Latest update: 13 August 2024
The Cadiz province is the sherry region of Spain. The drink is made and drunk here in abundance. Only sherry made in this region may bear the name sherry. So you should definitely try a sherry tour in the Cádiz and Jerez de la Frontera area, or at the very least visit a sherry bodega for a quick nip. And if you’re not into sherry, you can opt for a regular wine tasting too.
Welcome to the Sherry Triangle!
The only region where the original sherry is produced is Cádiz in Spain. The so-called sherry triangle consists of the area between Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlucar de Barrameda, and El Puerto de Santa María. There are dozens of sherry bodegas here. Many of them are open to visitors. At some, you can simply stop by and order sherry at the bar. At others, you can join a sherry tour or sherry tasting. If you want to be sure of a spot, please make a reservation!
It’s fun to compare the different sherries. I didn’t know anything about the drink before I got to the region, so I didn’t even know that there were several types of sherry. You can choose from, for example, manzanilla, fino, amontillado, oloroso, cream and Pedro Ximénez. And they all taste different. Manzanilla and fino are not my taste at all (they remind me of methyl alcohol, which is not a good sign), but I like the sweet cream sherry.
Sherry tours in the Cádiz region
So if you are in the Cádiz and Jerez de la Frontera region, try arranging a sherry tour. You can go to various places for a sherry tour and tasting. I want to give you a few options here, but please know that there are many more!
Sherry tour: Bodegas Osborne – El Puerto de Santa María
The sherry tours at Bodegas Osborne in El Puerto de Santa María are a well-oiled machine. There are tours in several languages almost every day. The grounds of Bodegas Osborne are beautiful, with a lovely courtyard and a well-maintained garden.
The tour starts in the wine cellar, where the guide explains the production process and the history of the sherry house. The sherry tour of Bodegas Osborne takes about an hour, and you get to taste four sherries. You can taste more sherry if you opt for a VIP or premium tour.
Sherry tour: Bodega Manuel Aragón – Chiclana de la Frontera
Bodega Manual Aragón is the very first sherry bodega that I visited. And it is also the most fun. I like it because it is a small bodega with much personal attention. It will probably be different in the summer months, but my tour is just the two of us, and my parents have a tour with only one other couple a month later. So it feels cozy and friendly, and as if the guide has all the time in the world for just you.
I have a Spanish-language guide, so I also downloaded the app with English text and audio. We make it work together—with my holiday-level Spanish, the explanation in the app, and lots of pointing and laughing. I get to see the vineyard and storage, and then taste the sherries and eat some tapas in the garden. What a wonderful afternoon!
Sherry tour: Tío Pepe – Jerez de la Frontera
Bodegas Gonzáles-Byass makes the Tío Pepe sherry. You may have seen the symbol along the highways: a little man with a red jacket and hat. You may have also noticed the symbol of Osborne: the bull. But let’s stick to Tío here. Tió means uncle, and Tío Pepe is the uncle of founder Manual Maria González. Robert Byass was his business partner.
Bodegas Gonzáles-Byass is one of the largest and most famous sherry houses. The tour is pretty popular and touristy: we are even driven over the site by a little train. This is OK for a first introduction to sherry, but it’s not the most personal experience. We make several stops in the bodega and look at the mixing system of the barrels, among other things. There are three rows of barrels on top of each other, and one-third of the contents are taken out and replaced with the contents of the barrel above.
I taste two sherries in the tasting room, but it’s possible to get a more extensive sherry tasting. You can make reservations online in advance at this sherry house in Jerez de la Frontera.
Wine tasting in the Cádiz region
The wines from Cádiz are perhaps a bit overshadowed by the sherry wines. A shame because there are quite a few excellent wineries in this part of Andalusia. I have done two wine tastings in this part of Andalucia. One in La Ina and one in Jerez de la Frontera.
Wine tasting: Miguel Domecq – La Ina
The Miguel Domecq winery is a fifteen-minute drive from Jerez de la Frontera. The last part is on a quiet country road with hills and vineyards on both sides. And then suddenly, the hypermodern winery in La Ina pops up. With our guide, we check out the vineyard, the storage, and the production area, and of course, we end the tour with a wine tasting.
The wine tasting takes place in a small private tasting room. We first see a film about the winery and then taste four wines. We are excited about the Alhocen Chardonnay and take some bottles home. Here too, you can expand your tasting with extra snacks.
After the tasting, make sure you drive a little further up the hills before you leave. You’ll get to see the ruins of watchtower Torre de Cera and even more vineyards.
Wine tasting: Bodegas Luis Pérez – Jerez de la Frontera
If you order a local wine at a restaurant in Cádiz, you will probably get one from Bodegas Luis Pérez. Especially the red Garum is very popular. So that’s already a good reason to visit this winery. Around the bodega are the vineyards on the rolling hills of Jerez de la Frontera. Unfortunately, there were strong winds during my visit, so I mainly stayed inside at the long table in the tasting room. In a corner, there are lovely sofas between books and a fireplace. What a lovely spot.
I happened to get the tour from a Dutch guide. Caroline has lived in the region for years and has worked at several wineries, so you can count on getting a lot of information during this wine tour. And lots of wine: you can taste four.
More Spain inspiration?
Helpful links for your Spain trip
- Accommodation. Booking.com is always a popular choice. But you could also check Homecamper | campspace or Hostelworld for more options. HostelWorld.
- Activities. You book the best tours and activities with GetYourGuide, Klook and Viator. You can also check out WithLocals. Book ‘free’ walking tours at Freetour.com or GuruWalk and try Baja Bikes for bike tours.
- Attractions and museums. Interested in a 5% discount on museums and other attractions? Use this discount code at Tiqets: KIMOPREIS22
- Bus and train. If you want to travel by bus or train to or in Spain, Busbud and Omio are excellent companies for planning your transportation.
- Boat. You can take a boat from Barcelona to the Balearic Islands, or take a ferry between the islands. Check out the options at Direct Ferries.
- Car rental. Compare your options at Discover Cars and Rentalcars.
- Flights. Compare all your options! Be sure to check out Skyscanner, and Kiwi.
- Package deals. Rather go on a catered trip? You could try Expedia or CheapOair.
- SIM card. Beware of unexpectedly high calling and internet costs. Buy a local SIM card when you arrive, or arrange one online via Airalo.
- Travel guides. I like paper travel guides to browse through, for sale at Amazon, among others.
- Yoga retreat. Or treat yourself to a yoga retreat in Spain.
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