{"id":3762,"date":"2023-06-24T16:04:48","date_gmt":"2023-06-24T16:04:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rosemurraybrown.com\/?p=3762"},"modified":"2023-08-17T20:02:15","modified_gmt":"2023-08-17T20:02:15","slug":"sherry-for-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rosemurraybrown.com\/sherry-for-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"SHERRY FOR THE FUTURE"},"content":{"rendered":"
\u201cThe sherry industry will still exist in years to come, but it will be small and focus on premium wines\u201d, explained Jan Pettersen of Bodegas Fernando de Castilla<\/strong><\/a>, as he dipped his venencia into a cask in his historic warehouse in Jerez, to draw out a sample of his trophy winning Singular Oloroso.<\/p>\n Norwegian-born Pettersen (pictured below) is one of a growing band leading vibrant independent family firms in Jerez, now at the heart of sherry\u2019s current revival.\u00a0 With plummeting sales of sherry over the last 40 years, large volumes of sweet cream blends for the UK market dwindling and Jerez\u2019s vineyard down to just 7,000 hectares, the multinationals have all gone.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sherry is now back in the hands of mainly Spanish family-owned firms, large and small, focusing on making sherry exciting again with premium dry styles of Fino, Amontillado, Palo Cortado and Oloroso.\u00a0 Whilst larger producers Barbadillo<\/strong><\/a>, Gonzalez Byass<\/strong><\/a>, Williams & Humbert<\/strong><\/a>, Caballero<\/strong> (who own Lustau<\/strong><\/a>), Fundador<\/strong><\/a> and Estevez<\/strong> (who own Valdespino<\/strong><\/a>) dominate the market, some of the most interesting bodegas in Jerez and Sanlucar to visit are smaller niche players.<\/p>\n Just around the corner from Fernando de Castilla in Jerez, is super-premium Bodegas Tradicion<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 From the outside the local graffiti might be off-putting, but once inside the superbly renovated cellars and art gallery treasures of this family-owned company make it one of the most interesting.\u00a0 Tradicion, owned by the Rivero family, emerged in 1998 and is a new super-star in Jerez with niche focus on rare old sherry with 20 year old VOS, 30 year old VORS and older.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you are staying in Jerez town itself, alongside Fernando de Castilla and Tradicion there are other hidden small family bodegas worth visiting or seeking out their sherries in bars – Urium<\/strong>, Cayetano del Pino<\/strong>, Sanchez Romate<\/strong> and Maestro Sierra<\/strong> to name a few.<\/p>\n On the road from Jerez down to Guadalquivir estuary at Sanlucar in the small hamlet of Las Tablas, another family concern have established a surprising niche.\u00a0 Bodegas Ximenez Spinola<\/strong><\/a>, run by 9th<\/sup> generation Jose Antonio Zarazana and his English wife Laura, is a discreet rarity here focusing only on Pedro Ximenez grape.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 95% of plantings in Jerez are Palomino, with only 300 hectares of PX planted – and the Ximenez Spinola bodegas own 5% of this PX in their Las Tablas vineyard (see above) and Carrascal \u2018pagos\u2019 (vineyards).\u00a0 Their range from unfortified Exceptional Harvest, fresh vibrant Delicado late harvest to stunning 1918 solera – all made from PX – were some of the best wines tasted on our trip.<\/p>\n A few kilometres north in seaside Sanlucar, there is one hidden gem which exudes passion and dedication more than any other.\u00a0 Bodegas Alonso<\/strong><\/a> is owned by maverick brothers, Fernando and Francisco Asencio who bought up historic bodegas Pedro Romero, Gaspar Florido and Fernando Mendez.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fernando (pictured above) is a particularly passionate individual: \u201cThis is my life project\u201d, he explains.\u00a0 \u201cI have even sold my house and will die with my single cask rare old sherries \u2013 all hand crafted, hand bottled with hand-written labels\u201d.\u00a0 Alonso\u2019s 50 year old Oloroso and Amontillado tasted from cask were superb, but you have to persuade the brothers to sell you anything.<\/p>\n