A glass of sherry in El Puerto de Santa Maria
Sherry, I have always loved it. From my first stolen sip of sweet alcoholic goodness from grandmother's neglected glass to my more refined adult preferences for the salty dry fino. Visiting the ‘sherry triangle’ was always going to be on the cards and staying in Cadiz provided the perfect opportunity to venture out to a bodega to see how this distinctive and often misunderstood drink is made.
You know you have reached sherry country the minute you pull out of the pretty tiled train station of Jerez de la Frontera speeding past bodegas with names you will find very familiar; Gonzalez Byass, Lustau, Sandeman and Tio Pepe. On the distant horizon you can spot one of the famous bull landmarks from Osborne too. Jerez, large and prosperous, is the northern most point of the triangle with Sanlucar de Barrameda to the west and El Puerto de Santa Maria to the south, conveniently just across the bay of Cadiz. A regular and cheap passenger ferry from Cadiz (€3 one way, 30 minute trip) is a quick and pleasant way to visit this sherry town, dropping you right off in the centre only a few minutes’ walk from Osborne, one of the bigger bodegas based in this coastal town.
The tour leads you through the gardens into the main cellar and as your eyes adjust to the shadows your other senses take over. The first thing to hit you is the fragrant scent of sherry, it literally makes your mouth water. Slightly sweet, somewhat reminiscent of raisins and yet at the same time yeasty, almost salty it overpowers you in a very good way. It is also distantly cooler in the cellar and it’s wise to bring something to wrap over your shoulders if you have dressed for the sun. Alvaro was excellent company and had plenty of time to answer the many questions we had on sherry, Osborne, cask making and brandy.
The tour finishes in the Toro Gallery, a large cellar re-purposed as a cultural space for the Osborne Foundation, detailing the history of the family, the company and the bull icon that has become one of the most famous landmarks of Spain. Fascinating glimpses of the collaborations with artists, film and fashion plus the original drawing for famous bull. I could have stayed a little longer to browse but the lure of the tasting moved us on.
Our group was spread out over two tasting tables, each bearing dishes of olives, nuts, cheese and crackers. Alvaro introduced the wines we would be tasting; fino, cortado, cream and Pedro Ximenez, four bottles for each table. The lighter fino proved to be everyone’s favourite but the Pedro Ximenez paired surprisingly well with cheese (try it over ice cream…my personal tip). Conversation flowed as the bottles emptied and we were left to stay as long as we wished. Alvaro even offered a few glasses of brandy for those that had expressed an interest. As with most places you do ‘exit through the gift shop’ but it’s all very well done and in impeccable taste. I already had my souvenir, a recipe for a mojito from Alvaro, just one of the many tips I picked up during the visit.
Alvaro’s Brandy Mojito
3 slices lime
3 slices of lemon
2-3 tsp brown sugar
3-4 fingers of Alma de Magno Brandy de Jerez
soda
Crushed ice
Muddle the sprig of rosemary, lemon, lime and sugar in a glass and leave for at least 10 min so the sugar dissolves. Add the brandy, crushed ice and top with soda to taste. Drink on a sunny evening, preferably in Spain.
If, after the tasting, you feel the need to sink into a comfortable chair and relax with something to eat (very likely), Osborne also has an excellent restaurant for lunch which is surprisingly good value given that it looks like a Michelin starred restaurant (the loos even come with appropriate sherry quotations, see above). We enjoyed several plates of excellent tapas including crisp asparagus tempura, Iberian pork loin and weirdly, egg, sausage (chorizo) and chips which was quite frankly divine. This is a trip worth making the effort for and was without doubt the highlight of our stay on the Costa de la Luz.
Adios España…until next time! x
You know you have reached sherry country the minute you pull out of the pretty tiled train station of Jerez de la Frontera speeding past bodegas with names you will find very familiar; Gonzalez Byass, Lustau, Sandeman and Tio Pepe. On the distant horizon you can spot one of the famous bull landmarks from Osborne too. Jerez, large and prosperous, is the northern most point of the triangle with Sanlucar de Barrameda to the west and El Puerto de Santa Maria to the south, conveniently just across the bay of Cadiz. A regular and cheap passenger ferry from Cadiz (€3 one way, 30 minute trip) is a quick and pleasant way to visit this sherry town, dropping you right off in the centre only a few minutes’ walk from Osborne, one of the bigger bodegas based in this coastal town.
Osborne provide a number of tours, some in English and pre-booking is essential. I booked via email and received a swift response in under an hour for the €14 per person tour plus sherry tasting. Even from the outside, the bodega looks impressively slick, the iconic bull sign providing discreet reassurance you are in the right place. Inside, a warm welcome awaits, as you sit in the shade of the tree-lined courtyard waiting for your guide trying not to feel guilty about your scruffy tourist attire. Our group was small so the tour (in English) felt very intimate and our host, Alvaro, was professional, knowledgeable and charmingly good fun providing a wealth of information on sherry and the history of Osborne.
The tour leads you through the gardens into the main cellar and as your eyes adjust to the shadows your other senses take over. The first thing to hit you is the fragrant scent of sherry, it literally makes your mouth water. Slightly sweet, somewhat reminiscent of raisins and yet at the same time yeasty, almost salty it overpowers you in a very good way. It is also distantly cooler in the cellar and it’s wise to bring something to wrap over your shoulders if you have dressed for the sun. Alvaro was excellent company and had plenty of time to answer the many questions we had on sherry, Osborne, cask making and brandy.
The tour finishes in the Toro Gallery, a large cellar re-purposed as a cultural space for the Osborne Foundation, detailing the history of the family, the company and the bull icon that has become one of the most famous landmarks of Spain. Fascinating glimpses of the collaborations with artists, film and fashion plus the original drawing for famous bull. I could have stayed a little longer to browse but the lure of the tasting moved us on.
Our group was spread out over two tasting tables, each bearing dishes of olives, nuts, cheese and crackers. Alvaro introduced the wines we would be tasting; fino, cortado, cream and Pedro Ximenez, four bottles for each table. The lighter fino proved to be everyone’s favourite but the Pedro Ximenez paired surprisingly well with cheese (try it over ice cream…my personal tip). Conversation flowed as the bottles emptied and we were left to stay as long as we wished. Alvaro even offered a few glasses of brandy for those that had expressed an interest. As with most places you do ‘exit through the gift shop’ but it’s all very well done and in impeccable taste. I already had my souvenir, a recipe for a mojito from Alvaro, just one of the many tips I picked up during the visit.
Alvaro’s Brandy Mojito
3 slices lime
3 slices of lemon
2-3 tsp brown sugar
3-4 fingers of Alma de Magno Brandy de Jerez
soda
Crushed ice
Muddle the sprig of rosemary, lemon, lime and sugar in a glass and leave for at least 10 min so the sugar dissolves. Add the brandy, crushed ice and top with soda to taste. Drink on a sunny evening, preferably in Spain.
If, after the tasting, you feel the need to sink into a comfortable chair and relax with something to eat (very likely), Osborne also has an excellent restaurant for lunch which is surprisingly good value given that it looks like a Michelin starred restaurant (the loos even come with appropriate sherry quotations, see above). We enjoyed several plates of excellent tapas including crisp asparagus tempura, Iberian pork loin and weirdly, egg, sausage (chorizo) and chips which was quite frankly divine. This is a trip worth making the effort for and was without doubt the highlight of our stay on the Costa de la Luz.
Adios España…until next time! x
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