The Best Wineries to Visit in Jerez de la Frontera
On our recent trip to Seville, Spain we decided to do a full day of Sherry tasting in Jerez! Jerez de la Frontera is one of the main towns of the ‘Sherry Triangle’ where many important Sherry Bodegas are located. Even if you aren’t the biggest Sherry fan, this town is worth exploring. It makes for a perfect day trip from Seville because it’s only about an hour away.
How to Get to Jerez from Seville
The train is the fastest and cheapest way to get to Jerez from Seville. You just have to be mindful of the train times. Our first Sherry tasting was at 11am and there were not convenient times for us to take the train that morning. We scheduled an Uber from Seville to Jerez in the morning, then took the 6pm train home. There are NO Ubers in Jerez but there are local taxis. Renting a car is also an option! If we planned to spend the night in Jerez, renting a car would’ve been a great option. If you are staying in Seville, check out my Travel Guide to Seville.
Where to Taste Wine
Bodegas Fundador
Our first stop in Jerez was Bodegas Fundador. Started in 1730, Bodegas Fundador is one of the best wineries in Jerez and is the oldest bodega in the Marco de Jerez region. My jaw dropped to the floor when we first entered Bodega La Mezquita, one of the largest Cathedral Bodegas in Jerez which houses more than 40,000 barrels of wine. The temperature inside the bodega stays cool naturally, due to the high ceilings and windows. The windows are set in a specific direction to minimize the warm East Levante wind, and maximize the cool, humid West Poniente wind.
We tasted their Very Old Sherries (VOS) and Very Old Rare Sherries (VORS) as well as some of their aged brandies under the Harvey’s label. Their most popular drink is the Harvey’s cream sherry over ice with a slice of orange and it’s delicious!
Bodegas Tio Pepe
Bodegas Tio Pepe is one of the most iconic sherry producers in Spain. As part of Gonzalez Byass, they have 12 other wineries and produce 15 million bottles per year. Even though it’s a larger production, the tour was intimate and the facilities are beautiful. They have a few different options for tours and tasting to choose from on their website. After our tour, I reserved us lunch at their restaurant which I highly recommend! Bodegas Tio Pepe is easily one of the best wineries to visit in Jerez and should be high on your list. Don’t forget to snap a picture under their famous vine canopies.
Bodegas Tradicion
Our last visit of the day was Bodegas Tradicion. Compared to the other two bodegas, Tradicion is much smaller and produces only 28,000 bottles. Everything here is done by hand, including writing the number on each bottle. As with other bodegas, they use 100% American oak for aging the sherry wines.
This bodega has made some incredible advances in their wine tourism and is definitely one of the best wineries to visit in Jerez. Our tour and tasting was very educational and ended with a fabulous tasting of a variety of their sherry wines and classic Andalusian snacks. Their tour also includes a visit to the private art collection with some unbelievable paintings.
We only had time for three bodegas on our day trip and I wouldn’t recommend more than that for one day. These bodegas below are on my list for next time and are considered some of the best wineries to visit in Jerez!
Jerez de la Frontera is only one town of the three that makeup the Sherry Triangle! Someday, I’d love to explore the other two towns of Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María and the bodegas that are located there.
Lunch with a View in Jerez
If you are going to tour Tio Pepe, I highly recommend eating lunch on the stunning terrace of their restaurant Pedro Nolasco Restaurante. It has a beautiful view of the Cathedral and offers an amazing menu paired with their wines. While we did get to taste a few sherries, we also got to try still wines and an aperitif with the five course meal.
Tips for Sherry Tasting in Jerez
- Make reservations. This is pretty much true for anywhere you wine taste, but I highly recommend it for Jerez. It will make your day run smoother, and most of the group tours are small so spaces are limited.
- Wear comfortable shoes. Jerez is small and many of the bodegas are within 5-10 minutes walking distance from each other. I personally enjoyed walking to and from each appointment and getting to see a bit of the city!
- Pack wine or buy it at home. The good thing is that many of these sherry producers distribute widely to the USA. However, they may not have all of their wines available (limited edition, small batch, vintage, etc). If you find a bottle of something you really like, be prepared to pack it in your suitcase!
- Eat food and drink water. This one might seem obviously for a wine tasting day, but remember sherry is a fortified wine with a minimum of 15% ABV. In a region with 300 days of sunshine a year, it’s most likely going to be warm so stay hydrated!
- Pay attention to the white soil. If you are driving or able to stop by any vineyards, observe the soil! The white chalky soil is Albariza. This soil absorbs the winter rain then forms a crust to lock in moisture. It then provides moisture to the vines during the dry summer. It’s very important to the viticulture and production of sherry!
Full Travel Guide to Seville
For a full travel guide to Seville, Spain, visit my blog post here!
