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One of the great ambassadors of Spain is, without a doubt, wine in its different varieties and designations of origin.
One of the oldest wines, with around 3000 years of history, is the Jerez wine.
With great international expansion, the wineries of the Jerez city continue with a tradition that has crossed borders.
The history of this wine borders on legend, since it has been present at crucial moments in Spain, and has even been the object of praise and desire in international markets such as England or Scotland, where there was a time when it was consumed even more than in our country. country.
Sherry wine, an ancient history
Regarding its origin, it is believed that Jerez wine was already produced by the Phoenicians, the founders of Gades (Cádiz). According to some archaeological sites, they already had places to make wine, and they would have exported the cultivation techniques from present-day Lebanon. Not in vain the vineyards of the region already supplied the populous and insatiable Roman Empire.
During the Arab rule, when the city was known as Sherish, the cultivation and production of wine continued, despite the religious prohibition against consuming alcohol. Under the pretext for the use of wine for medicinal purposes, from alcohol to create perfumes, and from raisins as food, an already firmly rooted tradition was continued. In addition, irrigation techniques and other land treatments improved thanks to the advances of the Muslims.
After the Reconquest by Alfonso X the Wise, the city was renamed “Xeres de la Frontera ”, since it marked the limits with the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada. During this time, Sherry wine was already highly appreciated in the English court, as King Henry I exchanged English wool for Sherry wine with the Castilian crown.
Thanks to Magellan’s travels, Jerez wine reached America, since during the long journeys this wine was consumed in huge quantities, due to the danger of the water and its unsanitary conditions. It is believed that more wine from Jerez traveled on the ships than weapons.
During contemporary times, Sherry wine does not do more than expand internationally, sometimes being the object of attacks by English pirates, or attempts of appropriation by England. Such was the devotion to this wine, that it was more consumed abroad than within the country.
Currently, Sherry wine continues its tradition and journey inside and outside of Spain, combining the most deeply-rooted winery tradition with the most modern techniques and quality standards.
Some facts about sherry wine
The DJerez-Xérès-Sherry enomination of origin It encompasses the wine region of the cities of Jerez, Puerto de Santa María, and Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and includes the vineyards of Chipiona, Chiclana, Puerto Real, Rota, Trebujena and Lebrija.
As for the grape varieties with which it is made, they are Pedro Jimenez y Muscat, for sweet wines, and the variety Palomino, for dry wines.
Its process is carried out through the upbringing inside the wooden barrels, after the pressing of the grape and its fermentation. This breeding is carried out in Oak barrels not completely full, leaving an air chamber so that the yeasts can continue to act.
The barrels are arranged in rows of different heights, ranging from the first called criaderas to the last called, passing through each level the must through the racking technique, seeking that the young wines acquire the good qualities of the old wines.
Many of the wineries that still exist today within the city of Jerez itself, have been growing and rising on the foundations of the traditional wine production houses that for centuries made fermented wines in the area, their possibility of combining a Guided tour with the gastronomic excellence of the area, make this place a beautiful and outstanding destination of gastronomic tourism that we should not stop visiting from time to time, especially in spring, as well as other wine destinations such as Rioja or Ribera del Duero, of which we gave a good account in previous months.
Sherry wine is classified into various types of wine, the best known varieties are:
- El till, ideal to pair with fish and shellfish, and also as an aperitif, with a great “flower” aroma.
- The wine amontillado, more unknown by the general public, with a very powerful aroma of wood and almond, which pairs perfectly with cheese or rice. It is a wine with a characteristic that makes it unique, the “flower veil”, a yellowish layer that develops on the surface of the wine. It is made up of yeasts that give the wine a unique aroma and flavor.
- El odorous, aged by oxidation, which combines perfectly with flavors such as Manchego cheese.
- El Pedro Ximénez, sweet and aromatic, a traditional dessert wine and widely used also in professional cooking.