I had not been to Jerez for some 20 years, and the recollections of my last visit wandering around the bodegas one afternoon had not inspired me to return! However, an invitation to contribute to an International Workshop on Perspectivas comparadas sobre patrimonio vitivinícola being convened by colleagues from the Universidad de Cádiz as part of their project on Territorios del vino, paisajes de la viña. Recuperación del patrimonio inmaterial vitivinícola en el Marco de Jerez in September provided a good opportunity to return and explore other parts of western Andalucía that I had never had the chance to visit previously. In short, I was very impressed by the vibrancy of the cities of Sevilla, Jerez and Cádiz, although saddened by the state of the wine sector across much – although not all – of the region. I couldn’t help but feel that wind turbines were replacing vines as the dominant feature of the landscapes of Jerez!
Urban vitality
The sense of vibrancy was palpable in the cityscapes of Sevilla, Jerez and Cadíz: numerous young people enjoying life, a wide range of thriving shops serving their needs, and well-priced tabernas, tapas bars and restaurants to fuel their thirst at the end o the day. To be sure Spain has its economic and social problems as well, but this was in marked contrasts to the squalor, closed down shops, rough-sleeping and graffiti to be found in so many high-streets across the UK today. There was a real sense that these towns and cities were somehow working, whereas their counterparts in the UK were failing. The fabric of Andalucia’s cities has also been lovingly restored, and in the bright sunshine they shone at their best, despite temperatures being in the high 30os (degrees C). Shade providers were even hung above the pedestrianised streets to protect the people bustling to and fro underneath. Yes, parts were packed full of tourists and the main sites had long queues outside them, but this left the beautiful and lesser known historic locations remarkably empty to be enjoyed at one’s own pace. And the food everywhere was delicious, especially when washed down with the local wines.
Sevilla
Places to visit (especially if the queues for the cathedral and Real Alcázar are too long) include the magnificent Museo de Bellas Arts de Sevilla, the Casa de Pilatos, the Plaza de España, and the very extensive Roman town of Italica, where the Emperors Trajan and Hadrian were born. An evening of professional flamenco is also a must!
Jerez
Jerez has been transformed since I last visited, and provides an excellent base from which to get to know the bodegas and famous vineyards of the region. If you are looking for somewhere to enjoy good food, local wines, and excellent service there, you must try the Tabanco Las Banderillas. The Vuelta adds a bit of disruption!
Cádiz
Parts of old Cádiz are very crowded, but it is still possible to escape the crowds, and explore the narrow medieval streets of this famous port city, founded by the Phoenicians and one of Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. As the main harbour of the Spanish Empire, its merchants accrued massive wealth which is reflected in its impressive architecture. A monument commemorates the Cádiz Constitution of 1812, which was Spain’s first written constitution; another introduces the Roman writer Columella, author of De Re Rustica..
Arcos de La Frontera and its surroundings
Arcos
I had never visited Arcos before, and it was great to spend a couple of days relaxing there amidst the white painted walls of the old town. We particularly enjoyed discovering an excellent little restaurant – Aljibe – not far from where we were staying – delicious food, professional and friendly service, and a good choice of wines, many of which were local! It was so good that we went there two nights in a row, and it is definitely to be recommended!
Tesalia
One of the reasons for staying in Arcos was to explore some of the surrounding area, and visit Bodega Tesalia established by the Golding family in the Sierra de Grazalema in 2010. I’m so grateful to Richard Golding and their wine-maker Valle Lozano for spending so long with us, exploring the terroir, the vines and their spotlessly clean winery! In recent years I have come to appreciate some of the still white wines made mainly from Palomino and a range of other local grapes in the Vino de la Tierra appellation of Cádiz (see further below). One renowned wine writer describes these as being “slightly flabby full-bodied dry white table wine”, but if one looks hard it is possible to find some very good, elegant light dry white wines in the appellation, with distinctive almond characteristics and sufficient acidity to give them delightful freshness that goes well with many of the local tapas – and they are amazingly good value! Tesalia eschews the traditional white grape varieties, though, and has planted its 12.5 ha with Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Syrah and Tintilla de Rota (Graciano) on generally north facing slopes. The specific plots and methods of vine training have been chosen with particular attention being paid to the terroir, and the resultant wines are elegant, fruit driven (albeit often with slight wild Mediterranean herb characteristics), and have well balanced acidity giving structure to the generally rounded tannins. Although oak ageing is used, the oak does not dominate the wines. They currently produce four main red wines reflecting different balances between the grapes: Iceni (2025:60% Syrah, 40% Tintilla de Rota; 6 months in barriques and foudres), ARX (2023: 55% Tintilla de Rota, 30% Syrah, 10% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon; 12 months in oak Barriques), Tesalia (2021: 60% Petit Verdot, 20% Syrah, 10% Tintilla de Rota, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon; 12 months in barriques), and Neso (2022: 100% Syrah; aged in barriques, five of which were then selected for this wine). In recent years I have become particularly fond of Petit Verdot, and so I particularly enjoyed the Tesalia, with its bright red colour, and plum, red fruit, herbal and slight spicy notes. It is elegant now, but I look forward to seeing how it ages, and suspect that it will gain yet more complexity and nuance over the next five years.
DO Jerez-Xérès-Sherry, DO Manzanilla – Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and Vinos de la Tierra de Cádiz
This is not the place to go into the complexities of the various Denominaciones de Origen and Vinos de la Tierra in the province of Cádiz in this westerly part of Andalucia. Suffice it to say that both the DOs share the same vineyards and traditional methods of wine making, based mainly on Palomino Fino, Moscatel, and Pedro Ximénez (PX) grapes, the Palomino grown especially on the white calcareous albariza soils, and the Moscatel and PX mainly on barros and arenas soils. Most Sherry is matured in the bodegas in Jerez (see above), although some, such as Bodega Osborne are located in El Puerto de Santa Maria, and Manzanillas, as with Bodega Barbadillo, are matured in Sanlucar de Barrameda, with its magnificent old castle (see pictures below). I have always enjoyed sherry of many different styles, but with the global decline in sales many producers have turned increasingly to table wines that are of good value and well worth discovering (sherry sales in the UK halved between 2005 and 2015). One of the more unusual of these is the new year’s Mosto produced by the Cooperativa Agrícola Virgen de Palomares. At less than €4 a bottle, it goes well with the local seafood and tapas!
Sadly, as indicated in the above photos, many of the vineyards in the Sherry Triangle between Jerez, Sanlúcar de Barrameida and El Puerto de Santa Maria have in recent years been planted with wind turbines which detract significantly from their visual appeal but do generate much needed income to offset the decline in the popularity of Sherry!
Thanks so much to the hospitality of colleagues at the University of Cádiz, Bodega Tesalia, and Gonzalez Byass who made this such a memorable visit.