Jerez sherry tour
Authentic sherry is gaining popularity again, especially amongst lovers of fine wine; and about time too, is what we say! Sherry offers an incredible range of styles from the driest to the sweetest of wines. They are also great wines for matching with food, not just as apertifs. There is no better match than a bone dry refreshingly tangy fino than with Spainʼs unique Iberian ham. Or what about a pungent amontillado with sheepʼs milk cheese or wild mushrooms, not to mention a rich oloroso with game meat or the heavenly dessert of ice-cream with sweet Pedro Ximenez poured over it.
To learn more about these wonderful wines our tour takes you to Jerez de la Frontera, the principal town for sherry. Weʼll start off by visiting one of the larger wineries which has a greater range of sherries than anyone else. Youʼll get taken round spectacular buildings which all date from the 19th century.These buildings. with their rows and rows of sherry butts stacked one on top of the other, are often called cathedrals of wine due to their size and grandeur; we can assure you that you will be impressed. After a in-depth tour of the winery, including a detailed explanation of the unique sherry-ageing process, there will be a tutored tasting of the different styles of sherry, with fine examples of each one. You will also get a chance to sample a sherry-based vermouth and some very fine sherry vinegar.
After this first visit we will proceed to a much smaller family-run bodega. The people who run the winery are great friends of ours which shows when you get to taste their exceptionally fine sherries drawn directly from the cask, not a usual occurrence!The winery is also a producer of high quality brandies, some say the best in Spain, which as with the sherries will be tasted straight out of the cask.
We will then be going to a local culinary landmark to enjoy a meal consisting of excellent regional dishes accompanied by fine wine. There will be time for a walk around the beautiful old quarter of Jerez before we head back to Seville. After this tour, we hope that you will agree (if you do not already) with most of the worldʼs top wine critics who believe that sherry is the most underrated fine wine in the world.
