In one barrel room they have barrels signed by famous people (athletes, actors, etc).

Barrel room. 4000 barrels are stored in this one building.

While having lunch in the barrel room a worker noticed a mouse sniffing around a barrel (next photo)

So he created a little ladder set it next to a glass of sherry so the mouse could always have a sip.

Beautiful grapevine covered street in the winery facilities.

This is Teo Pepe (uncle Pepe) who was the inspiration for the creation of the winery.

We tasted three types of sherry and then one sherry spritz (with mint).

These painted bottles are part of an art exhibit.

I've been adding them to my hat, they die and fall off but there are more the next day.

Cal at the Jerez train station. I love the tiles in the train statuons.

The Spiritual Home of Sherry

June 19, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

We decided it would be fun and a nice break to get out to the coast for a day/night. There are many coastal options near Seville but Cadiz caught our eye. It is a short train ride away and sounded like it would be a good contrast to Seville. The other bonus is that on the way we could stop in the town of Jerez de la Frontera to learn more about Sherry and do a tasting of the local products.
Sherry is one of the oldest wines in the world. All Sherry is made from green grapes only, its color comes from oxidation. And there are many different types of sherry including Fino de Jerez, Manzanilla, Oloroso and more.
There are many sherry producers in the area as the soil and climate make it ideal for growing the type of grapes used for sherry. We only had time to visit one of the bodegas (aka storehouse for wine) in the area - Tio Pepe.
We took a tour and did a tasting (our favorite type was Oloroso). The tour was a bit commercial but still informative and fun. Sherry has a different reputation in the US - more of a grandma’s drink. But the variety and types produced make it popular for all ages in Spain and we were surprised that they also put it in mixed drinks - we tasted a delicious spritz made with a type of sherry and mint.
It was a fun stop on our way to the coast. Next stop, Cadiz.Read more