. Next door to the Alcazar is González Byass ( gonzalezbyass.com ), home to Tío Pepe fino and much else besides. It receives more than 200,000 visitors a year and has developed a diversified range of visitor tours. It’s definitely worth booking ahead, especially if you are interested in a food-matching session. Not surprisingly, the company won an international award for Best Visitor Centre in 2014. It’s also worth making time for a trip to Lustau ( lustau.es ), another multi-award winning company.

Its tours include a 12-wine tasting with samples from the three Sherry towns – Jerez, El Puerto and Sanlúcar – to highlight the differences, and a Professional Sherry tasting, which incorporates food, brandy and vinegar too. Make time for tapas After bodega visits, next on your must-do list is enjoying tapas. Everywhere is easy walking in Jerez, since the centre is flat, and everything is close by. There are bars on every corner, each one potentially with better food (or sometimes worse) than the last. Keep moving, unless you find a bar that is exceptionally good. Look at what’s on offer on the counter. Check that the food looks fresh and hasn’t been sitting around curling at the corners. Top of my list are traditional tortilla (potato omelette), tortilla de camarones (shrimp fritters – a speciality of Cadiz), boquerones (anchovies), and the local Payoyo goats’ cheese. Jerez has more to offer beyond bodegas and tapas: churches and cloisters abound; take a bicycle and wine tour ( biwi.es ); or there are museums for clocks, archaeology and carriages.

See a show by the magnificent Andalucian horses ( realescuela.org ), or visit them at their stud in less formal surroundings ( yeguadacartuja.com ). Wherever you go, you’re not far from a chilled glass of fino. Visit Sanlucar Make time to spend a day or two exploring the faded glory of the old city of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, one of the region’s other Sherry towns, along with El Puerto de Santa María. Here, the big bodegas to visit are Hidalgo-La Gitana ( lagitana.es ) and Barbadillo ( barbadillo.com ). For food, head to the bars at Plaza del Cabildo – Balbino ( casabalbino.com ) and La Gitana are famous – and Bajo de Guía by the river, where top choices are Poma ( restaurantepoma.com ) and Casa Bigote. At Bigote’s restaurant next door ( restaurantecasabigote.com ), get a table by the window overlooking the river and the ferry to the nature reserve of Coto Doñana (info@visitasdoñana.com).

Finally, it’s not easy to shop for Sherries in the region, except at the bodegas. Taberna der Guerrita on the corner of Calle San Salvador and Calle Rubiños is an exception ( guerrita.es ). How to get there Fly directly (or via Madrid) to Jerez, and then take a train or taxi to Jerez de la Frontera, around 5km away. Alternatively, fly to Seville and catch a train or drive from there (90km). Written by Sarah Jane Evans MW The Consejo Regulador | Sherry Wines The Consejo Regulador Consejo Regulador de las Denominaciones de Origen "Jerez-Xérès-Sherry" - "Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda" - "Vinagre de Jerez" The Guarantee of the Origin The Consejo Regulador Of the Denominations of Origin The name Jerez applied to wine and its translations "Xeres" and "Sherry" and the name "Manzanilla" are designations of origin.

The concept of a Denomination of Origin alludes to the usage of specific terms, generally the names of places, cities or regions, in order to refer to a product which, due to its origin and specific production method, is especially valued by consumers. To a certain extent it may be considered to be a kind of "collective brand" applied to all products of a certain type which also come from a particular place. ...the first to be constituted according to the terms of the Spanish Wine Statute of 1933, which means that we are talking about the oldest Consejo in Spain. El Consejo Regulador The 3 Denominations of Origin In our specific case, those wines produced in the Jerez region in accordance with specific traditional processes and fulfilling specific conditions are legally protected by the Denominations of Origin "Jerez-Xérès-Sherry" and "Manzanilla - Sanlúcar de Barrameda". In addition, another agro-food product also exists within the Jerez region, one which in the year 1994 achieved the status of a Denomination of Origin: "Vinagre de Jerez" (Sherry Vinegar).

Not all the wines and vinegar produced in the region enjoy the protection of these Denominations: there are companies in the region which produce table wines - mostly white wines but in recent years also reds. However, as neither the methods used nor the types of wine obtained meet the strict requirements of the Regulations, these wines are unable to belong to the Denominations of Origin. Equally, although other wine-growing areas produce wines which are similar in style to those of the Jerez region and use methods which are also comparable, the fact that they do not originate in the region defined by the Denomination of Origin means that they are unable to make use of terms such as Jerez, Sherry or Manzanilla. If we are to speak of products as having a Denomination of Origin, then two different elements must coincide: the origin and production process. The concept of a Denomination of Origin is suggestive of quality in conjunction with a source, an authentic production method in a very specific place.

