The Sherry Bodegas of Jerez and Puerto de Santa Maria are open to the public at certain times and are well worth a visit. It is easy to see where the Sherry Barons of the last centuary invested the proceeds of their 'drug' trade.

Jerez is the capital of Sherry country. "Jerez" is actually "Sherry" mispronounced, centuries ago by British wine importers. It is home to many of the big names (González Byass, Emilio Lustau, Garvey, Emilio Hidalgo, John Harvey, Osborn etc). The town has an aristocratic air, with wide avenues linked with palms, and many lovely squares. The two most interesting architectural monuments are the Cathedral of Salvador (boasting a masterpiece painting by Zurbarán, "The Sleeping Girl", in the Sacristy) and the remains of an 11th century Moorish fortress (called the Alcazaba, it contains a maintained mosque). Jerez came onto the world scene with the huge increase of demand for its local fortified wine, sherry. The story goes that Sir Francis Drake sacked the town of Cádiz, making off with barrel after barrel of the sweet tipple. England got a taste for the wine, including Shakespeare, one of Sherry's biggest fans. Sherry has an ancient history, with a wine history dating back thousands of years to the Phoenicians. Even before Sir Francis Drake brought the wine back to England, other wineries had been making sherry commercially for centuries. The history of Valdespino winery in Jerez, for example, dates back to the year 1264 when the King of Spain granted one of his knights, Alonso Valdespino, 30 acres of vineyards. More than 700 years later Valdespino is still selling wine and is one of the oldest bodegas in the Sherry Region. Visiting the ancient bodegas (the wineries) is certainly a "must do" for wine lovers visiting Jerez de la Frontera. Gastronomy and Wine Sherry is quite obviously the most identifiable wine from the region. Made from Palomino grapes (along with Pedro Ximenez), sherry comes in a variety of styles. It is considered by many to be the perfect aperitif and it is served in all of the bars with the "Tapas", like olives, strong cheeses, "Chorizo" cured sausage slices, salted almonds, etc. The "Gastronomia Gaditana" (meaning food from the region of Cadiz, to which Jerez belongs) is varied and delicious. You'll find freshly caught seafood (Flounder, Sea bass, Plaice, Mahi Mahi, Hake, etc), and a variety of shellfish; Oxtail soup (made fresh after the bullfights), lovely cold soups (gazpacho, almond, Tomato with mint, pureed melon with bacon, etc); Braised quail; tender beef, etc. Typical dishes include: "Langostinos al ajillo" (giant prawns in a garlic sauce), "Urta a la Rotena" (Perch sautéed with sherry, tomatoes and onions), and "Dorada a la sal" (Mahi Mahi cooked in a salt crust).

Many of the historic bodegas in Jerez, in Sanlucar del Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa Maria (the Sherry Triangle) are open to the general public. González Byass is an exquisite winery, with an impressive dome designed by Gustav Eiffel (of the Eiffel Tower). Pedro Domecq, is another exceptional winery with graceful arches resembling a mosque (and called "la Mezquita"), which was in fact inspired by Cordoba's superb Mosque.

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