Sherry is the fortified wine produced in the Jerez area of the province of Cádiz. Its origin dates back to 1100 B.C. when the Phoenicians brought the first vines to the region. The name “sherry” is derived from the name “Sherish,” which was the 12th C. Arabic name of the city.
In 1933, the Consejo Regulador was created to protect sherry’s consistency. The European Union (EU) ruled in the 1990s that all EU nations must recognize that Sherry only comes from the “Sherry Triangle” in the Cádiz region, located between Jerez, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and El Puerto de Santa María.
Today visitors to Jerez can visit a number of the sherry “bodegas” or cellars to learn more about the different types of sherry and how they are made, and of course enjoy a sherry tasting.
Most bodegas are open Monday to Friday from 10:30am to 1:30pm; note that many of them are closed during August. Put on your calendar to visit Jerez in September, when the wine festival is held.
Just a few bodegas you may want to visit – click on the name to visit their website:
Photo credit: Grupo Garvey
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