NOVEMBER 2018 businesstraveller.comABOVE:
Thesoilof
southern
Spain’s
vineyards is
very high in
chalk content,
producing a
unique flavour
in the grapeshave been producing wine since
the Phoenicians arrived in 1100
BC. During Roman times, wine
production became an important
part of the local economy, with
wine shipped throughout the
empire. Sherry quickly became
known for one of its most
celebrated characteristics, one that
endurestothisday:sherryisawine
that travels well.
During Moorish times, the town of
Jerez was known as al Sherish, which is
where the modern-day name for sherry comes
from.DespitetheQur’anprohibitingtheconsumption
of alcohol, somehow wine production continued to
f lourish. The Moors even introduced a distillation
process for fortification of the wine that has remained
virtually unchanged for 500 years.
After King Alfonso X reclaimed control of the area
in the 1200s, the sherry region began large-scale
production, exporting bottles around the world during
the Middle Ages. Even Shakespeare was a keen drinker.
In his own words, “all drinks stand hat-in-hand in the
presence of sherry.”
As the tour and history wind to a close, I am ready for
the grand finale: the tasting. My guide hands me over tof you find yourself in southern Spain and
want to learn more about sherry, a tour of the
bodegas is a must. These are the only wine
cellars in the world that can oficially produce
this fortified wine created from grapes grown
in Cadiz province’s Sherry Triangle.
I choose the Gonzalez Byass bodega in Jerez,
producer of the famous Tio Pepe sherries. It
has guided tours, and as well as touring the various
buildings you also get an insight into the history and
process of sherry-making. As with other wines, much
of this comes down to the grapes and the soil, which is
nearly white from the high chalk content. “The chalk
retains moisture despite the dry climate here,” my
guide explains, crumbling some earth in his hand. “The
grapes are not irrigated, so the sea mist and the water in
thesoiliswhatgivesthegrapestheiruniqueflavour.”
Stepping into a bodega, you leave the dry heat
of Andalusia behind and the respectful hush of the
cellar envelops you. Barrels are stacked in rows, three
casks high, as far as the eye can see. Each has white
writing on its face – dedications and quotations from
famous visitors including royalty, from Harold Lloyd
to Steven Spielberg. My favourite: “History, Love,
Colour. All inside a bottle of Magic from Jerez.”
As the tour continues we also get a lot of local,
and then world, history. Andalusians in this areaI
Even Shakespeare
was a keen drinker:
“All drinks stand
hat-in-hand in the
presence of sherry”60