The Consejo Regulador The Geographic Delimitation The Production Zone of those wines protected under the Denominations of Origin "Jerez-Xérès-Sherry" and "Manzanilla - Sanlúcar de Barrameda" is located in the extreme south of the Iberian peninsular. Only those vineyards located within the municipal boundaries of Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Trebujena, Chipiona, Rota, Puerto Real, Chiclana de la Frontera and Lebrija, and situated on land which the Consejo Regulador considers suitable, may grow grapes for the production of Sherry and Manzanilla. The Production Zone currently occupies an area of just over 7,000 hectares. The area traditionally known as "Jerez Superior" is a subdivision within the Production Zone consisting of vineyards planted in alberiza soil, the physico-chemical composition of which, together with their geographical location and climatological conditions make them ideal for the production of superior quality wines. Another important geographical delimitation is referred to as the "Ageing and Maturing Zone" - also known as the Sherry Triangle.

The ageing of wines protected by the Denomination of Origin "Jerez-Xérès-Sherry" may only take place in the towns of Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María and Sanlúcar de Barrameda and the Ageing Bodegas are therefore all located in these towns. In the case of the Denomination of Origin "Manzanilla - Sanlúcar de Barrameda", the corresponding Ageing Zone is limited exclusively to the town itself. Although the raw material (grapes and/or base wine) for Manzanilla may originate from anywhere within the production Zone, the ageing process must take place in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. The unique conditions created by the micro-climate which surrounds the town, standing as it does at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River just a short distance across from the wetlands of Coto Doñana, confer particular characteristics upon the wine produced in its bodegas, aged beneath a fine layer of yeast, which differentiates it from all other types of Sherry Wine. Those bodegas situated in the rest of the Production Zone produce musts and wines which are then taken to bodegas within the Ageing Zone to be aged.

They may however produce and sell their own wine under the name of town where they are located. The Production Zone of those wines protected under the Denominations of Origin "Jerez-Xérès-Sherry" and "Manzanilla - Sanlúcar de Barrameda" Manzanilla is indissoluby linked with Sanlúca de Barrameda, the town located at the mouth of the river Guadalquivir, near the Doñana Reserve. Consejo Regulador The Regulations The set of rules by which the Denomination of Origin is governed are set out in a document known as the "Regulations". In the regulations of each Denomination of Origin we are able to find all the relevant details concerning the delimitation of the production zone, the authorised varieties and cultivation techniques, and basic aspects concerning the production and ageing of Sherry wines. The Operators of the Denomination of Origin A Denomination of Origin does not just refer to a place and a set of rules, but also the operators: the wine-growers and owners of the sherry firms who create the wine and who are therefore responsible for the Denomination successfully achieving and maintaining its prestige as perceived by the consumer.

The Consejo Regulador The defence of the Denominations of Origin "Jerez-Xérès-Sherry" and "Manzanilla - Sanlúcar de Barrameda" is legally entrusted to the Consejo Regulador. From a legal point of view, the Consejo Regulador of the Denominations of Origin is a Public Law Corporation representing both economic and social interests which during the execution of specific public responsibilities acts as a decentralised body of the Andalusian Regional Government Council of Agricultural and Fisheries. In more simple terms: the Consejo Regulador has a "private" dimension in that it represents the private interests of all the registered wine-growers and sherry firms; and a "public" dimension, acting as it does in the name of the Administration in a series of matters directly related to the management and defence of an asset which is public in nature, that of the Denomination of Origin itself.

The Consejo Regulador of the Denominations of Origin "Jerez-Xérès-Sherry" - "Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda" and "Vinagre de Jerez" was the first to be constituted according to the terms of the Spanish Wine Statute of 1933, which means that we are talking about the oldest Consejo in Spain. Established in 1935, the Consejo Regulador for Jerez-Xeres-Sherry was the first to be created in Spain, under the terms of the 1933 Wine Statute. The Composition of the Consejo Regulador In essence, the Consejo represents each and every one of the professional sectors within the Denomination of Origin: sherry firms and independent wine-growers and members of cooperatives. The plenary council of the Institution is made up of 23 members, 20 of whom are democratically elected every four years. By means of this electoral process 10 members are elected to represent the production sector (wine-growers) and 10 representatives from Bodegas.

