The Sherry Triangle | Spain I History of Prestigeous Fortified Wines & Bodegas

If you are travelling to Spain and concretely across Andalusia with interest about wines and derivates do not miss the notorious Sherry Triangle which is identified with Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlucar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa Maria, the second and third sites both located along the Atlantic coastline.

It is there where you can find the best soil called Albariza, a very high quality of ground, ideal for its compounds and properties for growing and planting appropriate and ideal Palomino grapes for the production of the best sherry also known as fortified wines as Madeira, Port, Marsala, Commandaria classified in different categories depending of the processes of preparation.

There are many anecdotes and historic episodes linked to the emblematic vineyards of that geographic area of Andalusia.

One of them is dated the late 9th century when the Visir Almanzor during thje moorish domination due to Religious reasons linked to the Islam in which is forbidden to drink alcohol wanted to destroy all the cultivation of grapes but the locals convinced him to keep them because they told himthat the raisins transmitted energy and power to the soldiers.

Including it said that during the Christian reconquest the Spanish Officers of the troops of the King Alfonso X gave the horses that liquid to drink before to start the battles and in the 13th century some barrels were already sent abroad reaching a couple of places in England for the first time.?

The exportation of that product started with much more intensity and volume in the 15th and 16th century mainly directed to The Netherlands, Great Britain and France and despite in minor quantity also shipped on board in vessels which reached America.

A further historic event is that after a raid of the notorious British corsair Francis Drake with his fleet? his lieutenant Martin Frobisher took with him over 3000 barrels of wine in 1587 and that loot was sent to the English coasts as spoils of war.

In more contemporary times the exportation was more pacific with foreign entrepreneurs who decided to fix their residence in that Andalusian area starting a business and the year 1935 was a very important date because the Denomination of Origin Jerez-Xérés-Sherry was declared official.

Since then the Sherry as iconic Andalusian product started to cross European borders and Oceans reaching all the continents and main markets of the globe.

Today the local cellars are numerous; in each of them you can learn about the stages and phases of production and bottling of those superb beverages.

Among the most famous and prestigious producers are Sandeman, Pedro Domecq and Gonzalez Byass, among others.?

You can visit those famous Bodegas and tasting different kinds of those fine products and furthermore as relevant detail to take in high consideration is that the sherry also reached an increasingly popularity as a drink which has powerful health benefits.

It is truly amazing and great what that beverage can do because it helps to reduce the risk of cancer, the antioxidant property contained in that liquid is 100 times more effective than vitamin C and approximately 25 times better than vitamin E.

All those qualities support the body to protect determined cells of the human body by damages associated with cancer and in addition a cup of it improves the blood circulation. In addition as further feature it is used in the most celebrated Haute Cuisine delighting a large range of refined recipes thanks to its special flavour.

That fortified wine is produced in different kinds and variety of dry styles, result of a? process of fermentation of the grapes which has a low presence of sugar and acidity and ranging from types as Manzanilla or Fino and they are processed to reach a 15,5 per cent by volume.

Those types of drinks have to be drunk pretty young and also soon after the opening of a bottle because they lose their flavour within hours.

The Fino is aged in barrels under a cap of flor yeast to prevent a contact with the air and it is the driest of the traditional kinds of those specific products.

There are also heavier versions with a darker tonality such as Oloroso which has alcohol levels between 18,0 and 20% and a further one named Amontillado lighter than the previous aged under flor and after that exposed to oxygen. They have to be allowed to oxidise as they age in barrel and the flor yeast is practically suppressed by fortification at an earlier age.

Once the fermentation operation is ended the base wines are completed with an addition of grape spirit to increase their final content of percentage of alcohol.

The Moscatel and Pedro Ximenez grapes produce a sweet Sherry, after the harvest the raisins are dried for 48 hours in the sun and the final colour of the liquid has a dark brown tonality or in some cases practically black.?

Another version is the famous Cream, a sweet type produced since 1860 by blending different kinds of Sherries and it generally includes in the preparation Pedro Ximenez grapes and an addition of Oloroso.

Some of the biggest producers and founders of celebrated brands were British or Irish citizens. The famous Pedro Domecq was founded in 1725 by the Irishman Patrick Murphy and then passed hands several times and developed assuming its present name.

The company is located in a place called Machamudo in the centre of an estate of 800 hectares packed by vineyards. The surfaces which included the plantation of grapes linked to that company are huge, there are different cellars for the conservation and one of them was named Mezquita, the Mosque and it is as others considered a real monument or icon.

Pedro Domecq is a notorious multinational wine company with also influence in La Rioja other famed Spanish area which produces excellent fine wines the Doc which found excellent markets in Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and Colombia among others.

Another emblematic company was established by an Irishman of which still bears the name even if it is owned by a Spanish group and it is the famous Garvey founded by a family with Scottish heritage with a descendant called Paul who officially? created in 1795 that legendary group.?

The English Thomas Osborne was a further one, he was the founder of a prestigious winery in 1792 which gave birth to the Osborne y CIA which became the largest producer in the region of wine and brandy,and and another one with a prestigious name and fame is Williams & Humbert founded in 1877 by Sir Alexander Williams and Arthur Humbert.

The wine factories also produce the Spanish brandy distilled wine similar but less dry than the notorious French brandy, the Cognac which was the name given in the past.

Visiting those Bodegas is very suggested for a great Educational, ideal for Tour Operators and Travel Agencies who desire to plan operations of wine and sherries tasting all year.

It is undoubtedly a brilliant experience for every visitors to know the history and the development of that business which can create tailor made tours and special itineraries.

If you are planning to visit southern Spain and as great experience to visit Andalusia for many reasons but for sure you will be delighted to know the Sherry Triangle and those bodegas so appreciated for their history and traditions.

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Link : https://www.sherry.wine/sherry-region

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