Andalusia: The 'Blood' of Jerez

In Jerez, wine is an institution. Even if the (jealous?) French snub the Spanish nectar, preferring the vinegar also produced in the city! On the other hand, it is a hit just about everywhere in the world, particularly in Great Britain where the English, unable to pronounce the name sherry, called it sherry.

The range of colours and aromas is broad: straw-coloured wines, dry and light on the palate, are known as "finos". They are often served as aperitifs or with tapas. Amber or mahogany-coloured wines have more body and are classified as "olorosos". They go perfectly with meats. So many subtleties to try!

Just the thing: a dozen or so bodegas welcome the public and open their cellars to a variety of events. Cellars filled with barrels stacked four-high and patios are the perfect setting for tastings, cocktails or dinners, all of which are bound to end in good spirits. Because sherry reaches 15°, sometimes 22°!

The small bodega Tradicion, with its 1,200 barrels of sherry and 300 of brandy, holds its own and can accommodate around a hundred people. To make the difference, it also boasts a small museum devoted to Spanish art, with a collection including paintings by Velasquez, El Greco and Goya! Nothing like the gigantic bodega Gonzalez Byass, which produces the famous Tio Pepe brand. It's easy to spot, with its 45-metre-high weathervane overlooking Jerez. Every day, thousands of visitors discover its stills, its rotunda designed by the Eiffel workshops, its cellars and its 'cathedral', a gigantic brick vessel housing 15 million litres. But there's no shortage of original spaces and quiet corners on this 12-hectare site. Even the mice are in for a treat. In one of the many cellars, a miniature drinking trough allows them to enjoy the precious nectar!