Once elected, the 20 members of the Consejo in turn elect a President, who is put forward to be officially named by the Andalusian Regional Government, the Junta de Andalucia. Plenary meetings are also attended by representatives from the Junta de Andalucia, who may speak but not vote, and by the General Secretary of the Consejo Regulador. Consejo Regulador Functions The different tasks undertaken by the Consejo Regulador, as set out in the Denomination Regulations, may be reduced to three main categories CONSEJO REGULADOR | Functions Control and Certification One of the functions common to any Consejo Regulador is that of controlling quality and guaranteeing the origin of those products under its protection. Bearing this in mind the Consejo Regulador of Jerez includes within its Regulations a set of obligatory rules regarding every stage of the producvtion process which begins in the vineyard and ends when the wine is purchased by the consumer. In order to guarantee the quality of the product the Consejo Regulador has set up a stepped control procedure.

1 - Vineyards and growing techniques The registration of vineyards in the Register of the Consejo Regulador is an essential requirement if the grapes and must produced are to be classified for the production of Sherry. This registration involves the verification by the Consejo Regulador of the suitability of the soil as well as the use of authorised varieties. Throughout the year the services of the Consejo will verify fulfilment of the norms laid down in the Regulations concerning growing, pruning, irrigation control, etc... They also monitor the ripeness of the grape prior to harvesting. The vineyard, usually elevated on gentle slopes, stand out from the expanse of herbaceous crops and contribute contrasting texture to the landscape. The harvest involves a well organised working structure: formen, harvesters - carriers, drivers, winery workers... 2 - The Harvest The Consejo Regulador puts a wide range of monitoring and inspection procedures into action during the harvest, which include the control of each and every load of grape sent to those wine presses registered under the Denomination.

Inspectors from the Consejo Regulador are stationed at each of the pressing plants in order to record the quantities of grapes delivered, as well as checking that the degree of ripeness and general health of the grapes comply with the requirements laid down in the regulations and with the norms of that specific campaign. Once the harvest is over the amount of must produced is measured and samples are taken and checked prior to the musts being classified as suitable for the production of Sherry Wines. 3 - The Bodegas The Control and Inspection Service of the Consejo Regulador likewise maintains a permanent control on the movements of must and wine between bodegas, as well as wine alcohol and other authorised oenological products which are occasionally used by the registered firms. In addition, each and every one of the bodegas are subject to periodical inventory checks to ensure that the stocks declared by the company tally with the volume of wine actually being aged on the premises. 4 - The Product Finally, the Consejo Regualdor also has an important role to play in the final stages of the production process, that of guaranteeing the quality of those products governed by the Denomination of Origin before they reach the final consumer.

In order to do this, inspectors from the Consejo take wine samples from each of the registered sherry firms which are then analysed at a laboratory in the Estación de Viticultura y Enología in Jerez. All this in addition to the daily tasting sessions which take place in the tasting room at the Consejo Regulador. Only wine which has undergone and successfully completed this exhaustive control process is granted the certifying stamp of the Consejo Regulador and the corresponding guarantee of origin. CONSEJO REGULADOR | Functions Defence of a Common Heritage It also falls to the Consejo Regulador to act as custodian and defender of the interests of the Denomination of Origin, both at a national and international level. Unfortunately, even today, it is not unusual to come across cases where imitators in search of easy profit make unlawful use of names belonging to our Denominations of Origin in an attempt to capitalise on their fine reputation and the centuries of hard work and dedication of the wine producers in the Jerez Region. Sherry is a classic wine which has existed for centuries, long before the introduction of any legal mechanisms to protect industrial property, and has constantly had to fight several attempts to usurp its name.

In fact many other countries have tried to equate the name Jerez and its English version Sherry with a type of wine rather than recognise it as a denomination of origin. As a result genuine sherry has been forced to co-exist alongside other "sherries" of spurious origin and fabrication: British, Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, Californian, South African, etc... Currently, and to a great extent thanks to the work of the Consejo Regulador, international recognition of the Denomination of Origin has been achieved in the most important markets, although there are still certain exceptions which keep the Consejo busy initiating administrative or legal action in defence of the Denomination. From the earliest beginings, the wines of Jerez have traveld far and appreciated beyond Spanish borders.

Question: What wine originated in the Spanish town of Jerez de la Fontera?
Answer: Sherry