Jerez
The home of sherry — wine shaped by chalk, sun and a layer of yeast.
Sherry — an English corruption of "Jerez" — must be aged in one of three Andalusian towns, Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María, from grapes grown in the surrounding vineyards. It starts as a neutral white wine, mostly from Palomino, which is then fortified and aged in the solera system: tiers of barrels in which wine is drawn from the oldest and topped up from younger ones, so every bottle blends many years. The style depends on flor, a layer of yeast that grows on the wine's surface. Under flor, sherry stays pale and tangy (Fino, Manzanilla); without it, oxygen darkens it into nutty, rich Oloroso. Sweet Pedro Ximénez comes from grapes dried in the sun.
Grapes grown here 3
What the region makes
Aged under flor: pale, bone-dry, salty and almond-scented. Manzanilla comes from seaside Sanlúcar.
Starts under flor, then ages exposed to air: amber, nutty and dry.
Aged without flor: dark, rich, walnut and toffee — yet dry.
Thick, near-black and intensely sweet: figs, raisins, molasses.
Worth knowing
Flor thrives in the humid sea air of Sanlúcar, which is why Manzanilla tastes lighter and saltier than Fino.
Sherries labelled VOS and VORS must have an average age of at least 20 and 30 years.
Try this region if you like savoury, salty aperitifs — or dessert in a glass.
Get in before the public launch.
Join the waitlist for a beta invite, plus a first-week credit at a partner shop near you.
No spam, one email when your invite is ready. Unsubscribe anytime.
We use your email only for the waitlist. Read our privacy policy.